What do Father Christmas and Blue jeans have in common? Why, they're both on the list of things that offend Muslims of course.
The directors of Sarajevo's day-care centres, kindergartens and nurseries banned Father Christmas. They argued that the capital is predominantly Muslim and Father Christmas is not part of the Muslim tradition.
Christmas no, but the Muslim tradition of dhimmitude demands that non-Muslims "feel themselves subdued" (Sura 9:29).
But a multi-religious mix of parents, children and others wore Santa Claus hats and blew whistles on a downtown square on Sunday and requested that Father Christmas be restored to the children.
Father Christmas, known locally as Father Frost, has given out
presents to generations of Bosnian children in schools, kindergartens
and other institutions. This was done even during communist rule and
was always tied to New Year's celebrations, not to the Christian
holiday. The demonstrators argue that that makes it a Bosnian tradition.
And if the Jolly Old Elf weren't trouble enough, along comes...blue jeans!!!
After terming
love as “un-Islamic”, the Darul Uloom Islamic seminary in Deoband has
said that Muslilms wearing jeans is a gunah (sin).
The seminary recently issued a fatwa (religious decree) against the
wearing of jeans and transplanting and dyeing of hair in black.
These fatwas have been issued in response to three different queries,
according to the Darul Uloom's Darul Ifta (department of fatwa). In
response to a query on wearing of jeans by women, especially in cold
countries in Western Europe, the seminary has made it clear that “jeans
pants and shirts are against the shariat (Islamic rules)”. “The
physical structure (curves) of the body is reflected if one puts on a
jeans. Wearing them by a woman is a sin”, the fatwa said adding that it
should not be put on by the menfolk also. “It is barred for men as
well. Women, who want to look as men, are cursed”, the fatwa went on to
say.
Oh, and don't forget black hair dye.
On a query on dyeing one’s hair in black, the fatwa said that any other
colour other than black is permissible. “Use of black hair dye is
un-Islamic”, it said.
On another query pertaining to hair transplant, the Darul Uloom said
transplanting artificial hair amounted to “cheating” and is therefore
is “illegal”. The clerics say that Islam very clearly separates what is
right and what is wrong. “He, who does even after knowing that it is
wrong, is the sinner”, said a senior cleric. “Fatwas should only issued
on religious matters and not social issues”, said Maulana Yasoob Abbas,
the spokesman of the All India Shia Personal Law Board. All India
Muslim Women Personal Law Board chairperson Shaista Amber also echoed
similar sentiments. “The clerics should confine themselves only to
religious matters”, she told Deccan Herald.
