Bosnia: Muslim undertaking 3600-mile walking pilgrimage to Mecca

Bosnia: Muslim undertaking 3600-mile walking pilgrimage to Mecca

France: Muslim and Jewish celebrations ‘should be bank holidays’

France: Muslim and Jewish celebrations ‘should be bank holidays’

Via France24:

France’s Green presidential hopeful raised heckles across the political spectrum Tuesday by suggesting that France should honour Muslim and Jewish festivals as well as Christian ones, by according them a national holiday.

Speaking in Paris on Wednesday at her first campaign rally, Green presidential candidate Eva Joly argued that national holiday status should be accorded to the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Fitr and the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.

Currently six of the 12 national holidays in France are Catholic calendar events, with the other six having no religious connotation.

(source)

Christmas and Muslims: Tradition vs. Religion

Christmas and Muslims: Tradition vs. Religion

I've been running behind with various stories, and so only now I've gotten around to some of the Christmas stories. While I was summarizing them up, I realized they all revolve around the same motif: Is Christmas a religious holiday or a traditional national-cultural holiday?

Russia: 110 year old makes pilgrimage to the Hajj

Russia: 110 year old makes pilgrimage to the Hajj

Bosnia: Muslims urged to "boycott New Year"

Bosnia: Muslims urged to "boycott New Year"

Via B92 (h/t Jihad Watch):

The Islamic Community in Bosnia-Herzegovina has called on Muslims in that country to boycott the upcoming New Year celebrations.

By taking part, said the organization, they would "violate Allah's boundaries, and do something their master hates and despises".

The Islamic Community statement on Wednesday quoted from a book by Almir Dumica, entitled, "Pearls of the Sunnah in the Mosaic of Time":

"On that night, turn off the lights early and let everyone see you're boycotting everything happening on that night. Do not fear anyone's objections. Don't you have a right to choose? Do not say, 'how can I do that, I will change nothing, most people do it... I will be declared a black sheep'."

(source)

KU Leuven: No exams on religious holidays

KU Leuven: No exams on religious holidays

Via VRT:

Leuven University has decided to allow students to move the date of their exam if this conflicts with a holiday in their religion. The university has now drawn up a list of holidays that qualify.

The holidays all occur in the calendars of the Christian, Jewish and Moslem faiths. They include the Orthodox Church's Easter, the Jewish New Year and Greater Eid.

(source)

Denmark: 'Christmas isn't dangerous', says Muslim politician

Denmark: 'Christmas isn't dangerous', says Muslim politician

Denmark: Schools drop Christmas traditions out of consideration for Muslim students

Denmark: Schools drop Christmas traditions out of consideration for Muslim students

Via Jyllands-Posten (Danish):

Schools are increasingly changing Christmas tradition in order to take into account a growing number of bilingual children.

At the Klostervænget school in Copenhagen, the school administration changed a few verses in the 'A Child is Born in Bethlehem' hymn sung by the children because they thought it would be preaching too much to the bilingual children.

Norway: Muslims not the reason for dropping school Christmas celebration

Norway: Muslims not the reason for dropping school Christmas celebration

A couple of days ago I posted about a school in the Norwegian city of Drammen that decided to drop Christmas from its Christmas celebration. This started off a major debate, with commentators blaming Humanists and Muslims for this step. However, according to the school principal, this had nothing to do with Muslims or students of a foreign cultural background.

Via Drammens Tidende (Norwegian):

Principal Tove Fredriksen says this measure was taken to protect students from Norwegian religious minorities who do not celebrate Christmas. Despite the impression people got, it was not done out of consideration of Muslim students.

"The decision to have a neutral Christmas celebration without Christmas hats and other traditional items and elements was made with the best of intentions."

"The goal was to be able to include everybody and specifically in this case, also students from Norwegian religious minorities. Since this involves children, I don't want to go further into which minorities these were," says Fredriksen.

Oslo: Immigrant families account for 70% of domestic abuse cases

Oslo: Immigrant families account for 70% of domestic abuse cases

Via Nettavisen (h/t Jan Simonsen, Norwegian)

Norwegian news-site Nettavisen wanted to write about the increase in crime and domestic violence on Christmas, but according to Stein Erik Olsen, domestic violence coordinator for the Oslo police, both are myths.

"70% of these cases are of families of non-Norwegian background. The cultures we speak of drink little alcohol and don't celebrate Christmas," Stein Erik Olsen told Nettavisen. "What we've seen in Stovner (borough) is that the number of cases goes down during Ramadan."

Norway: Muslim labour leader against dropping Christmas traditions

Norway: Muslim labour leader against dropping Christmas traditions

UK: Church fury over opening of McDonald's on Christmas Day as Muslim manager is drafted in

UK: Church fury over opening of McDonald's on Christmas Day as Muslim manager is drafted in

Via the Daily Mail:

Church leaders have hit out at a branch of McDonald's which is to open on Christmas Day.

A Muslim branch manager has been drafted in by the fast food outlet to cover for the usual boss who is taking the day off and staff have volunteered to work that day for seven hours.

Stockholm: Immigrant women put Tensta Christmas market on the map

Stockholm: Immigrant women put Tensta Christmas market on the map

Netherlands: Mecca pilgrims welcome angers Freedom Party

Netherlands: Mecca pilgrims welcome angers Freedom Party

Denmark: Kindergarten cancels Christmas church service

Denmark: Kindergarten cancels Christmas church service

Via Frederiksborg Amts Avis (Danish):

The Ørnevang kindergarten will not participate in the traditional Christmas service at Lillerød church this year. The kindergarten decided to cancel its participation out of consideration for the non-Christian children.

Antwerp: Muslims boycott stunning of Eid al-Adha sacrifice

Antwerp: Muslims boycott stunning of Eid al-Adha sacrifice

(No Muslim showed up to stun his sheep before slaughter)

Moscow: 80,000 Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha on the street

Moscow: 80,000 Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha on the street

(RIA Novosti)

Moscow: City bans roadside ritual slaughter

Moscow: City bans roadside ritual slaughter

Via the Moscow News:

Moscow’s Muslims will have to move their fast approaching Eid al-Adha sacrifices off the streets after City Hall slapped a ban on roadside ritual slaughter.

The festival falls on Nov. 6 this year and after dramatic scenes of ritual sacrifice last year, which shocked feint-hearted passers by, the Moscow-based followers of Mohammed will have to move the rites into the slaughter-house or out of the city.

(source)

Amsterdam: Police looking for youth who threatened to kill a man for not fasting on Ramadan

Amsterdam: Police looking for youth who threatened to kill a man for not fasting on Ramadan

France: Dunkirk Islamic Council tells Muslims to pass on Eid sacrifice

France: Dunkirk Islamic Council tells Muslims to pass on Eid sacrifice


Altinisik and Sahraoui