Australia's largest mosque issues fatwa against Christmas, then withdraws it after criticism and says it was taken "out of context"

"Out of context"? Sheesh. All these years and they still fall back on that tired dodge? Isn't there anyone in the Islamic Supremacist Talking Points Factory who can come up with anything new and more convincing?

"No merriness here: mosque puts fatwa on Christmas," by Natalie O'Brien for the Sydney Morning Herald, December 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):

THE Lakemba Mosque has issued a fatwa against Christmas, warning followers it is a ''sin'' to even wish people a Merry Christmas.
The religious ruling, which followed a similar lecture during Friday prayers at Australia's biggest mosque, was posted on its Facebook site on Saturday morning.

The head imam at Lakemba, Sheikh Yahya Safi, had told the congregation during prayers that they should not take part in anything to do with Christmas.

Samir Dandan, the president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, which oversees the mosque, could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

The fatwa, which has sparked widespread community debate and condemnation, warns that the "disbelievers are trying to draw Muslims away from the straight path".

It also says that Christmas Day and associated celebrations are among the "falsehoods that a Muslim should avoid ... and therefore, a Muslim is neither allowed to celebrate the Christmas Day nor is he allowed to congratulate them"....

The fatwa quotes the teacher Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim as saying that congratulating disbelievers for their rituals is forbidden, and if a "Muslim who says this does not become a disbeliever himself, he at least commits a sin as this is the same as congratulating him for his belief in the trinity, which is a greater sin and much more disliked by Almighty Allaah than congratulating him for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing fornication or adultery”....

And then: "Christmas wish appears in sky over mosque," from ABC News, December 23:

The Lebanese Muslim Association says it arranged for a Christmas wish to be written in the sky above the country's biggest mosque, in response to reports it had banned Muslims from wishing people a happy Christmas.
Over the weekend, a message appeared on the Facebook page for Lakemba Mosque, saying that Muslims were forbidden from taking part in Christmas traditions or wishing people a merry Christmas.

The entry implied it was a fatwa, or Islamic ruling, and was based on a lecture given at the mosque during Friday prayers.

The Lebanese Muslim Association, which runs the mosque, says the comments were taken out of context and the group harbours no anti-Christmas sentiment.

Samier Dandan from the the Lebanese Muslim Association says a junior staff member of the association copied and pasted text from another website that the mosque had not endorsed.

"From our perspective this is an innocent mistake done by a youth member who's employed by this organisation," he said.

"We are basically not going to apologise for what I perceive to be an innocent mistake, which is not necessarily reflective of the true mindset and belief of this organisation."

This afternoon, the organisation arranged to have the words "Merry Xmas" written in the sky above Lakemba Mosque....

But the earlier report said that "the head imam at Lakemba, Sheikh Yahya Safi, had told the congregation during prayers that they should not take part in anything to do with Christmas." Is Sheikh Yahya Safi a "youth member" and "junior staff member" also?

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12 Comments

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dumbledoresarmy | December 23, 2012 5:18 AM | Reply

Spin, and damage control. That's all.

London Jim replied to comment from dumbledoresarmy | December 23, 2012 8:12 AM | Reply

Roger that, dda.

salah | December 23, 2012 9:57 AM | Reply

"... his belief in the trinity, which is a greater sin and much more disliked by Almighty Allaah than congratulating him for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing fornication or adultery”...."

or...having sex with a dead woman, or...having sex with an animal!!!

http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/03/necrophilia-in-islam-necrophilie-en.html

Champ ♥ | December 23, 2012 11:16 AM | Reply

lies * deceit * trickery ...all of these sins are allah approved since he is the god of the underworld; and evil doesn't even Begin! to describe who allah is.

Tom Billesley | December 23, 2012 11:35 AM | Reply

Is the Grinch muslim?

Champ ♥ | December 23, 2012 1:30 PM | Reply

Well in that case ...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

ebonystone | December 23, 2012 1:53 PM | Reply

"Out of context"?

If not that, then "cherry-picked", or "only the original Arabic conveys the full meaning."

PJG | December 23, 2012 1:59 PM | Reply

On the SBS (world) news, a Muslim representative said it was because of the Crusades (the 13th Century.) He said it with a straight face...it must have taken a lot of effort. Some Muslims, apparently, are still traumatised by that period and can't forget what Christians did to them.
You see, it's all our fault.
In one way or another, you HAVE to pity these people. They are pathetic slaves of Allah.

dumbledoresarmy | December 23, 2012 6:30 PM | Reply

I wonder whether anybody's game to test them on this one.

Say, by Cardinal Archbishop Pell, Archbishop Jensen (Anglican), and a very large contingent of Christians from churches all over Sydney, going Christmas-carolling by motorcade (choirs on board flatback trucks) through all the most heavily-Islamised suburbs of Sydney: stopping at every Christian church still present and functioning...and outside every surviving pub...*and* stopping outside the mosques, including most especially the Lakemba Mosque.

Too late to organise it for this year, but next year might be fun.

Here's one good song they should include in the repertoire, absolutely chockful of SHIRK, in its affirmation of the Incarnation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB-_kM5-XHU&feature=related

desidude | December 23, 2012 8:01 PM | Reply

No doubt these muslim despise christmas tradition such as carols. that is why in past writing we suggested islamic christmas carols. or rather chrisHAMAS carols. carols such as ,

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

JIHAD BELLS

SATAN CLAWS IS COMING TO TOWN.

WE WISH YOU A MURDEROUS CHRISTMAS.

LITTLE BOMBER BOY.

LET IT BLOW.

OH CHRISTAMS TREE(HOW I LOVE TO BURN YOUR BRANCHES.)

SLAY RIDE.

I'LL BE HOME AFTER CHRIST-MASSACRE.

DESTROY THE HALLS (WITH BOMBS SO HOLY)

YOUR GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY MY CAMEL DEAR.

and the ever populer

FRIGHT CHRISTMAS.

just the thing to make muslim smile and feel aglow with happy thoughts.

Stuart Parsons | December 24, 2012 3:28 PM | Reply

Well you guys have got to admit all this nonsense about the stable of an Inn and wise men bringing gifts and washing the shepherd's socks beneath a star shining in the East is pretty far fetched.

There is nother genuine holy book which was revealed to a 'Prophet' by a six-hundred winged angel which clearly informs us Jesus was born to Mary under a palm tree and could speak itelligently immediastely after his birth.

And of course please remember Allah knows best.

London Jim replied to comment from Stuart Parsons | December 24, 2012 4:37 PM | Reply

I take it that you are a cynic Mr Parsons. Merry Christmas to you, all the same, chap.

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