Santa Visits Detroit Muslim Children

http://www.ebnmaryam.com/vb/clientsc...ges/extra2.gif


CAIRO – Santa Claus has made an unexpected visit to a Muslim majority Dearborn elementary school to pass out Christmas gifts to young boys and girls.
“It’s not Christmas without this program,” Brigitte Fawaz-Anouti, 47, director of social services and special projects at Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), told Detroit Free Press.
“It’s just part of the tradition here.”

[TR]

[/TR]

Can Muslims Celebrate Christmas?

Last Thursday, Santa visited Salina Elementary School greeting the mostly Muslim students with “Keefak,” an Arabic word that means, “How are you?”


One boy replied in Arabic: “Is Santa Arab?”


At Salina school, at least 95% of the students are Arab-American Muslims, many of them of Yemeni descent from homes where parents are religious conservatives.
Over the past 24 years, Santa has been played at Salina Elementary School by Jim Stokes, a Dearborn attorney whose grandmother was a Lebanese Catholic immigrant
“When I see the kids, I think of her,” said Stokes, decked out in a Santa suit and beard.
The program was launched 40 years ago by ACCESS to bring holiday cheer to children in the south end of Dearborn, which has been the traditional gateway for immigrants to Dearborn and Detroit.
Fawaz-Anouti, ACCESS director of social services and special projects had herself got a gift from Santa in the 1970s when she attended Salina.
She was 7 in 1974 when she moved to Dearborn from Lebanon along with her parents and recalls how excited she was to get gifts from Santa, played in the 1970s by Ismael Ahmed, ACCESS cofounder and former director of Michigan’s Department of Human Services.
Being in charge of the program today, Fawaz-Anouti personally buys the gifts for the children, which range from foam footballs and basketball hoops for the boys to toy jewelry and dolls for the girls.


They also get healthy snacks and toothbrushes.
Cultural Differences


The program organizers stressed the Salina program isn’t about a particular religious holiday, but more of a cultural event.
They have also asserted the importance of watching cultural differences for Muslim students.
“When I get a Barbie, I make sure she’s fully clothed,” Fawaz-Anouti, who grew up Muslim, said.
“I try to be culturally sensitive.”


When greeting the kids, Stokes said, “Happy Holidays,” while some kids said, “Merry Christmas.”
Some of the kids gave Santa letters they had written and cookies.
“He’s not connected with any religion,” said Janice Tessier, a vice president at Comerica Bank, which helps sponsor the Santa gift-giving at Salina.
“Kids just love Santa. Santa is a universal figure of happiness.”


Though there are no official estimates, the US is home to from 7 to 8 million Muslims.
Christmas is the main festival on the Christian calendar. Its celebrations reach its peak at 12:00 PM on December 24 of every year.
Muslims believe in Jesus as one of the great Prophets of God and that he is the son of Mary but not the Son of God. He was conceived and born miraculously.
In the Noble Qur’an, Jesus is called "Isa". He is also known as Al-Masih (the Christ) and Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary).
Muslim scholars assert that Muslims have their own identity and in order to keep this identity they must not celebrate Christmas or holidays of non-Muslims.
By participation in Christmas, they say, it is possible that slowly one may lose his or her consciousness of this basic point of difference between Islam and Christianity.


http://www.onislam.net/english/oimed...m-Children.jpg

Poor children. :( why is a gift given in kindness so wrong?

اقتباس:

---

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة pandora

Poor children. :( why is a gift given in kindness so wrong?

---

Methods of evangelization dirty is the error


Money in exchange for access Christianity

Santa has nothing to do with Christmas.

We do not believe the Muslim holiday of Birth

Birth of who?

​

Muslims believe in Jesus as one of the great Prophets of God and that he is the son of Mary but not the Son of God. He was conceived and born miraculously.
In the Noble Qur’an, Jesus is called "Isa". He is also known as Al-Masih (the Christ) and Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary).
Muslim scholars assert that Muslims have their own identity and in order to keep this identity they must not celebrate Christmas or holidays of non-Muslims.
By participation in Christmas, they say, it is possible that slowly one may lose his or her consciousness of this basic point of difference between Islam and Christianity.

Yep ok, get that. Just be aware that Santa Claus has nothing to do with any Christian festival. I thought the object in this thread was Santa Claus not Christ Jesus.

We love the thought of Christ, we believe that Christ is the Messenger of Allah


Not to celebrate Christmas, do not accept gifts

The point here is the methods Christian missionaries use to mislead people and show Christianity under the mask of Santa Clause, gifts, love and the list goes on. These methods are principals of evangelization, the Christian missionaries get advantage of poverty and war torn countries, they control media and have money and do what they want.

YEs True (y)

اقتباس:

---

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة هشيم

The point here is the methods Christian missionaries use to mislead people and show Christianity under the mask of Santa Clause, gifts, love and the list goes on. These methods are principals of evangelization, the Christian missionaries get advantage of poverty and war torn countries, they control media and have money and do what they want.

---

Is islam so bad that it's followers can be tempted away with a few sweeties? Christianity is about loving and giving, is Islam so devoid of these qualities that followers would give up their faith in exchange for love? This is the saddest thing I have heard. The only person who can be tempted away from their faith by material things have weak and doubtful faith to start with. If a person becomes a Christian it is out of love for Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit and by Gods will.

Is Christianity so bad that its missionaries perform stunning tricks to deceive others?
Is Christianity so aggressive and cruel that it hides under the mask of “God is Love”?

I did not know Christianity is about love and giving, but:

Who started the 1st world war?
Who started the 2nd world war?
Who killed about 20million of Aborigines in Australia?
Who sent the nuclear bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Who killed more than 100million Indians in North America?
Who killed more than 50million Indians in south America?
Who took about 180millions of African people as slaves, of whom 88%died and were thrown in the Atlantic Ocean?


is Islam so devoid of these qualities that followers would give up their faith in exchange for love?
No, Islam is blessing and guarantees spiritual comfort in this life and life after death.

“And He (God) is the Oft-Forgiving, Full of Loving-Kindness,” (Quran 85:14)
“Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Quran 3:31)
One of the attributes of Allah (SWT) in the Quran is “Salam” which means “The source of peace” (Quran 59:23)


Of course many (if not all) Muslims who convert are poor and have very little information about this great religion here wars are the main cause. For example Africa, the bad condition that the colonialism created in Africa by occupation, fueling civil wars, and looting Africa's wealth, and trading weapons. Then the Christian missionaries start using their tricks to bribe others to leave their religion. They give those innocent children, women, old people one poor meal and a dozen of leaflets and posters about Bible and Jesus then one says "If a person becomes a Christian it is out of love for Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit and by Gods will", you always draw attention to these "words" but in fact you just raise doubts in our mind and risk that kind of "love". These nice words appear to be at odds with bitter realities. Love is not displacing people and forcing them to flee their homes to live in refugee camps then making them to choose between "Either Christianity or Death". Furthermore, we see some pathetic pictures taken with those unfortunate people in camps and orphanages to make the story more passionate and deceitful. Those are hidden from the outside world because the media is under your control and you tell people what you want them to know and hide what you want to remain secret. There are books about those crimes, even if they do not talk about “evangelization” for whatever reasons, you can consult these books and know how the “God is Love” has worked. If you leave them (Africans) they will be better and they will never need your “God is Love” and your aids. Christian missionaries are no more than monopolists along with weapon traders, natural resource robbers and precious stones smugglers, all these and more are run and supervised by Christians and for the purpose of evangelization and having more people driven away from worshiping one God.

While the Christians have every facility and get every support from their governments and African authorities Muslims face obstacles and difficulties during their work. If only the Muslims have got half of what the Christian missionaries have got, if only. Christian's Taking advantage of wars and tricking people are very clear and undeniable.

اقتباس:

---

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة pandora

Is Islam so bad that it's followers can be tempted away with a few sweeties? Christianity is about loving and giving, is Islam so devoid of these qualities that followers would give up their faith in exchange for love? This is the saddest thing I have heard. The only person who can be tempted away from their faith by material things have weak and doubtful faith to start with. If a person becomes a Christian it is out of love for Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit and by Gods will.

---

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

Philippians 1:18

اقتباس:

---

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة هشيم

Is Christianity so bad that its missionaries perform stunning tricks to deceive others?
Is Christianity so aggressive and cruel that it hides under the mask of “God is Love”?

I did not know Christianity is about love and giving, but:

Who started the 1st world war?
Who started the 2nd world war?
Who killed about 20million of Aborigines in Australia?
Who sent the nuclear bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Who killed more than 100million Indians in North America?
Who killed more than 50million Indians in south America?
Who took about 180millions of African people as slaves, of whom 88%died and were thrown in the Atlantic Ocean?

---

God is love, and Christians follow the teachings of Jesus who taught us this very fact. I cannot believe you give the examples above with a straight face! Yes these events happened but they were not done by true Christians because true Christians follow Christ by words and example and Jesus taught peace and he never killed a person. So these crimes against humanity you can claim were not committed by muslims but neither were they committed by Christians.

You have an immense naivety if you truly believe that muslims are all peaceful individuals who have never fought in a war or killed a fellow human being who did not deserve to die. By making such a claim about "Christians" and your above little list is akin to saying the muslims who fly planes into towers and blow up themselves along with any unfortunate innocent bystanders weather they be man, woman or child is like saying such muslims represent Islam. Would you agree to that? No of course you would not, you would likely say they were acting contrary to the message of Islam... Well I can say the same with confidence.. That any Christian who takes the life of another is not a true Christian and will cease to be part of the living gospel that I'd Jesus Christ.

You my friend should put away your hypocrisy and open your eyes. It's not your place to pass such judgements on past crimes of others, those responsible will have already answered and paid the price. You are yet to pay yours so far your good deeds could do with some improvement.. But then that's just my opinion which thankfully counts for nothing :)

peace to you.

I want to add something to clarify a point. We Muslims always fell oppressed and wronged. Oppression always produces an angry generation this is a rule and nobody can deny. We see our innocent armless sisters and brothers have been killed , especially the start point is Palestine, since 1948 our innocent sisters and brothers are killed and tortured and jailed. There are many massacres committed in front all of the world. What do you think our reaction would be? Do you "expect us to throw our arms up in joy" and sit down looking?! Those wars, fights and conflicts always produce an angry generation. Those countries who back and defend Israel must think that their policy makes some angry while some others happy. I do not like to be involved in politics, but you can see it is half politic and half religion.
In Islam killing of civilians is never justified. Christians and Jew lived during the Islam civilization very peacefully with Muslims and this truth is undeniable. I am not with killing innocent people never whatever his or her religion or nationality is. Of course if those past events were committed by Muslims we know very well what the world has said about us, but since it is by the follower of other religions justifications are prepared.

Two wrongs do not make a right. To be a Christian is to be persecuted, maybe you should google how many Christians are persecuted in the world each year and where. Muslims do not have the monopoly on suffering or injustice. Anger and hate two of the most destructive emotions of mankind.

Christ taught we should love our enemies and turn the other cheek. This must be one of the hardest lessons He taught knowing the nature of mankind. Yet to succeed in this must be the most rewarding and surely brings one closer to God. "Vengeance is mine sayeth The Lord " I have confidence in Gods supreme justice and mercy to right the wrongs where it matters.. Not the here and now.. But eternity.