Somalia: Islamic Nation Bans Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations:
There’ll no Christmas or New Year celebrations in Somalia for concern that Islamist assaults could be evoked by actions, in line with the Muslim-majority state’s authorities.
Security units are given the order to break up any festivities associated with the holiday season.
Supreme Religious Council of Somalia’s Sheikh Nur Barud Gurhan said that celebrations may induce al Shabab militants, the Somalia Islamist extremist group, “to carry out assaults,” according to AFP.
The group is allied with al Qaeda.
In 2014, the combatants of the militant group carried out an assault on Christmas Day on the African Union’s headquarters in Mogadishu.
“Christmas is not going to be observed in Somalia for two motives; all Somalis are Muslims and there isn’t any Christian community here. “Christmas is for Christians. Not for Muslims.”
The government of Brunei declared a similar prohibition on Christmas before this December, endangering in jail for misdemeanors, based on Al Jazeera.
Imams in Brunei said that using religious symbols like crosses or singing songs that are religious are against Islamic religion, Al Jazeera reports.
