Merry Xmas from Muslims: A lesson in tolerance
Merry Xmas from Muslims: A lesson in tolerance
Muhamad Ali, Lecturer, State Islamic University (UIN),
Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, muhamad@hawaii.edu
I am a Muslim, born and raised in a Muslim family. I was
educated in the pesantren (boarding school) where I studied
Islamic studies and now I am studying history in a multicultural
society. I have become increasingly aware that there is not only
"us", but also "they". Yet since they regard themselves also as
"us", there are basically only many "us".
I have also come to realize religious tolerance is not
adequate to ensure good relationships if tolerance simply means
to let differences in faiths and attitudes. We don't "pass over".
We need more: Understanding of and respect for others. One of the
ways in this experiential process is to say "Merry Christmas" to
our Christian brothers and sisters, as they do when Muslims
celebrate Idul Fitri.
It is very good that chairman of the largest Muslim
organization in Indonesia, Nadhlatul Ulama (PBNU), Hasyim Muzadi
issued an order to its members to participate in the Christmas
and New Year celebrations. This effort might improve the image of
Islam as a tolerant religion. Yet, this effort should not be so
bureaucratized that the inner dimension of interfaith
relationships does not truly exist. Social or political
mobilization by leaders to their followers can be quite effective
-- but it does not endure long.
We need more self-awareness from Muslims and Christians
themselves. They respect and attempt to understand each other
because they see in the attitude goodness and blessings. They do
so not because they are obliged or forced to do it. A genuine
understanding and respect only comes from self-awareness, rather
from imposition.
There was indeed a fatwa (legal edict) issued in 1981 by the
Council of Indonesian Ulama (MUI) which prohibited Muslims from
participating in Christmas celebrations on the grounds that
Christmas was a religious celebration, so that any Muslims who
participated, it was believed, basically admitted or recognized
content of the celebrations, including the divinity of Jesus
Christ.
This fatwa is understandable. Yet this legal opinion is only
one of the possible interpretations of Islam. Although the MUI
also based the edict on the pretext of religious tolerance and
the Pancasila, they seem to have prevented other interpretations
of religious tolerance. They claim that Muslims' relationships
with others have only to be confined to social interaction
(muamalat). It seems that the MUI has forgotten that the Koran
also deals with theological aspect of the Muslims' relationships
with others.
For instance, to my understanding, Islam also teaches its
believers to recognize all the prophets and to respect them
without discrimination. Although some classical Muslim scholars
claimed that there is no priesthood in Islam, the Koran has
praised the Christians as humble people for they have priests who
serve Allah and the people. Not to mention, the prophet Muhammad
himself treated other believers, including the Jews and the
Christians, kindly and benevolently; he also sent and accepted
gifts from them.
When the Abyssinian Christians came to Medina the prophet
Muhammad made arrangements for their stay in the mosque and took
himself the responsibilities of hospitality and service. The
prophet was reported to have said, "These people had a high
position for our companions, so I liked to host them myself with
due regard for their respectable treatment."
Therefore, if giving and receiving gifts had been the
tradition shown by the prophet himself, why can't Muslims today
say "Merry Christmas" to Christians? Why are Muslims prohibited
from celebrating the birthday of the prophet Isa (Jesus)? Didn't
the prophet Muhammad himself also celebrate the liberation of
Moses from the Pharaoh by fasting in the month of Ashura?
Showing such an emphatic attitude does not hamper or endanger
the basic beliefs of Islam. This could even increase Muslims' own
understanding of their belief because all Abrahamic religions
have similar basic beliefs and similar views towards prophets.
There are some points of overlapping consensus: Belief in God,
doing good deeds and respecting all the prophets.
This positive, inclusive attitude should be a basis of
establishing a shared world civilization, if that should exist.
But more importantly, it would be wrong to claim that "Islamic
civilization" and "Western, Christian civilization" are always
contradictory as said by the scholar Samuel Huntington. Instead,
all civilizations that either survived or disappeared are never
without other's influences as well as similarities. A shared
civilization is not infeasible.
There are still misunderstandings between scholars themselves.
Recently, for example, Pet Robertson, showed a partial view of
the nature and history of Islam to the effect that Islam has
always hated Christianity. Yet still many other Christian
scholars, including John L. Esposito, who learned Islamic history
more comprehensively, encouraged mutual understanding between
Muslims and Christians.
Esposito wrote, "Although some Muslims advocate violent
revolution, others do not. Islam and most Islamic movements are
not necessarily anti-Western, anti-American or anti-democratic.
Our challenge is to better understand the history and realities
of the Muslim world and to recognize the diversity and the many
faces of Islam." This kind of remark is necessary in bridging the
gap between Muslims and Christians. We should shift from double
standards to mutual understanding.
We should promote tolerance at the level of social
interaction. Yet, to reach a mutual rapprochement, different
religious individuals should also respect and understand the
others, and recognize that God's mercies and blessings cover all
human beings who truly believe in Him, sincerely attempt to
forbid evils, enjoin the goods, and respect all the prophets sent
to humanity. Merry Christmas! May God bless you as God may bless
us!
The writer is now pursuing his Ph.D in history and is a fellow
at East-West Center, Hawaii, U.S.A.