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.