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Merry Christmas?

Michael Hoss鈥� company did the survey: 鈥淲e were surprised by the numbers.鈥�

Rabs has told Michael that WHYS found it difficult to find anyone who was against Christmas decorations.

Imam Ashafa: 鈥淧eople should accept people.鈥�

Pastor: 鈥淭he important issue is that the world should learn to see people for what they are.鈥�

Nicole, a convert from Christianity to the Muslim faith, has called in from NYC: 鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue where I live. Christian people raise their children with Christmas. Both parties get offended. If you are invited to the office raffles, you have to explain to people 鈥業 don鈥檛 celebrate that festival.鈥欌��

Mike Bird is a former Mayor of Walsall in the Midlands: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe in Nicole鈥檚 points. It鈥檚 only one day.鈥�

Nicole: 鈥淚t imposes on people. It becomes a part of your family thing . . .my kids come home making Santa Claus. It鈥檚 kind of intrusive.鈥�

Mike: 鈥淚t鈥檚 only intrusive if you want to make it. This country is indigenously a Christian people and we cater for all religions. We have Eid for the Muslim community. People can dip in, dip out as much as they like. I love Diwali when I get fresh Samosa cooked by the Indian community.鈥�

Nicole: 鈥淚n New York I don鈥檛 see that happening.鈥�

Anu has joined us from Delhi: 鈥淚f you like religious festivals this is the country to be in. 42 Hindu , 5 Muslim, 3 Christian, 4 Jain and 2 Buddhist festivals. That鈥檚 32 official government holidays. This country does not shy away from celebrations. It鈥檚 a different culture from that which Nicole was describing. There are so many holidays that it would be hard to argue that one dominates. On one level India has a lot of religious problems. Muslims and Hindus. When it comes to people in cities working together it鈥檚 an incredibly multi-ethnic society. There is no fear of litigation here.鈥�

Terry Sanderson: 鈥淭insel has nothing to do with religion. Christmas is celebrated as a secular festival now in the UK. There have been rape allegations at Christmas parties. People are just being careful.鈥�

Nyah has called from Pakistan: 鈥淚f the Muslims start to celebrate the Christian festivals will the Christians do the same for Muslim festivals?鈥�

Leena is in London: 鈥淚t makes me feel excluded. While I grew up here I was not raised a Christian. It tells me this is not something I鈥檓 a part of.鈥�

James is in Egypt: 鈥淚 live in Southern Egypt and the people here insist on me having decorations and they send me cards. Just as when I was a headmaster here in a school I got Christmas cards. I understand how some people don鈥檛 want parties but decorations?鈥�

We鈥檙e breaking for the news so stay right there . . .

Heard the one about a pastor and an imam in a radio studio?
Pastor James: 鈥淢y colleague and I used to lead militia groups. We hated each other. We fought and killed. Listeners can not see my artifical limb which I received.鈥�

Imam Ashafa: 鈥淗e was somebody who was very antagonistic to Islam.鈥�

Pastor James: 鈥淣igeria is finely balanced . . . particularly in Kaduna in Northern Nigeria. Everything that comes to Kaduna is tested. Nigeria is a very religious country. Is it as Godly as it is religious, that is the question?鈥�

Imam Ashafa: 鈥�1987 was the turning point. About 2,000 people lost their lives. In 1992 the situation got worse. I lost my religious teacher.鈥�

Rabs: 鈥淲hat brought you two together?鈥�

Pastor: 鈥淎 chance meeting. Today has been 11 years of building reconciliation. When we shared rooms I wanted to suffocate him. We love each other now so intensely.鈥�

Pastor James: 鈥淭he issue is not tolerance, it is acceptance. I want you to go out there and meet a Muslim friend.鈥�

Imam Ashafa: 鈥淚slam is a proselytising faith. Likewise Christianity. We want to convert people. We want healthy competition not destructive competition.鈥�

Sarah is in Egypt and has a question: 鈥淗as the partnership caused them to face lack of acceptance from their communities?鈥�

Imam Ashafa: 鈥淲hen I started to think of non-violence some saw me as compromising the principles, some saw me as a traitor, other feel you are doing the right thing. The first 3 years were difficult. Today I will tell you over 70% of my community are behind me.鈥�

Dr. Ishaq called from in Lagos: 鈥淚 belong to a Muslim human rights organisation. I want to ask the Imam what motivated the Muslims to attack their neighbours.鈥�

Imam Ashafa: 鈥淭he scriptures. There are texts that seems ambiguous to others, that seem to promote hate. When you have incapable scholars they use it as a tool to manipulate the minds of the people.鈥�

Benedict: 鈥淗ow really do they think Christians and Muslims in this country can live in peace?鈥�

Some comments from the bbcnews.com/haveyoursay site are coming in:

Nerys says..

I'm a devout Christian, and my best friend is a devout Muslim. We believe in completely different things, but yet we still find common things in our religions

Kwemah says..
When it suits these religious "leaders", they suddenly make up their minds that tolerance is more productive than beheading people simply for their faith. When will the next mood swing occur?

Vijay in India says
What a curse religion has been on mankind. Every true believer in each religion feels sacriligious to even consider other points of view..

David in the Us says
People of different faiths can live together, so long as they don't try to force other people to believe as they do.

Harry in Ireland says..
This sets a great example, as religious tolerance is a message that overcomes adversity and remains steadfast.

John Says
This is a great story if all Christians and Muslims could follow this good example what a better world we would live in

Shoab is in Saudi Arabia: 鈥淚n the Koran it mentions that you should be going for common terms rather than the differences.鈥�

Imam Ashafa: 鈥淚slam is not anti multi religion. I鈥檓 happy someone in Saudi is affirming this.鈥�

Eze has called in:鈥滺ow do you penetrate into the communities where the differences exist?鈥�

Imam Ashafa: 鈥淭he government is collaborating with us. Yes we differ. But I like the common grounds.鈥�

That鈥檚 all for tonight. If any of you would like to get in touch with Imam Ashafa or Pastor James then contact the following:

• Interfaith Mediation Centre,
  East Wing,
  6th Floor,
  NNIL Building,
  No. 4 Muhammad Buhari Way,
  (Waff Road) Kaduna,
  Nigeria
  +234 062 243816 (off)
  +234 062 415814 (Res)
  08034502964
  e-Mail: mcdf2002@yahoo.com