War on Christmas, Brunei Style

Christmas isn’t just celebrated by Christians, and for some Muslims around the world, it appears to be getting tougher to participate.

Brunei, a former British protectorate, is run as an absolutist Muslim monarchy by the Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, 67.

According to Brunei Times, the enforcement was made by their ministry of religious affairs as a means to control all acts of celebration of Christmas excessively and openly, so as not to lead the Muslims astray or damage the aqidah (beliefs) of the Muslim community.

The Christmas ban is justified under the new laws – the punishment for celebrating Christmas is a fine of $20,000 or up to five years in prison, or both.

According to a report in The Telegraph, the law is confined to Muslims alone and non-Muslims are free to celebrate the festival as long as they do it within their own communities and alert the authorities first. “But as Muslims … we must keep it (following other religions’ celebrations) away as it could affect our Islamic faith”. Christians make up 8.7 percent of the country’s religious population, and Buddhists 7.8 percent. Watchdog group Open Doors pointed out that the practice of importing Bibles from other countries is also banned, while only strictly monitored Anglican and Roman Catholic churches are allowed to function.

Despite the rigid prohibitions, some of the subjects of Hassanal Bolkiah have already started a revolt: on widely populated social media the hashtag #mytreedom (halfway between “tree” and “freedom”), claims the right to celebrate the holidays regardless of religious belief and without having to ask anyone’s permission.

While Brunei’s rulers do not enforce the harsh Islamic orthodoxies of countries like Saudi Arabia, including sanctions for women do not wear headscarfs, the country’s wealthiest Sultan past year ordered the introduction of Sharia law.

Penalties include death by stoning. “A combination of corporate and celebrity pressure will have an effect on the hotel’s revenue and it should”.