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Brunei's sultan bans Christmas in shift toward Islamic law

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Peace on Earth and good will to all. What could be more universal?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

What a jerk.

"It is an Islamic country and so with respect to the law, churches need to keep decorations indoors"

There should be no country on Earth where some religion imposes restrictions on what citizens can do, much less sever their limbs or stone them to death for "offenses" against the nutty Sharia law.

10 ( +10 / -1 )

"Muslims could be led astray"

These people who believe Islam to be the answer to all human problems seriously lack confidence in the faithful.

I can't think why.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

That country won't get my money from now on.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

“Using religious symbols like crosses, lighting candles, putting up Christmas trees, singing religious songs, sending C Christmas greetings… are against Islamic faith,” Sounds just like the UK

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I don't see any western country banning Muslims from practising their own beliefs. Just when will people stop going to these countries and stop spending money there?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

What a hypocrite this guy is, he bans Christmas in his own country but makes money from Christmas in other countries.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

"What a hypocrite this guy is, he bans Christmas in his own country but makes money from Christmas in other countries."

A good point but since when have the religious been anything other than hypocritical?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Msg to him

Noel Feliz Navidad Happy Hanukkah Seasons Greetings Frohe Weihnacht und einen guten Rutsch

Could keep going but hope he gets it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

While I don't mind what they do in their country, I hope the, "you're just bigoted and suffer from Islamophobia" crowd can understand from examples like this what many of us have been trying to explain for over a decade. Islamic ideology is the problem. One religion says, "love your neighbor and your enemies" while the other says, "Persecute, subjugate, or kill your neighbor if they don't follow your beliefs."

“This will be the saddest Christmas ever for me,” a Malaysian expatriate resident told AFP, requesting not to be named for fear of reprisals from authorities.

Hmmm, what was it we were saying before about religious freedoms in the US again?

Some say that Brunei is on a dangerous path towards religious intolerance in a state where only nine percent of 430,000 population are Christian.

What were we saying about religious intolerance in the US again? I'm thinking the tolerance point specifically against Islam is starting to wear thin the world over and some folks are saying, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander"

If any religious ideology advocates for complete intolerance of others, then why do some folks insist on tolerating such barbaric ideals?

3 ( +7 / -3 )

he would push ahead with the introduction of sharia law, eventually including tough penalties such as death by stoning or severed limbs.

This probably rests well with libs. . . . . but if Trump were to mention anything this graphic, the republicans would not hear the end of it.

This guy (Hassanal Bolkiah) is banning christmas? Peter Payne is correct. Banning x-mas does not add inches to anyones penis.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Bass

Until now you've been a regular financial donor to Brunei?!

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

So why is he wearing a suit...? What is the national islamic dress of Brunei...? Not a Western suit I'll bet....

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I've added Brunei to my list of countries to never visit.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

One religion says, "love your neighbor and your enemies" while the other says, "Persecute, subjugate, or kill your neighbor if they don't follow your beliefs."

Careful. That "love your neighbor and your enemies" religion ALSO subscribed to the "Persecute, subjugate, or kill your neighbor if they don't follow your beliefs" in recorded history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition

I see modern Islam being roughly on par with Medieval Catholicism in terms of tolerance. Perhaps we just need to wait a few hundred years for Islam to also mature?

But yeah. For now Brunei is patriae non grata with me and my wallet.

1 ( +3 / -3 )

So tell me, how is this any different than the stuff that comes from the right wing Christians?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

This type of idiot is the most dangerous of human scum. He has all the money in the world and spends it on prostitutes, which is fine as far as I'm concerned and then he tells the people who have to put up with his nonsense to do the opposite of what he does. He is an idiot, he follows an idiotic religion and yet others should do as he says? sounds like a lame case of the emperor's new clothes.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I always find it ironic that Jesus is, considered an import prophet in Islam, but a celebration of his birth is taboo within Islam.

However, the religion never celebrates Jesus, but does celebrate Eid, the event in the Old Testament when the Jewish prophet Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son, Isaac, at God's command.

Can't say it makes me want to celebrate, but whatever floats your boat.

5 ( +4 / -0 )

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

However, the prohibition does not extend to the business interests of the sultan, whose estimated $20 billion fortune includes the historic Beverly Hills Hotel—part of his Dorchester Collection with branches in London, Paris, Milan and Rome - article

Do as I say, not as I do. The faith of the too wealthy to care about their hypocrisy.

The all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world’s richest men, announced last year he would push ahead with the introduction of sharia law, eventually including tough penalties such as death by stoning or severed limbs. - article

Obviously the Sultan's 340,000 citizens need his tough love.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Almost as bad as American public schools, where Christmas is basically banned.

Oh I wish that were the case, but we have a long way to go in terms of getting religion out of our public schools.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Fadamor

Careful. That "love your neighbor and your enemies" religion ALSO subscribed to the "Persecute, subjugate, or kill your neighbor if they don't follow your beliefs" in recorded history

You don't know much about Christianity do you? Jesus was the founder of Christianity, and not once did the founder state to persecute, subjugate, kill others. What others did after Jesus ceased to exist on this planet was not based on the words that came from his mouth.

Mohammed on the other hand, did advocate for killing of others (he created a militant group of believers remember?). And take very careful note, He was the founder of Islam and the words that came out of his mouth were completely different.

As I said, look at the founders as they root of their religions. What others do after them may either follow true to the founders teachings or not.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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