Editorial

Abstract

This issue was put together as we moved into a new year (according to the Gregorian calendar, that is). This year, the New Year holiday coincided with the hajj and Eid al-Adha (Day of Sacrifice) celebrations. That such important Muslim celebrations closely followed Hannukah and Christmas was a wonderful reminder of the benefits and importance of interfaith harmony and mutual understanding. Though each holy day has a slightly different focus – Hannukah commemorates the Temple’s rededication and the miracle of the burning oil, Christmas celebrates Jesus’ (pbuh) birth, and Eid al- Adha commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (pbuh) obedience to God (swt) by showing his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail (pbuh) – each event consists of a joyous string of rituals that bring families and congregations together. To borrow a metaphor from mathematics, inside each concentric circle (the faith) there was peace, joy, and family happiness. And since these circles overlapped in time, it was a wonderful chance to share what was going on in one circle with those in the other circles – overlapping concentric circles. In many places, interfaith groups took advantage of this overlap. But as most people are not involved in interfaith groups, the positive potential of good interfaith relations was cancelled by dissension over seemingly trivial matters: whether to wish people “Merry Christmas,” to call the school vacation the “Christmas” or the “winter” holidays, and to call the pine trees erected in public squares “Christmas trees.” A wide-ranging and very public debate over whether a store employee should say “Merry Christmas” to a customer becomes a flashpoint of tension, because a society lives out its traditions in these customary greetings, practices, and terminologies. In addition, the traditions it chooses to honor connect adults to their childhood and their ancestors. These small traditions embody (or at least are thought to embody) an essential identity, values that a society holds dear. So even though for many people Christmas has lost its religious significance, its celebratory aspect remains salient. Although many observant Christians feel offended by this holiday’s growing materialism, nevertheless at this time of year, both religious and non-religious people come together and experience a sense of unity and togetherness ...