The head of a prominent Islamic organization in India propagated: fatwaor a religious edict banning Muslims from celebrating the New Year this weekend.
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, head of the All India Muslim Jamaat, said New Year's celebrations are usually marked by “dancing, obscenity, hooliganism, alcoholism, [and] activities such as gambling,'' and called the New Year a “Christian'' holiday, citing the origins of the Gregorian calendar. Leaders suggested Muslims instead focus on practicing their faith.
All India Muslim Jamaat is a non-governmental organization associated with Barelvi Sunni Islam. history He backed Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused opposition parties of using “sectarianism” to hurt the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which targets marginalized Muslims.
“Young men and women who celebrate the New Year have been taught that celebrating the New Year is not a matter of pride and should not be celebrated,” Razvi said. said on sunday. “New Year marks the beginning of the Western, British year, and celebrating secular customs is strictly prohibited for Muslims.”
of Deccan Herald quotation Razvi said that on New Year's Eve, “activities like dancing, lewd acts, hooliganism, alcoholism and gambling are organized in hotels.”
“All these activities are prohibited by Islamic Sharia. Boys and girls found involved in these activities will be criminals according to Sharia,” he stressed.
According to the Gregorian calendar, 2024, the 2024th anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, ends on Tuesday. Calendar months were originally established through the Vatican, but their origins lie in the pagan Roman calendar, which was later revised with advances in scientific astronomy.
Although India is a predominantly Hindu rather than Christian country, New Year's Eve celebrations are still common and expected across the country. of indian era compiled This year's list features Indian cities known for hosting some of the biggest national celebrations, including the capital Delhi and major cities Goa and Mumbai.
India's main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, reacted negatively to the fatwa, dismissing it as “rubbish”.
“People of different religions talk such nonsense. These people are defaming their religion,” said Congress leader Surendra Rajput. said Press Trust of India (PTI). “India is a country that is united in its diversity. Here all religions are respected and festivals are celebrated together. There is no need to react too much on such things. They just share common ways. They just want to benefit the ruling party.”
Indeed, India is grappling with a large amount of religious violence, particularly by Hindu nationalists and Islamic extremists. Under the Modi government, incidents of Hindu nationalist gang violence, particularly against Christians, have skyrocketed, leading to atrocities such as gang rapes of Christian women and the forced displacement of thousands of people.
Prime Minister Modi has vigorously denied all instances of religious persecution. Asked about the crisis during a visit to the White House in June 2023, Prime Minister Modi said he was “really surprised” that someone would claim there was religious persecution in India because “there is no room for discrimination.” said.
Muslims around the world follow the Hijri (Islamic) calendar, a lunar calendar that also consists of 12 months. The Islamic calendar is currently 1446 years old and will end in mid-2025.
Muslims around the world approach the Gregorian New Year celebration in different ways, but the religious celebration of the “Christian” New Year is haram or prohibited. Islam also encourages Muslims to maintain friendly relations with people of other cultures, so whether New Year's Eve counts as a secular festival remains a matter of debate.
“Celebrating religious or secular festivals and exchanging gifts with non-Muslims is part of the good relations we are commanded to maintain with them,” said Sheikh Mohammed of Qatar University.・Professor Al Mukhtar As-Shinkiti said. explained Answered the question about celebrating the New Year by 2024. “These relationships are especially facilitated if non-Muslims celebrate Islamic holidays and exchange gifts,” he added.
But the All India Muslim Jamaat is not the only Islamic group to disrupt New Year celebrations. Aceh, Indonesia – an area explicitly governed by Sharia or Islamic law – Sabang City Government prohibited This weekend is a New Year's celebration.
Mayor Andri Noorman announced: “I appeal to all local residents to refrain from New Year's celebrations, both indoors and outdoors.'' “These include displaying firecrackers, blowing bugles, consuming alcoholic beverages, mixed gatherings, car racing, and other activities that violate Islamic teachings and local customs in Aceh.”
In the past few years, governments in several Islamic countries have similarly outlawed New Year's celebrations. Imams of Kyrgyzstan prepare for 2013 fatwa It banned New Year's parties and declared them to have “nothing to do with Muslims.”
Prior to 2016, Tajikistan had similarly banned New Year's “celebratory meals,” Christmas trees, and other Christian-related items in a bid to stop the spread of “Western” cultural practices.
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