Christmas trees and glittery ornaments are for sale at a Saudi gift shop, a once unthinkable sight in the cradle of Islam where all public non-Muslim worship is banned.

In recent years, festive sales have gradually crept into the capital Riyadh, a sign of loosening social restrictions after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to steer the conservative Gulf kingdom towards an “open, moderate Islam”.

“I didn’t ever imagine I’d see this” in Saudi Arabia, a Riyadh resident told AFP at the shop selling trees, Santa Claus outfits as well as tinsel, baubles and other ornaments.

“I am surprised,” said the resident, declining to be identified.

Until barely three years ago, it was almost impossible to sell such items openly in Saudi Arabia, but authorities have been clipping the powers of the clerical establishment long notorious for enforcing Islamic traditions.

For decades, Christmas sales were largely underground, and Christians from the Philippines, Lebanon and other countries celebrated behind closed doors or in expat enclaves.

“It was very difficult to find such” Christmas items in the kingdom, said Mary, a Lebanese expat based in Riyadh who preferred to be identified by her first name.

“Many of my friends used to buy them from Lebanon or Syria and sneak them into the country,” she said.

Changing times

But in a sign of the changing times, the Riyadh shop manager, Omar, who declined to provide his surname, said his store sold not just Christmas items but also outfits for Halloween — widely seen by arch-conservatives as an American tradition that is a deviation from Islam.

Saudi Arabia is the custodian of Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest sites.

The Arab kingdom has long been accused of exporting its ultra-conservative Wahhabist Sunni doctrine around the world but has been slowly pushing for inter-religious exchange.

It has even hosted officials linked to the Vatican as well as Jewish figures in recent years.

Local officials say school textbooks, once well-known for denigrating Jews and other non-Muslims as “swines” and “apes”, are undergoing revision as part of Prince Mohammed’s campaign to combat extremism in education.

The heir to the Saudi throne has curbed the influence of the once-powerful religious police, as he permits mixed-gender music concerts, cinemas and other entertainment, but temples and churches are still forbidden.

Earlier this month, the United States reconfirmed Saudi Arabia’s place among a list of countries on a religious freedom blacklist.

The countries are accused of engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom”, according to the US State Department.

Last month, Prince Mohammed pledged to strike extremists with an “iron fist”, after a bombing against a gathering of Western diplomats at a non-Muslim cemetery in the Red Sea city of Jeddah that was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Source:
https://m.guardian.ng/World/Rare-Christmas-sales-in-Saudi-Arabia

Don't be surprised if you hear that Hisbah has banned it in the North.

AdaugoChisom:
Don't be surprised if you hear that Hisbah has banned it in the North.

Ha!!!!!....

Quota People which brand of Islam Una dey practice?

Waiting for violent protest from our brethrens up north.

What next?

Fuckhypocrite:
What next?

Na to.....

Kapilta:
Waiting for violent protest from our brethrens up north.

no bro

Jos-north
Taraba-north
Nassarawa-north
Bauchi-north
Gombe-north
Adamawa-north all this states can never stop selling christmas stuff when it come to issue like this dnt let us generalize.

Kapilta my guy omo mod don ban that my G Second act jare

Na this one i dey use troll naw!!

Aw ur wife na

ok

Mikehot:
Quota People which brand of Islam Una dey practice?

Hisbah type of islam.


Santa can pray in islam

adenigga:
Christmas trees and glittery ornaments are for sale at a Saudi gift shop, a once unthinkable sight in the cradle of Islam where all public non-Muslim worship is banned.

In recent years, festive sales have gradually crept into the capital Riyadh, a sign of loosening social restrictions after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to steer the conservative Gulf kingdom towards an “open, moderate Islam”.

“I didn’t ever imagine I’d see this” in Saudi Arabia, a Riyadh resident told AFP at the shop selling trees, Santa Claus outfits as well as tinsel, baubles and other ornaments.

“I am surprised,” said the resident, declining to be identified.

Until barely three years ago, it was almost impossible to sell such items openly in Saudi Arabia, but authorities have been clipping the powers of the clerical establishment long notorious for enforcing Islamic traditions.

For decades, Christmas sales were largely underground, and Christians from the Philippines, Lebanon and other countries celebrated behind closed doors or in expat enclaves.

“It was very difficult to find such” Christmas items in the kingdom, said Mary, a Lebanese expat based in Riyadh who preferred to be identified by her first name.

“Many of my friends used to buy them from Lebanon or Syria and sneak them into the country,” she said.

Changing times

But in a sign of the changing times, the Riyadh shop manager, Omar, who declined to provide his surname, said his store sold not just Christmas items but also outfits for Halloween — widely seen by arch-conservatives as an American tradition that is a deviation from Islam.

Saudi Arabia is the custodian of Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest sites.

The Arab kingdom has long been accused of exporting its ultra-conservative Wahhabist Sunni doctrine around the world but has been slowly pushing for inter-religious exchange.

It has even hosted officials linked to the Vatican as well as Jewish figures in recent years.

Local officials say school textbooks, once well-known for denigrating Jews and other non-Muslims as “swines” and “apes”, are undergoing revision as part of Prince Mohammed’s campaign to combat extremism in education.

The heir to the Saudi throne has curbed the influence of the once-powerful religious police, as he permits mixed-gender music concerts, cinemas and other entertainment, but temples and churches are still forbidden.

Earlier this month, the United States reconfirmed Saudi Arabia’s place among a list of countries on a religious freedom blacklist.

The countries are accused of engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom”, according to the US State Department.

Last month, Prince Mohammed pledged to strike extremists with an “iron fist”, after a bombing against a gathering of Western diplomats at a non-Muslim cemetery in the Red Sea city of Jeddah that was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Source:
https://m.guardian.ng/World/Rare-Christmas-sales-in-Saudi-Arabia

Mynd44!

I'm still finding it funny the reasons this can't occupy front page.

Please, do the needful for the sake of religious integration.

adenigga:

Na to.....

mumuni

Fuckhypocrite:
mumuni

....?
Who are you referring to, please!

adenigga:

....? Who are you referring to, please!

Who are you asking??
Gtfo of my mention

Fuckhypocrite:
Who are you asking??

Gtfo of my mention

You, of course!

Quota People which brand of Islam Una dey practice?

Fuckhypocrite:
no bro

Jos-north
Taraba-north
Nassarawa-north
Bauchi-north
Gombe-north
Adamawa-north all this states can never stop selling christmas stuff when it come to issue like this dnt let us generalize.

Kapi.lta my guy omo mod don ban that my G Second act jare

Na this one i dey use troll naw!!

Aw ur wife na

Dem don ban u. who do u dat strong thing? And my wife? Fati2001 shey? I don commot my hand for her matter jare. Her love for Shekau no be here.

Kapilta:
Dem don ban u. who do u dat strong thing? And my wife? F.ati2001 shey? I don commot my hand for her matter jare. Her love for Shekau no be here.

check my siggy

Fuckhypocrite:
check my siggy

Zzor why u do my brother strong thing? Shebi i hear say virgin people no dey wicked

But our muric and Hisbah will shout,it's against Allah and Muhammad kicked against it. When Saudi that have Islam are developing steadily yet our idiots here will be developing to stone age.