As we all gather this holiday season to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is important to think of those who cannot celebrate as freely as we can. Our brothers and sisters in Christ who have left Islam and live in Islamic countries do not have the same opportunities to celebrate Christmas.
As Islam has spread and come to power in different countries, then Christmas is outlawed there. One example is Somalia, which adopted Sharia law in 2009. As control spread, 6 years later Christmas was completely outlawed (source). Some governments will even outlaw Muslims from using Christmas greetings with non-Muslims because it could be an endorsement of their faith.
What is Christmas like in Islamic countries?
In closed Islamic countries like Yemen, Iran, and Libya where 99% of the population is Muslim, Christmas does not exist in the public sphere. Anyone who tries to celebrate or is found out to have left Islam to follow Christ could be shunned, tortured, or killed.
In majority Muslims countries like Egypt and Lebanon, Christians are allowed to celebrate Christmas inside their churches and homes. There are strict rules about being registered as Christians on government IDs, and often even though it is legal, believers are still treated unfairly.
In some countries, non-Muslims can pay the jizyah tax to be allowed to still practice their faith. These people are called “dhimmis” who are given protection to practice their faith – still, the social persecution continues.
For those who have left Islam for Christ, they have to be more secretive with their faith and must sneak into these services, because if their Muslim family discovers them, they could have dire consequences. And, oftentimes Christian churches are suspicious of Muslim-background believers because they are not sure if they are actually a spy for the Islamic government.
Often, one of the only places outside of churches that will have something along the lines of a Christmas celebration are tourist hotels. These places play secular Christmas music and decorate in order to attract tourists who are traveling during the holidays. Locations like this unintentionally become a haven for Christians who are unable to celebrate Christmas with their families around.
Salma’s Christmas in Saudi Arabia as a Christ-follower
In Saudi Arabia, Christmas is completely outlawed – no music, no decorations, no talk of Christmas is allowed. If a group of believers wants to celebrate, they must try to do it in secret and risk being found and imprisoned.
Salma is a young Christian woman who still lives with her Muslim family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She is forced to live out her faith in secret, which means this year she is unable to express her joy and celebrate Jesus’ birth.
The closest thing to a Christmas celebration Salma will be able to experience this year is watching our Christmas programs on our satellite TV channel. She will be safe to message our team and express her joy with us, but otherwise, she must keep it all secret.
Countless believers are in the same situation as Salma, but that does not stop them from growing in their relationship with Christ and celebrating His birth in their hearts!
Pray for believers like Salma who want to celebrate Christ’s birth safely.
Prayer for Christians in Islamic countries
Dear Lord, please keep a shield of protection around believers who live in Islamic countries. Bless them with peace, and give them a deep sense of connection to You even when they can’t talk about You with others. Amen.
