The Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (AIM) wishes everyone a Happy Christmas and sends a Christmas Card with a letter to the Churches of different denominations in the UK.
The text of the letter is available below:
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful,
To our dear friends of the Christian faith,
May God’s peace and blessings be upon you,
During this festive season, we as Muslims from around the world extend to you our sincere wishes for a wonderful and happy Christmas and New Year.
During this festive season, we too remember Jesus, son of Mary and reflect over his great teachings
and example. We hold both Jesus and Mary in the highest of reverence and pray that God helps us to walk their path in our own lives. We have an entire chapter in the Quran dedicated to Mary and numerous passages that shed light on the great life of Jesus. We consider him of the greatest prophets who was chosen by the Almighty to embark on a divine mission to save mankind from itself.
At a time when violence and war has plagued the world, it is more important than ever to reflect on the teachings of Jesus who safeguarded the oppressed and stood up against injustice. We remember the people of Syria, Yemen and Iraq, both Muslim and Christian, who are being relentlessly massacred by people who have little to do with our faith apart from label. In Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus; occupation remains prevalent; heinous crimes are perpetrated against an innocent people born on this sacred land for over a millennium.
Today, we remember all those oppressed anywhere in the world and look to help them in their hour of need. We take heed from the verse in the Bible:
Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. [Isaiah 1:17]
We as Muslims in Britain also have our challenges. We are often maligned and pushed aside as pariahs, all the while Islamophobia is at an all-time high. We are labelled as fundamentalists and extremists by a media that often portrays us as being filled with hate, intolerance, bigotry and contempt. That is unfortunately the world we live in.
We feel that religion is being side lined by immoral politicians and an atheist agenda that pushes man away from God and closer to materialism and egotism. We, as people of faith are often pitched against each other stifling the message of love, peace and unity.
Dialogue and understanding have been neglected, leaving us to fall prey to the agendas of those who do not have our religion’s best interest at heart.
When we look at the world around us and ponder about faith, religion and the divine plan, many questions arise. Do we collectively follow the great examples of the people sent to us from God? Would Jesus stay silent to the world powers of today that have brought us to this state of affairs?
The principles that Jesus lived by are what unite us as Christians and Muslims today. With the grace of God, the faithful will not be broken by these challenges. We urge that together we as people of faith can be strong and united in our belief in the one true God.
We pray that the Almighty God guides us to His path and provides us with the light to uphold His message.
May God bless you with a peaceful, loving and reflective Christmas and may you have a wonderful 2017.
Yours faithfully,
Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (AIM)
25th December 2016