Jum'ah Journal--Celebrations in USA

 Every country/civilization have their own days of celebration What should Muslims celebrate in USA?
 Well to begin with the prophet PBUH allowed the Muslims to celebrate the two Eids in Madina Munawwara, in preference to the Pagan celebrations of those times. So is that it for Muslims today?
Some strict Muslims will say yes that is all and Muslims should not celebrate 'Pagan', or preferably speaking non-Muslim customs even if they are not necessarily religious like "Thanksgiving". Every holiday season there is that question discussed in Masajid and Islamic centers where all the rules are re-iterated why the Muslims should not join in celebrations because "they worship other God/Gods etc." so joining them means you commit 'shirk'
 Yet I clearly remember one Muslim leader in New York wanted to put up crescent and star to join the celebration of Christmas where there were Christmas emblems as well as Jewish Menorah. If you recall the crescent and star was vandalized. He said we as Muslims have as much if not more right to celebrate prophet Jesus's birthday than Christians.
On the whole I tend to agree with the Islamic concept that we do not 'celebrate' human beings but we do celebrate 'events' or happenings. that is as far as the 'religious celebrations' are concerned. However the holidays with no religious connection and/or related to a country's cultural aspects need not be given the same negative attitude by Muslims.
 The problems are usually encountered on the greatest celebration of the West, that is Christmas. the Muslims have to hide themselves to some place to avoid answering "Merry Christmas" greetings. Some may take an attitude of saying "Season's Greetings" to their Christian friends instead of saying Merry Christmas. Others have some other excuses made for not responding but on the whole it is really very awkward to live in a Christian country and not offer bonuses or presents to your Christian employees on such occasions (I am only mentioning some of the problems). I have personally lived offering such greetings and Christmas presents to  hospital wards, colleagues, nurses etc. and so technically speaking I have committed 'shirk' so many times but my employees and colleagues knowing that I was Muslim and did not celebrate Christmas still offered me presents and how many could I get excused from?
 Some of the things have been aginst my own convictions like
 "we should not call non-Muslims as brother" or 'sister' I had difficulty subscribing to such suggestions for I had grown up and always believed in Sa'adi Shirazi's teachings:
بنی آدم اعضائ یک دیگر اند
کہ در آفرینش زیک جوہر اند
چو عضوے بدرد آورد روزگار
دگر عضوہا را نماند قرار
(Children of Adam are like limbs of each other. For they are all born out of single 'essence'. When one limb gets pain, all others become restless)


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