You know it must be Christmas when the tirade of “Muslims are offended” tripe gets rehashed and re-circulated across the Internet.
Whether its religious holidays, patriotism, culture or even Christmas trees. According to the Internet, Muslims have at some point been offended by it.
Of course what the Internet says is not always true. In fact, according to the never-quite-level sign attached to our office door, what the Internet says is hardly ever true.
And this self-appointed adage applies just as much to the ever persistent rumour that claims we are no longer allowed to say “Merry Christmas”. Now, according to the cyber whispers and online cries, we should really say “Happy Holidays” otherwise we may – of course – “offend the Muslims”.
Take, for example, the message we pulled from the Internet today.
So according to this message, our popular festive greeting has been abandoned by political correctness and replaced with religious neutrality. Who exactly is being held responsible for governing this apparent rule isn’t made particularly clear by the bright spark who authored the message. But then again, being clear or indeed making sense never seems to be given any priority to the “it offends Muslims” online brigade.
Muslims over the years have, according to online folklore, been offending by Christmas decorations, Christmas music, Christmas trees, Christmas greetings, Christmas cards and, oh yes, by Christmas. Not to mention football shirts, memorial poppies, sniffer dogs, flags, wet wipes, supermarket alcohol and yes, even KFC.
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Everyone else is just offended by the inevitable prospect of seeing the George Michael “Last Christmas” music video. Albeit that’s not folklore.
It seems that nothing riles up the far-right more. The rumours give them justification to “Islamification” and provide the ideal leapfrog to the ever classic “if you don’t like it, go back where you came from” line.
The apparently inconvenient truth that Muslims, or at least, the vast majority of them, are not offended by any of these things seems to play a very little part in the online paradigm that follows in the wake of such rumours.
So no, “Happy Holidays” isn’t some PC alternative to “Merry Christmas”. If anything, it’s a generic, catch-all greeting employed by companies looking to increase their customer demographic.
So, “Merry Christmas” it up all you like. Very few care.
Providing you do it in December.
