What they don’t say about Christmas: Paganism, Fabrications and Genocides

By, Spahic Omer

It is Christmas again. It is that time of the year when, in the name of spirituality and goodness, a lot of inappropriateness is served. In charge are people who are either misguided and unaware or harbor some hidden agendas.

In short, Christmas is everything it is not expected to be. If it demonstrates one thing—time and again since its inception in the 4th century and later into modern times when it was hijacked and significantly altered with elements of pop culture—it is that humanity as a whole has lost its bearings. It knows neither the origins of its current state nor the destination of the crash landing towards which, inevitably, its trajectory is steering it.

To make things worse, Christmas is also aggressively promoted as a universal phenomenon that knows no geographical, national, or even religious borders. It is purportedly meant to foster goodness and virtue everywhere and for everyone.

Muslims as victims of aggressive campaigns

Naturally, Muslims are targeted too. In fact, it is widely used as a tool for de-Islamization and westernization of Muslims. It is also cleverly exploited to enhance and sustain the project of mind colonization.

For example, since Christmas is a national public holiday in Malaysia, I went out on Wednesday (25.12.2024) with my family for lunch at an Arab-Syrian restaurant. To my amazement, upon entering the place, we were greeted by a lavishly decorated interior in the spirit of Christmas, featuring, among other things, Christmas trees and depictions of Santa Claus.

To make things more intriguing, when we entered, the recitation of the Qur’an – the melodious voice of Mishary bin Rashid Alafasy – was played loudly as part of the restaurant’s official hymns.

Soon, though, the Qur’anic recitation stopped, and the love songs of the Lebanese Christian singing legend, Fairuz – who is partly related to Syria through her father’s side – took over the auditory proceedings. While eating and casually chatting with my family members, I could not help but inwardly exclaim that this restaurant is a microcosm of the Muslim Ummah’s overall dismal condition.

It is deeply regrettable to say that Muslims are a confused group. We do not know what defines authentic Islam and Islamic culture, and what may be questionable or harmful outside influences. We struggle with identity and self-esteem issues. We are uncertain about who we are, what we want, and where we want to go. It seems that anything is acceptable and makes sense to us, but in reality, due to our blind gullibility and foolishness, nothing truly makes sense. Everyone else seems to cognize this except us. We fail to understand where Islam ends and other alternatives begin, and how to deal with the various options presented to us.

That is why we are the soft target. Walking around and seeing that most restaurants, shops, and other outlets are adorned with extravagant Christmas decorations, one starts to wonder if one is in a Christian country. By the way, just over nine percent of the Malaysian population identifies as Christian, two-thirds of whom live in East Malaysia. Nobody can deny that respect, open-mindedness, and coexistence are essential, representing the core of Islamic teachings. Nonetheless, nobody should deny that proportionality, common sense, and self-respect are equally important.

It is more vital to nurture substance than to focus on superficialities. Furthermore, it is more important to have well-rounded and sincere men and women than one-dimensional, disingenuous “citizens.” I wish that Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists were genuinely what their names indicate, instead of trying or pretending to be something else, especially under the guise of their originally recognized identities. Indeed, if socio-political anarchies are the source of all predicaments, spiritual and intellectual anarchies are their essence.

Many Muslims are still confused about what Christmas represents for them, whether they can celebrate it, and to what extent, both privately and institutionally. Debates continue over whether Muslims should congratulate Christians on Christmas, sing or listen to Christmas songs, and watch Christmas movies and TV programs that have become prevalent on our screens and the internet. Numerous conflicting fatwas and opinions exist, issued by both those qualified to do so and those who are not.

In point of fact, the issue is simple, but we do not command that much wherewithal to overcome it, mind our own business, and live in peace.

The dark sides of Christmas

Christmas is not what it seems, nor what the marketing forces of pop culture want us to believe. In its current widespread and heavily promoted form, Christmas has been popularized and embraced because it functions as an excellent tool for the dominant ideologies of materialism, consumerism, and hedonism. What is happening has little to do with Jesus—much less with the Islamic Prophet ‘Isa—and everything to do with man-made traditions and self-serving interests.

What is happening today is the climax of a historical process that hides several dark secrets.

There are three major thrusts to be taken into consideration.

First: slaying the innocent

The birth of Jesus was accompanied by unspeakable horrors generated by his very arrival, primarily targeting him.

When the Roman authorities, represented by Herod the Great, the Roman Jewish client king of Judea (part of the Levant, including Palestine and its city of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born) learned that the king of the Jews was about to be born, they decided to preempt the event and all the potential problems associated with it in the future. They came to a decision to kill the newborn “king.” However, unable to find and identify Jesus, they agreed to do what the Romans were best at: extreme brutality and callous bloodshed. They decided to carry out a mass slaughter of all children in Bethlehem and the surrounding area who were two years old and under.

It is estimated that hundreds and potentially even thousands of innocent children have been murdered as a consequence. The massacre is called “the Massacre or Slaughter of the Innocent.” It has been documented in the Gospel of Matthew, 2: 16-18.

Obviously, the land of Palestine, and beyond, was too small for two kings. The Romans were ready to share the lordship accolades and imperialism boons with nobody, not even in the slightest. This was especially true when Jesus was born, which was about 27 years after the conversion of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire.

The Empire was in its infancy, so no setbacks of any kind were to be tolerated, especially concerning the satellite and most vulnerable territories and at the hands of contemptible minorities such as the Jews. Needless to say, this entire episode took place during the rule of Augustus, also known as Octavian, the founder of the Roman Empire and its first emperor. He ruled from 27 BC to 14 AC.

Some people deny the authenticity of these accounts, which is understandable because, if it were up to criminals, they would never be wrong. The whole world would be mistaken, except for them. Just like today; despite the obvious evidence and the indictments of all reasonable people worldwide, the criminal Zionists and their equally criminal Western sponsors, led by the US and England, still deny that their actions in Gaza are wrong and blatantly genocidal.

Moreover, John the Baptist (Prophet Yahya), who was Jesus’ relative and six months older than him, was also affected by the butchery. At less than two years old, he was to be killed as well. When the Roman soldiers contacted his father, Zachariah (Prophet Zakariyya), about the whereabouts of his son, he refused to tell them. This refusal to cooperate, a serious crime under Roman law, led to Zachariah’s death, according to Christian apocryphal writings. Thirty years later, due to a Jewish-Roman plot, John the Baptist would be imprisoned and brutally beheaded. His decapitated head was presented to the king as a trophy.

Similarly, all the suffering and pain Jesus himself had to endure was generated by the complex designs of the Jewish-Roman axis of evil. Though worlds apart, they were able to find a common ground and cooperate in matters pertaining to undermining the truth.

Second: the role of paganism

Everyone agrees that Jesus was not born on December 25th. Similarly, there is a consensus that his birth was surrounded by many mysteries and outright falsehoods, many of which persisted until the revelation of the Holy Qur’an as the ultimate source of truth and history, which could finally set the record straight.

Inventing the legends and shaping narratives about the birth of Jesus was a gradual process, as complex and debatable as creating the legends and narratives surrounding Christianity as a system of beliefs, thoughts, and practices. The main contributors to this process were the prevailing Roman pagan traditions.

Christmas was conceived and practiced in such a way that it had to appease the pagan populations and project the prospect of accepting Christianity as a feasible option. Major concerns needed to be addressed. Too much of either Christianity or paganism could not succeed, just as too little would be a failure. Neither side needed to feel estranged or separated. A delicate balance was the best pick.

That is why Christianity is a fabricated religion. Jesus was nothing but a prophet, an ordinary human being. He was a Jew, sent to the Jews, and spent his entire prophetic mission preaching to and dealing with the constant betrayals of the Jews. He never claimed, not even in the most questionable sources, Christian or otherwise, any type or degree of divinity, commanding people to worship him. Under such circumstances, having been neither crucified nor killed, he was instead raised alive to Heaven by Almighty Allah.

Since Jesus was not divine, did not preach a new religion, and did not create what later became known as Christianity, the role of paganism in developing and embellishing the Jesus narratives was indispensable. It was on par with the institutional endeavors of the Roman authorities.

It is safe to say that Christianity is a blend of pagan traditions—either separate from or aligned with the Roman state—and the distortions of Jesus’ true teachings. This is similar to the experiences of all prophets before Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Positively, without paganism, there would be no Christianity.

That was the case because the embryonic signs of Christianity and the first Christians allegedly had a soft spot for pagans. Although they wanted to convert them, they were also impressed by their legacies. Regarding Christmas, moving it to December was beneficial because as the year ended and people had less to work and worry about due to winter, they needed a special occasion to celebrate and feel good. They required engagement in activities that would facilitate their personal development and self-improvement.

The occasion was especially opportune after a religious element was attached to it. According to Ramsay MacMullen in his book “Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries,” “it was the custom of the pagans to celebrate on this same December 25th the birthday of the Sun (one of their major gods), and they lit lights then to exalt the day, and invited and admitted the Christians to these rites. When, therefore, the teachers of the church saw that Christians inclined to this custom, figuring out a strategy, they set the celebration of the true Sunrise (the birth of Jesus) on this day.”

No wonder that many bona fide Christians never fully subscribed to the Christmas spectacle, and many belonging to different denominations still persist in doing so. If nothing else, they have a completely different, more spiritualized version of the same. For instance, Jehovah’s Witnesses is a group that does not celebrate Christmas. They believe that the festival stems from pagan traditions and, as a result, Christians should refrain from observing it.

It follows that Christmas, as a concept, activity, and experience, reflects the historical fact that the Romans were largely responsible for erasing the remnants of the true teachings of Jesus (Prophet ‘Isa) that existed in the fourth century. They created a new religious system called Christianity, which was then imposed on people by hook or by crook.

The idea of Christmas was as much a means as an end for the conspiracy. It was part of sophisticated propaganda. Thus, instead of Christianizing the Roman Empire, Christianity was Romanized. This might have been the greatest wrongdoing of the Romans.

Third: the Gaza genocide as a testament

The ongoing genocide in Gaza is undeniable proof that the supposed global goodwill associated with Christmas is merely a facade of hypocrisy and a lack of faith. The last thing intended is to spread compassion, love, kindness, and hope.

For more than a century, the birthplace of Jesus and its Palestinian surroundings have been marked by an unprecedented human tragedy. Since Britain colonized Palestine, paving the way for the creation of the illegitimate geopolitical entity called Israel, the innocent native Palestinians have been deprived of the blessings of a normal life. They have been subjected to a gradual and systematic biological and cultural suffering that, if the ongoing events in Gaza are any indication, is intended to lead to extinction.

From the moment Palestine was tainted by the horrors of colonialism, which was later intensified by the actions of Zionist monsters, the land of Jesus—also known as the land of Prophets—was transformed into a locus of discrimination, forced displacement, cruelty, and slaughter. There was never true respite. What might be seen as periods of relative peace and calm were, in fact, just times for regrouping and planning further aggression and destruction until the complete expulsion or annihilation of the Palestinians is achieved.

What is worth noting is that the main culprits are the unholy alliance of Israel and the major players in the West. All things considered, this is the result of the same partnership that first rejected Jesus and caused him great anguish, which dictated the future path of humanity. Zionist Israel represents the legacy of those Jews who rejected Jesus, looked down on him, and plotted his inhumane and humiliating end. As a result, Jesus called them hypocrites, traitors, and children of the devil.

Modern-day Zionism exemplifies the high point of a long-standing historical and civilizational malignancy linked to Jewish identity, which has been initiated and nurtured over the course of thousands of years. The advent of Jesus constituted a pivotal moment in the evolution of the ethos.

The main ally of Zionism, the West with its so-called civilization, stands for the pagan Romans and their insatiable thirst for subjugation and tyranny. It is undeniable that, having been a Christian association for so long, the West was led to a collision course with its religious identity due to the misleading advancements of the Renaissance, Enlightenment, industrialism, and scientism. It quickly began to move away from Christianity and gradually relapse into the embrace of paganism.

Today marks the fruition of Western religiophobia in general and Christophobia in particular, as well as the height of its heathenish worldviews and practices. Undoubtedly, the ideologies of modernism, postmodernism, humanism, liberal capitalism, and scientism are all expressions of modern paganism, where the self, money, desires, ambitions, fame, and skepticism form the pantheon.

For that reason, the West is proud to emphasize that the foundations of its (un)civilization are the Greek and Roman legacies. It inherits from the former a willingness to reject all forms of organized religion and from the latter the essence of paganism and a strong affinity for imperialistic dominance over the “other.” Therefore, it is not surprising that the Zionism-West axis of darkness exists and operates effectively against the interests of truth and humanity in Palestine. This alliance mirrors the Jews-Romans connection that, during the time of Jesus, also worked tirelessly against truth and humanity. The two are genres of the same ilk.

The lands of Palestine, including the city of Bethlehem, are thus a constant target. The united forces of evil will never rest until the goals set by the Jews-Romans coalition then and the Zionists-West coalition now are achieved. While the tragic events in Gaza are physical proof of the impending apocalypse, the way Christmas was inaugurated and is celebrated today reverberates the inner force that drives and sustains this unfortunate scenario.

This is an official creed in most of the institutionalized West, which makes it rare to hear from the pulpits of churches, universities, or any other public institutions a sincere condemnation of the systematic defilement and desacralization of the Palestinian holy lands, as well as the destruction of innocent lives, dreams, and hopes. Consequently, they are all complicit in the continuing genocide.

If the essence of Christmas embodies kindness, generosity, and optimism, then its influence and anticipated outcomes should originate from Palestine and radiate outward to the rest of the world, as true charity starts at home. Otherwise, Christmas risks being seen solely as a tool for idol worship, with covert forces at play in the background.  

After all, however, this seems to be a definitive aspect of the overall destiny of humankind. Part of it was taking Jesus alive to Heaven, after which towards the end of time he will return to earth. As a Prophet of truth, he will reaffirm and follow the apostleship of Prophet Muhammad whose arrival as the Seal of Prophets he so vividly publicized.

No surprise that integral to Jesus’ second coming to earth will be to expose and dissociate himself from both the Jews and Christians for their grave sins concerning him specifically and the entire concept of truth at large. Both the historical alliance between the ancient Jews and Romans, as well as the contemporary collaboration between Zionism and Western powers, will face condemnation.

Thank God for the principle that truth and its advocates always win in the end. Wickedness and sin may be winning battles, but they are destined to lose the war.***

(Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer is an academic in the Department of History and Civilisation, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (AHAS KIRKHS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).)