Egyptian Grand Mufti: Offering Christmas Greetings To Our Christian Brothers Is Part Of Our Religion

This year the Muslim holiday celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday fell close to Christmas, and a number of Muslim political and religious leaders took the opportunity to send an ecumenical message. Egyptian President 'Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi extended Christmas greetings to the Copts; the Grand Mufti of Egypt Shawqi 'Allam and other prominent Egyptian Muslim authorities expressed similar sentiments. Last year, Sisi attended Christmas Mass in Cairo and was greeted with cheers.[1] King 'Abdullah of Jordan likewise sent Christmas greetings this year, and stressed the need for unity and equality of citizens of both faiths.

These leaders' comments come against a general backdrop of religious and sectarian violence in the Middle East, and specifically in response to Muslims who forbid greeting non-Muslims on their religious holidays – a prohibition commonly endorsed even by non-militant streams of Salafism and Wahhabism.[2]