Merry Christmas
Mar 16th, 2007, in News, by PatungA Muhammadiyah university lecturer was fired for recommending the saying of “Merry Christmas”.
Radio Netherlands claims that Mohammad Shofan, a lecturer at Muhammadiyah “Gersik” (Gresik, East Java presumably) UMG university was dismissed by the university council because he had written a paper titled “Natal dan Pluralisme” (Christmas and Pluralism) in which he stated that saying “Merry Christmas” is a form of respect to Jesus, Jesus being a prophet honoured in the Quran.
The saying of “Merry Christmas” did not necessarily mean that the speaker accepted the god-head of Jesus. In support of this Shofan claimed that Muhammadiyah figures such as Amien Rais, Syafii Ma’arif and Din Syamsudin were known to sometimes wish Christians “Merry Christmas”.
Muhammadiyah Logo.
The local leadership of Muhammadiyah in Gresik took a different view saying that Shofan had upset the Muslims of the town and that saying “Merry Christmas” did in fact mean one accepted that Jesus was God. They demanded that he be dismissed from the university and he duly was.
After he was fired Shofan was advised by Muhammadiyah national leader Din Syamsuddin to seek the advice of Professor Syafik Mugni, the East Java head of Muhammadiyah. Syafik was of the opinion that the Christmas greeting was no problem but he personally had no authority over the Muhammadiyah university in Gresik.
Syafik also said that the pluralistic and tolerant attitude of Muhammadiyah leaders like Amien Rais, Syafii Ma’arif and Din Syamsuddin was often not shared by more junior members of the organisation. He also wasn’t sure whether the “Christmas and Pluralism” article was the only reason for Shofan being sacked. ranesi
32 Comments on “Merry Christmas”
-
Molisan Tono says:
I did greet “merry christmas” to a moslem driver while he dropped his boss to my church for christmas service, he looked at me with vicious look and say: “I’m moslem, are you crazy”.
What’s wrong with sincere greeting? Is that sinning against God even accept a sincere greeting from Christian?
I don’t have a clue what kind of ruthless God you are worshipping my moslem fella.
Comment on “Merry Christmas”.
Copyright Indonesia Matters 2006-2025
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact
A PIECE OF HIDDEN REALITY BEHIND Mr. SHOFAN
It seems that there is a misunderstanding of information on the case of Mr. Shofan’s firing. The real fact behind Mr. Shofan’s firing from Muhammadiyah University Of Gresik (UMG) isn’t just because of his paper which titled “Natal dan Pluralisme” in which he said “Merry Christmas” (respecting to Jesus), Jesus being a prophet honoured in the Quran.
We all in UMG really consider if the subject for saying merry christmas is a debatable subject. But beyond that matter, Mr Shofan has been proved for some cases of sexual harassment to his female students.
Personally, as one of his best friends in this institution where we worked for last few years, seems that I can’t believe what I heard. But that’s the reality. The reality that became bitter pills that I should take as a partner.
And he had confessed to the Rector of Muhammadiyah University Of Gresik informally for the cases of sexual harassment he did to his female students, right before the University Board meeting started.
And that was lead to the decision of the board for firing Mr. Moh. Shofan as a lecturer at Muhammadiyah University Of Gresik.