Why Jihadists Wage War on Christmas (and Other Holidays)

They Despise Celebrations Not Sanctioned by Islam and See Christmas as a Crime Against Allah

Bourbon Street in New Orleans, La., after reopening on Jan. 2, 2024, following a New Year's day attack by a jihadist who drove a truck into pedestrians, killing 14 and injuring dozens. — Bourbon Street in New Orleans, La., after reopening on Jan. 2, 2024, following a New Year’s day attack by a jihadist who drove a truck into pedestrians, killing 14 and injuring dozens.

Few things foster a sense of common humanity as much as the adherents of one religion offering warm holiday wishes to members of another. Yet some people reject this geniality on principle. Islamists—Muslims intent on returning to a medieval law code—despise any holiday not sanctioned by Islam. This archaic and bigoted attitude provides context for the New Year’s Day massacre in New Orleans that left 14 dead and dozens injured.

Islamic theologians of the Middle Ages set out the general approach. Ibn Taymiya (1263-1328) argued that joining non-Muslims in their festivals is equivalent to “agreeing to infidelity.” His student Ibn al-Qayyim (1292-1350) specified that congratulating non-Muslims on their holidays “is a greater sin than congratulating them for drinking wine, having illegal sexual intercourse, and so on.”

Of all infidel holidays, Islamic authorities most detest Christmas, when Christians believe God became man. ...

Read the full article at the Wall Street Journal.

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Daniel Pipes

Daniel Pipes, a historian, has led the Middle East Forum since its founding in 1994 and currently serves as chairman on the board of directors. He taught at Chicago, Harvard, Pepperdine, and the U.S. Naval War College. He served in five U.S. administrations, received two presidential appointments, and testified before many congressional committees. The author of 16 books on the Middle East, Islam, and other topics, Mr. Pipes writes a column for the Washington Times and the Spectator; his work has been translated into 39 languages. DanielPipes.org contains an archive of his writings and media appearances; he tweets at @DanielPipes. He received both his A.B. and Ph.D. from Harvard. The Washington Post deems him “perhaps the most prominent U.S. scholar on radical Islam.” Al-Qaeda invited Mr. Pipes to convert and Edward Said called him an “Orientalist.”