Canadian Imam: Saying Merry Christmas ‘Worse Than Murder’

According to a video posted by the Washington, D.C. based Middle East Media Research Institute, a Canadian Imam had some unflattering words for Christians celebrating Christmas.

“Canadian Cleric Younus Kathrada: Congratulating Christians for Christmas is Worse than Murder,” the group said, linking to a video.

In the video, Kathrada calls Christmas a “false holiday and celebration,” and tells his clergy that “congratulating” Christians for Christmas is akin to taking part in the holiday.

“Do you know that you and I must be offended when people say that they worship Jesus, or when they say that Jesus is the Son of God?” Kathadra asked. “Why do our hearts not react?”

“There are those who will say to them ‘Merry Christmas’ – what are you congratulating them on?” he asked. “Congratulations on the birth of your Lord? Is that acceptable to a Muslim? Are you now approving of their beliefs? By slaying that you approve of it.”

The Imam continued to say that wishing a Christian a merry Christmas was a worse sin than adultery or murder. He did clarify, for the record, that he was not calling on his clergy to go out and kill Christians. (How relieving!)

To be sure, if any evangelical Christian pastor spoke this way about Muslims – the roles were reversed – American media would be  coming after the pastor. This will probably not happen in the case of Kathrada.

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