Omg! See the Place Where Celebrating Christmas and Wearing Santa Hat Could Earn You 5-years in Prison

 

The Sultan of Brunei, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, has officially banned Christmas - warning anyone caught celebrating could face five years in jail as he said Christmas celebrations could lead its Muslim population astray.

 

"Using religious symbols like crosses, lighting candles, putting up Christmas trees, singing religious songs, sending Christmas greetings ... are against Islamic faith," imams said in sermons published in the local press.

 

The Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement: "These enforcement measures are ... intended to control the act of celebrating Christmas excessively and openly, which could damage the aqidah (beliefs) of the Muslim community."

 

The Asian island of Borneo has a population of about 420,000 people living in Brunei, Christians represent only about nine percent. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah , 67, who has ruled the former British colony for nearly 50 years, first introduced the ban on Christmas in 2014.

 

The government warned last year that Muslims would be committing an offence if they so much as wore "hats or clothes that resemble Santa Claus". Across the country businesses have been ordered to take down decorations and authorities are conducting spot checks in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

 

Wearing a santa claus dress or cap celebrating could earn you time in jail 

 

Hotels popular among Western tourists that once boasted dazzling lights and giant Christmas trees are empty of any festive decor. Under new laws, based on Islamic sharia, the punishment for celebrating Christmas is a fine of $20,000 or up to five years in prison, or both.

 

The hardline Christmas ban has led to a revolt on social media with people daring to show their Christmas celebrations using the hashtag #MyTreedom, a global campaign to highlight oppression.

 

One Muslim woman living in Brunei, too scared to provide her name, said: "The ban is ridiculous. It projects this image that Islam does not respect the rights of other religions to celebrate their faith."

 

However, the Christmas ban does not extend to the Sultan of Brunei's vast hotel portfolio, which includes the Dorchester hotel in London which many have considered as great hypocrisy by the King.