Tag: Merry Christmas

  • Equal citizens

    Recently, we heard about two bakeries in Karachi that refused to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on cakes. Both Delizia and Aunty Munaver turned away customers who wanted cakes with Christmas greetings. It is deeply disturbing to see such acts of bigotry in a country whose founder and others who fought for its freedom believed in rights for all and equality regardless of caste, creed, and faith. Yet we see how non-Muslims in Pakistan continue to face discrimination on a regular basis.

    Today, when we celebrate Christmas with our Christian brethren and wish them a day full of joy, we hope that our society will change for the better. Today is also the birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who taught us the meaning of tolerance and who believed in pluralism and inclusiveness.

    We often repeat and quote Jinnah’s August 11 speech but it is important to reiterate what he said again and again: “We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state.”

    This is what Pakistan stands for as this is what our founder taught us. It was good to see many people raising their voices against those bakeries that refused to write Merry Christmas on their cakes. It was social media outcry that led to Delizia bakery management on the backfoot and saying that it was an individual act. Whether it was an individual act or not can be ascertained as this isn’t the first time that such an incident took place. This year, we saw the horrible lynching of a Sri Lankan national. The government took strong exception to the incident and promised to take action against all those responsible. But the incident also showed how intolerance has seeped into our society. It is this bigotry and intolerance that has to end. On the birth anniversary of Jinnah, we should pledge to make this Jinnah’s Pakistan and not a Pakistan where extremism prospers. Once again, Merry Christmas to all those celebrating. 

  • Saba, Mawra, Shoaib and other celebrities pen Merry Christmas wishes to fans who are celebrating

    Saba, Mawra, Shoaib and other celebrities pen Merry Christmas wishes to fans who are celebrating

    Prominent Pakistani celebrities took to their social media to wish ‘Merry Christmas’ to those who are celebrating this festive occasion.

    Qissa Meherbano Ka star, Mawra Hocane uploaded photos of a decorated Christmas tree and wished that we could be more respectful to all religions and celebrations around us because it gives a reason to smile.

    Actress and model, Sunita Marshal share her photo on her Instagram wishing happily Christmas while wearing a red party hat.

    Baaghi diva, Saba Qamar wished Quaid Day to the whole nation and Christmas those are celebrating on her Twitter.

    Janaan actress, Hareem Farooq also wished the similar greetings

    Pakistani singer, Aima Baig took her picture with a bright Christmas tree and wished happy holidays to everyone

    Former Cricketer, Shoaib Akhtar also did not miss an opportunity to wish ‘Merry Christmas’ to all the people around the globe.

    Meray Paas Tum Ho fame actor, Adnan Siddiqui also penned down the beautiful prayers to the Christian community on his Twitter.

    Actress and model, Nadia Hussain, tweeted wishing happy holidays and Christmas to the Pakistani Christian community.

    Actress, Ushna Shah, tweeted greetings in a unique way. She wished Christmas in the traditional Spanish language which means Merry Christmas.

    Famous Pakistani actress and Video Jockey (VJ), Anoushey Ashraf shared an emotional message to the Christian community on her Instagram story while taking a photo with a Christmas tree that Jinnah would have wished them lots of happiness and a very best to a new year ahead.

  • Sanam, Ramsha and Anoushey raise their voice against bakeries for discrimination with Christian customers

    Sanam, Ramsha and Anoushey raise their voice against bakeries for discrimination with Christian customers

    Pakistani Celebrities took to their Instagram stories to share strong opinions against Karachi-based bakeries, ‘Delizia’ and Auntie Muanaver’s ‘Food and Dessert’ where one of their staff refused to write ‘Merry Christmas’ to the customers. Netizens also called out on social media against the bakeries and urged them to boycott.

    Actress and Video Jockey (VJ), Anoushey Ashraf wrote in her story that writing ‘Merry Christmas’ does not weaken our faith. She emphasised that it is the job of the staff to compel the request of customers.

    The Zindagi Gulzar Hai star Sanam Saeed also took to her Instagram story to express disappointment over the behaviour of bakery staff. She tagged both bakeries, Delizia and Auntie Muanaver’s Food, and reminded them about the representation of white colour in our flag.

    Shehnai diva Ramasha Khan who is currently appearing in ARY Digital’s serial, Sinf-e- Aahan, also tweeted about the incident and shared one of the quotes of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

    Earlier, the customer reported the incident on a Facebook group “Voice of Customer PK” in which she said that she went to the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) branch of Delizia where she was refused to write ‘Merry Christmas’ by their staff. She also stressed to the bakeries that they should not make money from their religious occasions as well if they are so much against non-Muslims and their religions.

    The management of both bakeries are yet to release an official statements to the public.

    In 2018, the same incident happened in the Badar Commercial branch of Delizia bakery when a customer was refused a cake with ‘Merry Christmas’ written on it. The staff made a similar excuse at that time as well that it was not company instructions. It was reported on another Facebook page, Karachi Food Diary.

  • Social media calls for boycott of anti-Christmas bakeries, Delizia refuses to comment

    Social media calls for boycott of anti-Christmas bakeries, Delizia refuses to comment

    People on social media are calling out two bakeries in Karachi for refusing to write “Merry Christmas” on cakes. A Facebook user on a Facebook group wrote, “Shame on Delizia and Auntie Muanaver’s Food and Dessert for their jahalat. Their bigotry has no place in progressive and pluraistic Pakistan.”

    Earlier, in another post, a Facebook user posted about how a Karachi based bakery chain Delizia, refused the request of a customer to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on a cake.

    The Current reached out to Delizia for comment but their customer service representative refused to comment on the matter, saying “they are not allowed to comment.”

    The Current also tried to reach out to Auntie Muanaver’s Kitchen but no one picked up on the number provided on their Facebook page.

    People on social media are calling out the bakeries for refusing to write Merry Christmas.

    In 2018, a similar incident happened in the Badar Commercial branch of Delizia bakery when a customer was declined a cake with ‘Merry Christmas’ written on it. The staff made a similar excuse at that time as well that it was not company instructions. It was reported on another Facebook page, Karachi Food Diary.

  • Bakery staff refuses to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on cake, management ensures strict action

    A staff member of a famous Karachi based bakery chain, Delizia, refused the request of a customer to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on a cake.

    The incident took place in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) branch. The management has ensured to take action against the staff and will release an official statement soon regarding the incident on social media.

    The customer reported the incident on a Facebook group “Voice of Customer PK”

    An uproar was seen on the Facebook post in which netizens expressed their disappointment and anger.

    Senior management of the bakery said, “At the moment we are taking action against him. It was done in an individual capacity and is not company policy. It may have been done due to lack of education and awareness that ‘Merry Christmas’ means wishing someone a happy Christmas, nothing else.”

    In 2018, the same incident happened in the Badar Commercial branch of Delizia bakery when a customer was declined a cake with ‘Merry Christmas’ written on it. The staff made a similar excuse at that time as well that it was not company instructions. It was reported on another Facebook page, Karachi Food Diary.

    The representative of the company stated in the previous incident that the staff responsible was dismissed and the same might to happen in the recent matter.

  • Canadian-Muslim’s ‘anthropological observations’ on Christmas go viral

    Canadian-Muslim’s ‘anthropological observations’ on Christmas go viral

    A Muslim man in Canada, who could not go to his family over the holidays due to the lockdown celebrated Christmas, for the first time and his heart-warming Twitter thread of ‘observations’ has gone viral on social media.

    Mohammad Hussain, who works as a special assistant for parliamentary affairs at the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry, expressing his views on the holidays said: “Growing up, my Muslim family never celebrated Christmas.”

    “This year I am not going home, because pandemic, so my roommates are teaching me how to have my first proper Christmas,” he continued. “I am approaching this with anthropological precision.”

    Hussain then listed a few things he had observed about the way his roommates celebrated the event.

    Hussain remarked that people spent more than their budget and that people had Christmas tree ornaments that were either ‘fillers’ or ‘keepers’.

    “The fillers are the generic ones. The keepers are meant to be more special and unique. This second stream is stored in your family’s reliquary to be one day passed on to the children,” he shared.

    Encouraged by his roommates to buy his own ‘keeper’ ornament, he bought a bagel decoration and was clearly not happy with the cost of it.

    “That cost me $15.99. That’s more than three everything bagels. I am furious,” he wrote. “For what it cost, you best believe that I am insisting that it be passed on to my great grandchildren. If they break it I will haunt them.”

    Hussain concluded his post by applauding Christmas celebrators. “This is a lot of work and very tiring.”

    “I will say I am having a very pleasant time. I am learning that I enjoy Christmas music and gift purchasing. I am also learning that I do not enjoy peppermint.”

    Hussain’s Twitter thread was liked by 170,000 people in less than 24 hours and widely shared on social media.

  • Wrong spellings trend on Twitter after govt also wishes Merry ‘Chrismas’

    With Christians across the globe celebrating Christmas on
    Wednesday, a hashtag wherein the holiday was misspelled, started
    trending on Twitter.

    Funnily enough, the official handle of Government of Pakistan also tweeted using the hashtag.

    https://twitter.com/pid_gov/status/1209729795522809856

    While the origin of the spellings has not yet been determined, here’s how ‘Chrismas’ is being wished over the micro-blogging website, all across the globe.

    MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE CURRENT!