"A NOTE FROM A CHRISTMAS NON-CELEBRATOR" in "THE WORDPLAY WARRIOR: Writing for The Unheard Voices"

Dear all,

I hope I’m not picking a bad time to post something like this. If I am, then I’m sorry.

First of all, today is also the birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW. I know that some of you are celebrating Christmas Eve, while some of us are celebrating this.

I hope this is a good sign. I hope this shows and helps us to realise that getting along is still possible, despite all our differences. I hope we still share the same idea that co-existence with each other is still critically important, especially nowadays.

I never celebrate Christmas but I have friends who do. I thank Allah for the day Prophet Muhammad SAW came to this earth, and I hope I won’t end up being one of those who bring tears to his eyes with my flaws, here and the afterlife. I’m trying and it’s not easy. I can only hope that there’s still time and that Allah will still forgive and spare me with His Mercy.

I know that some of us are praying for Prophet Muhammad’s soul, while some of you are in church. Perhaps some parents are at home now, secretly wrapping gifts while their young children are asleep. I hope they love the gifts and thank them when they wake up, because what really matters is the fact that their parents love them.

I know some of us have recently lost their loved ones, either a family member or a significant other. I know some of us are far away from family, and I can only assure you that my thoughts are with you.

If you choose not to celebrate anything at all today, that’s your personal choice too. Just like whether you’d like to greet each other with the appropriate well-wishes (either ”Merry Christmas” or ”Saalgirah Mubarak to Ya Rasul Muhammad”) or not, whether it’s simply out of social courtesy or else. Guess what? It’s your choice too.

Just do me a small favour, okay? No need to force each other to do the same things. Quit with all that fuss.

I hate the face of the world today, although not entirely. There’s still happiness too. Blessed you be if you have already found and even exchanged vows with the love of your life. I hope you can help to restore - and maintain - love for peace, compassion, and humanity from dying.

I am scared and I believe I am not the only one. With all the violence in the world these days - wars, terrorism, prejudice, greed, you name it - it’s very understandable that we all fear. We all have opinions to share and are entitled to do so. Social media makes it even more possible. If you’re loaded with cash, you can even make the mainstream media cover for you, standing by just to record and broadcast every word you say to the whole world out there.

However, your opinion becomes a terror if it scares the hell out of a poor little girl, who wonders if she and her family are in danger of being evicted from their home - only because of their faith. A girl who probably plays with other kids out there without asking if they pray five times a day too or believe in Santa Claus.

Others have suffered worse than they do - and so are countless of others. The massacre is still on-going, while the mainstream media keeps looking away.

Then why am I writing this? Who am I?

Perhaps I’m just the same…and different at once. I may be just like you, but still me. I don’t always understand everything, but I try to. Most of the time, I keep my mouth shut in the name of peace and tolerance, not because the most-opinionated talkers are always right and I completely, submissively agree with them.

Then again, I’m not the only one. Someone with flaws, but still trying to make a difference everyday - if not something better. I don’t hate you or want to hurt your children just because we pray differently or some of us don’t even do so at all. That’s not how Prophet Muhammad SAW had taught us. If some others out there do it differently or even have a different idea, I’m sorry. This is far too big to be handled by only me. We need to work together in this.

Hopefully, we are all safe and sound tonight, tomorrow, and the next. Hopefully God will protect the rest. It is all in His Hands.

Last but not least, PEACE. To all of us.

R.