The government of Somalia prohibited in 2015 the celebration of Christmas, considering it a threat to the nation’s Muslim faith.
Somalia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs defended this state decision because celebrations such as Christmas “are in no way related to Islam.”
For his part, Mohamed Kheyrow, a senior official in Somalia’s Justice Ministry, said that “making Muslims celebrate Christmas in Somalia is not the right thing to do, those things are akin to abandonment.”
Originally published December 14, 2022. It has been updated for republication.