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CAIRO – Muslim scholars in the Indonesian province of Aceh have taken a strict position against celebrating Christmas, calling on the government to shut down public New Year’s parties, including those held in cafes, hotels and entertainment venues.

“Christmas greetings by Muslim are clearly haram, because they’re a kind of acknowledgment,” Abdul Karim Syeikh, head of Banda Aceh’s Ulama Consultative Council (MPU), an official body that advises the local government on Islamic affairs, told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday, December 17.

“[Christian] New Year celebrations are not in Islamic teachings, as we have our own new year to celebrate: Hijriyah New Year, which is celebrated on the first day of Muharram,” Syeikh added.

Though the council’s ruling is not legally binding, it holds a strong sway in the conservative province — the only in Indonesia to enforce Shari`ah law.The scholar’s opinion was based on a fatwa issued last November 12 banning both Christmas and New Year’s greetings and celebrations for Muslims in the provincial capital.