Best Buy: Yes to Eid al-Adha, no to Christmas
flockwoodBest Buy, which stopped using the words “Merry Christmas” in past years’ ads because it doesn’t want to offend non-Christians, wishes Muslims a happy Eid al-Adha in its Black Friday advertiser, according to this report.
Eid al-Adha, by the way, is the Feast of Sacrifice.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Do they also offer a discount on bride prices?
November 25th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Christmas is more than a month from now. It’s not even Advent yet, for goodness sakes! It’s much too early to wish anyone “Merry Christmas”. On the other hand, Eid is this Friday.
We should also acknowledge one important fact here. Best Buy is making its decision on its own. That decision may be puzzling or just plain stupid, but no government agency is forcing it to forgo “Merry Christmas” or to replace it with “Happy Eid”. That is how it should be. If politically correct religious right fanatics want to protest with vicious complaints and boycotts, that’s their right as well. But I don’t recall seeing any Muslim fanatics reacting over the many years when American society celebrated Christian holidays and flatly ignored all other religions.
November 25th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
When this issue comes up in my professional life, I always tell clients that in America, American businesses should use the all or nothing principle. Either you routinely acknowledge EVERY major religious holiday (and that means religions throughout the world, not your local county) or you go neutral/nothing. Anything in between is both rude and legally problematic. The Muslims mentioned in Jose’s post probably felt the pressure of living as a minority without acknowledgment, but chose to politely ignore the ignorance displayed.
Smart businesses usually work out sooner or later that the Golden Rule is both morally and fiscally their best bet.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Here is an official explanation from a corporate representative.
http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Weekly-Sales/Holiday-Messaging/td-p/71918
November 26th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Some people are so Mealy Mouthed that they could not chew Mush. America is a Christian Nation, founded under Christian Beliefs, yes a tolerant Nation but still ONE NATION UNDER GOD. These other beliefs are allowed to practice under our protective hand. PLEASE TAKE NOTE, THIS IS THE ONLY NATION PROVIDING SUCH PROTECTION AND TOLERANCE.
November 27th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I think private companies should say and do what they want to do, when it comes to things like what holidays they mention in their advertisements. Every dollar that everyone spends is a vote for the entity they pay it to, and if people don’t like what Best Buy is doing, they’ll go to the store down the street.
I am sitting in an office in Lexington, Kentucky, a fairly liberal place; ultra-liberal by Kentucky standards. I’m looking out the window, and I see a huge Christmas tree set up (by the city, of course) in the little park across the street, and people are getting ready for the Christmas parade. The building I’m in has Christmas decorations all over it. At least in my little corner of the world, the social conservatives can relax and sit back with an eggnog: Old St. Nick will still be here awhile; we’re not ready to go to Eid al Adha quite yet.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
It has nothing to do with we do or do not wish someone Happy Eid AL Adha or (insert any other non-Christian holiday here). It has to do with the fact that it seems in a lot of places that it is not OK to wish someone a Merry Christmas because you might get in trouble for doing so.
I compare it to my line of work in the mortgage business. We spent a lot of time allowing people financing who had no business in the world obtaining a mortgage loan. When the defaults started coming, the pendulum swung quickly to the other side so that not only could those who were not financially worthy or credit worthy not obtain loans but those who actually were could not either. No one could find a middle ground.
I see the same thing here. It has become politically correct to go out of the way to find every major and minor non-Christian holiday and recognize such but just as politically correct to replace any mention of Christ with the generic “happy holidays.” No one can find a middle ground.
Jose, your statement, “…I don’t recall seeing any Muslim fanatics reacting over the many years when American society celebrated Christian holidays and flatly ignored all other religions,’ is a good example, although I’m sure you didn’t mean it to be. Those who would love us to completely do away with “Merry Christmas” use this as a ridiculous reason to do so, that we spent so many years ignoring non-Christian holidays that it’s the Christians’ turn to be ignored. No middle ground.
There is nothing wrong with me wishing a Muslim friend “Happy Eid al Adha” just as there is nothing wrong with them wishing me a “Merry Christmas.” Why we as a society have to nitpick about these things is beyond me.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
“Why we as a society have to nitpick about these things is beyond me.”
David, did you ever stop to think WHO is doing the nitpicking here? This blog thread concerns a controversy over an advertising circular. Which party is the nitpicker? Why?
The world we live in today is much more varied than the WASP communities of our parents. Some companies and organizations deal with this diversity by acknowledging more faiths. Others have decided that it’s better to refrain from celebrating any one particular faith because they don’t want to show favoritism. I’m OK with those decisions. However, you and others deride this as bowing to “politically correct” complainers. But isn’t is true that the complainers are some Christians who are intolerant of other faiths and who refuse to share the stage with anyone else. I don’t see them seeking a middle ground. If political correctness is a factor here, it’s certainly being pressed by both sides. Wouldn’t you agree?
November 27th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Yes, Jose, I do agree. From our Articles of Faith: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”
I totally understand that some of those who are the most “politically correct” are those who are politically “right.” There are some who would be perfectly happy if we had ONLY Christian holidays celebrated in this country. I don’t see anything in what I wrote that agrees with this.
Much like those who want to tip the pendulum to either one side or another, you have assumed to group me as “others who deride” when I have done nothing of the sort. I deride those who would eliminate Christianity from the public forum and I deride those who would eliminate any other faith from it as well. Like I said, there can be a middle ground on this issue, but those who yell the loudest are on the far sides of the argument and those in the middle don’t yell, but go about their lives treating others as they would want to be treated. (Think I’ve read something similar to that somewhere….)
The whole issue to me has a lot to do with what Frank said about the “cheap apologizes” regarding the other article. To eliminate all mention of Christianity because that was all that was mentioned in our society for so long does NOTHING to rectify the injustices of ignoring minority religions for so long. Same principle, in my mind.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:33 am
David, that excerpt from the LDS writings is both wise and admirable. However it seems to support the position of Best Buy in this little controversy. Wouldn’t you agree?
I would encourage you to read their official explanation if you have not done so already. (See the link in the fourth response, above.) It seems quite compatible with the Mormon statement and with sentiments that you expressed. If that were the end of the story, there would be no story. Instead, we have folks who get all riled up because Christianity no longer receives exclusive recognition, and because the hated Islam is treated as normal. That, of course, is quite different from your Articles of Faith.
As you observe, it is interesting to consider this topic along with the following one about cheap apologies. What the Christian complainers want is cheap, meaningless recognition. They want for all of society to pay homage to the Christian faith and Christian holidays even if there is no sincerity behind the words. That’s sad.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
For those folks who observe the Christian liturgical calendar, sincere wishes for a joyous season of preparation on this first day of Advent. Only 26 more days until Christmastide!
December 1st, 2009 at 12:03 am
Jose, I had read the response from Best Buy and I completely agree with it and you on this issue. We should be inclusive in helping our friends and neighbors worship, “how, where or what they may.”
As I’ve brought on up threads before, Joseph Smith allowed the Catholic priest in Nauvoo, IL to hold mass in our temple before it was dedicated (at which time only it was like our temples now and only those holding a “recommend” could enter). Allowing freedom of worship is something that I will always stand for, be that worship like or unlike my own.