Models poses for a photo with a man dressed as Santa Claus at Thika Road Mall, Nairobi, on Christmas Eve.
The Somali Government has banned celebration of Christian festivities in the country.
A
directive released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Justice and Religious
Affairs stated that no Christian festivities could be held in Somalia.
The
Director General of the ministry, Sheikh Mohamed Khayrow Aden, and the
Director of the Religious Matters, Sheikh Ali Sheikh Mohamud alias
Sheikh Ali Dhere, held a press conference in the capital Mogadishu, to
make the announcement.
The ban came just hours before Christmas Day, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, their spiritual saviour.
“We
alert fellow Muslims in Somalia that some festivities to mark Christian
Days will take place around the world in this week,” said Sheikh Ali
Dhere during the press conference, adding: “It is prohibited to
celebrate those days in this country.”
Mr Aden, on his
part, stated that all security and law enforcement agencies had been
instructed to counter any such celebrations.
He added that copies of the directive were delivered to hotels and other meeting places in Mogadishu.
The officials did not say anything on whether non-Muslim foreign workers or residents could celebrate or not.
It is the first time that a Somali government bans the celebrations since the last central government collapsed in 1991.
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