Somehow, when it’s 42° C Christmas doesn’t feel quite right. We read the Christmas Carol to the kids and watched Christmas specials on French TV as we decorated the living-room with plastic holly and baubles trying to recreate that special atmosphere.
Packages from America had arrived far in advance and it had been difficult to hide them from the children, but we managed it! On Christmas eve, me mounted the tiny tree putting the gifts under it on the dining room table and hung two beautifully decorated stockings on the window sill filled with candy canes and other goodies.
The next morning the kids were starry-eyed with awe. Gift wrapping flew around the room as they ripped open their packages with laughter. We had our traditional Christmas breakfast and I put a couple of chickens in the oven with dressing for our dinner which we would be sharing with our friends, a French couple with their children and a scholarly gentleman and his wife from Iran. My mincedfruit and pumpkin pies would be a great end to our meal.
There was a moment of silence in all the bustle and I heard that beautiful lilting chant that accompanied us throughout each day we lived in Djibouti. The muezzin reciting the ahdan or call to prayer … Allah’u’akbar floated into the room. Suddenly it felt very much like Christmas to me as I remembered that He who was born that day, was born in a warm desert land, not in a snow drifted winter wonder land.
God is great
there is only one God
hasten to pray
© G.s.k. ‘15
It’s probably not “politically correct” to remember that Islam derives from Judaism and Christianity. Each of the great monotheisms has taken a different path and has its own bright and dark history. The God of Abraham is also the God of Christ and the God of Mohammed. I came across an article on CBS Minnesota .. the school choir master has included in the Holiday Concert repertoire a song about Ramadan to be performed in Arabic. A brave symbol of pluralism in these trouble times. My first Christmas wish for us is that we will be so brave as to embrace the spirit of peace and love which we profess.
Bastet and Sekhmet's Library 
Thank you for sharing this memory — and the news of that (very brave indeed) choir master!
LikeLike
Thanks dear … I don’t know if I’d been willing to face an American community like that person has done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me either … quite a remarkable person
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great write, G !!!
LikeLike
Why thanks Chris … glad you think so!
LikeLike
Such a clever haibun, and beautiful of the school choir. I think many Muslims would agree with you very much. And you are right, so right. Very cleverly done. Though I must admit I miss the warm sunny christmasses very much!
LikeLike
Ah warm sunny Christmases are a boon! Thanks for dropping by and I’d like to say your recent haiku and distillation are masterful and cleverly written too.
LikeLike
This is my most fervent prayer too, Georgia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We can only put our energy out to promote this fact … it’s so sad that brothers should destroy themselves so senselessly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agree 100%!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I couldn`t agree with you more. The song touched me very much. I have been listening to many mantras in Sanskrit in the past year and I found this as moving. One of my fav mantras just before I get to work perks me is wishing joy and happiness all over the world. Now I will be focusing my prayers on many coming from Syria to Québec since last week for the next few months.
LikeLike
I’m so happy you could feel this listening to the muezzin. We really must overcome this terrible moment if we hope to ever have peace.
LikeLike
If only everyone realized there is NO segregation in heaven.
LikeLike