Unholy Night 

Why Jihadists Attack at Festivals Like Christmas

As the western world reels at the slaughter of Jews celebrating the Jewish feast of Hannukah on Australia’s Bondi beach, we should remember that Christmas is also a time which in the past has seen multiple jihadist attacks on Christians. Indeed, there have already been several such attacks within Europe this year (see last week's News and Views). 

So, why do jihadists attack Christians at Christmas and on other festivals such as Easter?

Attacking festivals maximises casualties

The first answer is that these festivals lead to large gatherings of Christians in a single location, which creates the potential for those inflicting terror to maximise the number of casualties they cause. One of the clearest examples of that was the 2016 suicide bombing of Lahore’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park by a splinter group of the Pakistan Taliban, which killed more than 70 people, including multiple children, and injured more than 300 others. The attack took place on Easter Sunday when the park was crowded with Pakistani Christian families and took place near the children’s swings. In this respect, it bears a chilling resemblance to the attack on Jewish families celebrating Hannukah on Bondi Beach.

In one sense, we know that this is something that those engaged in terror attacks have always done. For example, the pagan Vikings repeatedly attacked Christian monasteries and churches during festivals, with York the ecclesiastical centre of northern England being attacked on All Saints Day 867 when large numbers would have come into the city. Similarly, the Irish Annals record specific attacks on monasteries on Christmas night.

We know that this is something that those engaged in terror attacks have always done.

Imposing Islamic government and law

However, with jihadists there is an additional factor, which brings us to our second reason. This is that jihadists see such attacks on non-Muslims as a key part of their jihad. They divide the entire world into Dar-al-Islam i.e. the world already subject to Islamic government and law; and Dar al-Harb i.e. the world of warfare, which must be given the invitation (daw’at) to embrace Islam, but where that has not been accepted, jihad must be engaged in to bring it into subjection.

Jihadists object to the public celebration of any non-Islamic festivals

Thirdly, part of the Islamic law which jihadists wish to impose on Christians and Jews is dhimmi status. In the thinking of jihadists, which is also found in the textbooks of Classical Islam, Christians and Jews, who are deemed Ahl-i-Kitab i.e. “People of the Book”, are offered the choice of forced conversion to Islam or submitting to dhimmi status.

This is effectively a non-citizen status, with no real rights, but allows them to remain living in the area - provided they worship behind closed doors, and do not allow their books or other religious symbols to be seen on the street or any aspect of their worship to be heard outside by Muslims.  That is why a number of countries which enforce strict shari’a observance, such as Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and since 2014, Brunei – also ban any public celebration of Christmas. By attacking Christian or Jewish festivals jihadists are signalling they wish to enforce this in the areas they attack.

By attacking Christian or Jewish festivals jihadists are signalling they wish to enforce shari'a in the areas they attack.

Eliminating non-Islamic populations

Fourthly, it is perfectly clear from the nature of jihadist attacks in some situations such as those carried out by Islamic State a decade ago in Syria and Iraq and those which continue in northern Nigeria, that the intention of some jihadists is the actual elimination of non-Muslim populations. Whilst the shari’a textbooks of Classical Islam say that Christians and Jews may be subjected to dhimmi status, Islamists – whether those who seek to use political means or those who use warfare to achieve their aims, do not regard themselves as bound by this.

Jihadists object to what the festivals are celebrating

Fifthly, with some festivals there is also an additional factor, which is that jihadists object to what the festival is actually celebrating- as it conflicts with Islamic beliefs. This is clearly the case with Easter, as Islam denies that Jesus was crucified. Even in the case of Christmas, not only does the Qur’an contain an entirely different Christmas story to the Bible, but emphatically denies the biblical significance of Jesus’s birth i.e. that whilst in the past God spoke to mankind through the prophets, in these last days God himself became incarnate (Hebrews 1:1-3).

The same is probably true of Sunday’s attack on Bondi beach. Hanukkah is the celebration of the 2nd century BC military victory of Judas Maccabee over the pagan ruler Antiochus Epiphanes, which restored Jewish rule over Palestine and led to the cleansing and restoration of the temple. The story is told 1 and 2 Maccabees which form part of the apocrypha.

Jihadists object to what the festival is actually celebrating- as it conflicts with Islamic beliefs. 

The risk this Christmas 

For years now we have seen horrendous attacks on churches and Christians in places like Nigeria every Christmas. However, this year there is a heightened risk because of events in the Middle East.
First, the conflict in Gaza – and the perceived ‘success’ of Hamas in resisting Israel - has emboldened jihadists around the world.
 
Secondly, the recognition by western governments, including the USA and UK, of the new Syrian regime led by the founder of al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, has signalled to jihadists around the world that if their jihad succeeds in seizing control of an entire country,  the West will recognise them as a legitimate government.

Thirdly, conversely, the very fact that Syria’s new leadership has been engaging with the West has energised rival groups such as IS – who as the Lindisfarne Centre recently reported, are spreading rapidly in Africa  - and claim they alone represent ‘true Islam’.

Tragically, yet again this Christmas will almost certainly see massacres of Christian minorities in Islamic countries. 

Fourthly, on 18 September, in a move which appears to have been an attempt to claim credit for the recognition of a Palestinian State due to be announced at the UN by a number of western governments a few days later, Islamic State issued a specific call for jihadist attacks on Jews and Christians in the West. A fortnight later a jihadist did just that, killing two people and seriously injuring three others at a Manchester synagogue celebrating Yom Kippur – the Jewish day of atonement.

So, tragically, yet again this Christmas will almost certainly see massacres of Christian minorities in Islamic countries. But we should also bear in mind that in a globalised world, it is not beyond the bounds of possibilities that there will also be a jihadist attack on Christians in the West, as has previously happened in countries such as France.

Please keep this situation in your prayers - and pray especially for Christian minorities in countries such as Nigeria and Syria this Christmas.