GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — In an internal circular, the Hamas-led Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Gaza laid out steps Hamas was taking to “limit interaction” with Christmas and New Year’s festivities. The document dated Dec. 15 contained various steps to prevent or discourage Muslim Gazans from involvement in the traditional festivities, calling for fatwas and outreach activities to inform Gazans that Christmas celebrations are for Christians and not Muslims. Many Gaza residents took it as a ban on Christmas celebrations and called on the ministry to reverse its action immediately.

The Palestinian Authority, some national factions and civil society activists issued statements condemning the news. Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh tweeted Dec. 19, “The decision to ban Christmas festivities in the Gaza Strip is unjust and does not reflect the religious, national and social ethics of our people. It propagates radicalist and unjust thought and strikes at the foundations of our people’s unity, respect for beliefs and religions and the freedom of opinion and belief.”

Director of Pal-Think for Strategic Studies in Gaza Omar Shaaban commented in a Dec. 19 Facebook post, “The statement of the Ministry of Religious Endowments and Affairs in Gaza regarding the Christmas celebrations violates Palestinian law, deals a blow to the social fabric and threatens national unity. Such a statement can only reflect a self-centered mentality.”

Palestinian journalist Fathi Sabbah posted on Facebook that the communiqué was a national offense. He called on the Hamas ministry to rescind it and apologize. He added, “The factions should intervene to create rules that ensure this will not recur. We are one people, Christians and Muslims. Their holidays are ours, and our holidays are theirs.”