Halloween - Is it Islamic or Cultural?

Its not Islamic – Is it religious or cultural?
Read an interesting dialogue in the format of 'Point-Counter point' below
Halloween is not Islamic.
Almost all of the traditions surrounding Halloween can be traced back to the Celtic Day of the Dead, a pagan holiday. Their belief was that on the eve of the Celtic New Year (October 31), the souls of the dead people came to the land of the living. The Devil, spirits and witches were believed to be roaming around. The Pope, in the eight century, decided to Christianize this pagan holiday by making November 1 All Saints' Day or All Hallows' (Holy) Day. Therefore October 31 was then considered All Hallow's Eve, and this word later evolved into the modern day Halloween.

Islam accepts the cultural traditions of a people as long as those traditions do not clash with core Islamic principles. Thus, blue jeans, sunglasses, hot dogs, and other quintessential American items do not pose a contradiction to a Muslim. Halloween, however, honors Celtic and Roman gods. Islam is strictly monotheistic, and anything having to do with the worship of any other god besides the Most Holy One is a tough sell – even under the umbrella of ‘fun’. It is true that over the years the cultural and consumer angle of the holiday has gained popularity and not many people care about the religious roots.

Some folks have strong feelings about these holidays. We must reiterate that our goal is to promote dialogue and find solutions for those who are looking for them – not to look down upon our fellow Americans who might not see anything wrong with Halloween. There is no compulsion in religion and therefore the choice, authority and responsibility ultimately lies with the parents.

Point:
Ahmadi Muslim youth should understand that participating in the activities of Halloween is a subtle act of association with Pagan and Christian tradition. As the Holy Qur'an states, "incline not towards falsehood" (38:45), Ahmadi Muslim youth should stay away from indulging in traditions rooted in falsehood. It is true that Halloween today is a cultural celebration. However, as we identify ourselves as Ahmadi Muslims', we do not celebrate other holidays that have a religio-cultural history - e.g. Christmas. The same attitude should be observed regarding any other religio-cultural celebration, including Halloween.

It must be understood that the celebration of Halloween cannot be declared "Haraam" as no edict of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), the Promised Messiah (as) or Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya exists stating such. This does not, however, absolve Ahmadi Muslim youth from the potential harm of the celebration of Halloween.

Ahmadi Muslim youth should also understand that the culture of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is distinct and distinguished, and so should its members be. Our recognition as Americans as well as Ahmadi Muslims should be a source of pride. Ahmadi Muslim youth should indeed practice those traditions that are purely historical in nature (e.g. Independence Day, Thanksgiving) as an acknowledgment of gratitude towards our country. Those traditions that blur the lines of culture and religion, however, should be avoided. (Ahmadi Youth from New York)

Counter point:

I don't know man.

I'm the only one here who is actually a parent. I was just like yall, gettin out my machine gun on all this halloween and birthday stuff. And I still do.

But now I'm a little softer, at least relative to before, and - i think - wiser too. There is a potential harm in not letting your children do some, some, thing associated with cultural realities. Ayesha, my daughter, attends preschool. The kids are encouraged to dress up on halloween. I'm not sure what to do. I can try to explain things, but at the end of the day she's 3 and a half. Whenever I ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she always says "Princess".

So maybe I'll buy her a crown and a wand and let her go to school wearing that on halloween. I don't know...it will really make her feel happy. And she won't feel like she's too out of sync with her friends. And kids her age (3-4 yrs) don't dress up as goblins and goons, which if you ask me is the nastiest aspect of this whole holiday.

Remember, Hazur IV (rah) said we shouldn't observe our own birthdays, or more obviously, celebrate chirstmas. But he didn't forbid us joining birthday parties or even christmas parties of others. Only when the activity becomes shirk that you cannot partake of its "enjoyment".

Also remember, Hazur IV let his daughters watch TV, in contrast to one of the great and prominent companions of the Promised Messiah (as). His rationale was not that his children would gain something by watching TV, but that if he didn't his daughters would experience a sense of loss, and in that tender age, may covet a desire to watch television in secracy at a friends house.

Rules are important, but you can't only teach rules. Rather you should teach that wisdom is an art, and not merely a science. (Ahmadi Youth from Michigan)