Australia: Santa Claus is Finished

[FaDeThEBuTcHeR]

So much for Western Culture in Australia . Just like I have always said, equality means nothing more than replacement.

http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.a...55E701,00.html

PRIME MINISTER John Howard took the extraordinary step of declaring his belief in Santa Claus yesterday in response to childcare centres and shopping centres banning traditional Christmas celebrations.

As many as 50 childcare centres and kindergartens have put a stop to nativity scenes and Christmas festivities, blaming the decision on the need to respect the cultural sensitivities of non-Christian religions.

"I believe in Santa, I do believe in Santa and I think one of the wonderful things about childhood is a belief in that," Mr Howard said.

"I'm no longer a child but I believed in Santa when I was a kid and Santa is for children so therefore I believe in Santa," he said.

Mr Howard said it was "absolutely ridiculous" for kindergarten operators to forbid Santa Claus in Christmas celebrations and for shopping centres to ban nativity scenes.

Managers who did remove the tradition were "foolishly" falling victim to political correctness, he said.

"I cannot for the life of me understand that any canon of tolerance in this country requires us to abandon Santa. Nor indeed do I find the practice of some department stores now no longer having nativity scenes as part of their Christmas displays."

Early childhood consultant Elizabeth Dauay yesterday estimated about one in ten childcare centres across the nation would this year sacrifice the familiar western Christmas festivities for fear of being culturally insensitive.

The removal of Australia's biggest cultural phenomenon was becoming typical in all Australian states and territories, she said.

"Those that celebrate Christmas see it as part of the culture of this country, but many people living in Australia do not," she said.

But the Islamic community yesterday dismissed the concerns as utterly ridiculous, saying they had no problem at all with Santa Claus.

Santa and other Western Christmas traditions were inoffensive, a spokesman for the Islamic Community Council said.

The spokesman said he had not heard any reports of Muslims feeling uncomfortable or unhappy about the presence of Santa in shopping complexes and childcare centres.

"It's not a big deal. There's no issue with [Santa] at all," he said.

Similarly, the Reverend John Henderson of the National Council of Churches in Australia said the organisation was equally unaware of any criticisms being levelled at Santa.

"There's not a big link between the churches and Santa. The church obviously wants people to have freedom to practise their own customs and religion," he said.

Westfield spokesman Matthew Abbott said removing Santa from any shopping centre would spark an outcry from patrons everywhere.

"It's not about being secular or religious – it is what it is," Mr Abbott said.

"I think we'd have howls of protest if we didn't have decorations and we didn't have Santa because, hey, what's Christmas without Santa?"

Political correctness has this year seen the banning of Santa visits, Christmas trees, even tinsel in as many as 50 Sydney childcare centres, with one replacing Santa with a magician and streamers.

The magician next month will replace Santa for Christmas celebrations at Rozelle Child Care Centre due to the "several" different cultures the children came from, the centre's director William Blomfield said yesterday.

"We don't have a Santa and we don't do presents. That can be done at home," Mr Blomfield said.

"We usually just have a party, but it doesn't have any religious overtones," he said.

The children will also go without tinsel, a nativity scene and a Christmas tree.

"We make it a colourful party. We use streamers and balloons instead," Mr Blomfield said.