A Makassar-based bakery refused a customer's request to write "Merry Christmas to my family" on a cake because it was not in line with the "principles of (their) religion", reported the Jakarta Post on Sunday (Dec 24).

The news spread on social media, prompting the bakery, Chocolicious Indonesia, to respond on Instagram on Saturday.



The bakery said they were deeply apologetic and that their decision not to include the Christmas greeting did not mean that they did not respect the customer's religion.

"This is what we have to do based on the principles of our religion," the post read.

However, the bakery added that they will provide greeting cards and chocolates upon a customer's request and customers are then free to write their own greetings on them.

The apology garnered more than 9,000 likes on Instagram in less than a day and received mixed reactions from users.



Some commented that they supported the bakery's decision and that they were simply abiding by the rules of their religion. Others questioned the bakery's decision.







According to the Jakarta Post, the cake controversy comes amid growing tensions between hard-line Islamic groups in Indonesia and Christians.

However, the highest religious authority in Indonesia, the Indonesian Ulema Council, does not prohibit Muslims from greeting Christians during Christmas.

The head of the presidential working unit of Indonesia's state ideology Yudi Latif said that shop owners had "the right to refuse or accept", but added that tolerance still needed to be instilled in Indonesia, reported the Jakarta Post.