President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has banned Christmas celebrations because they 'contrary to Islamic culture'

Somalia has banned Christmas and New Year celebrations because they are 'contrary to Islamic culture' – days after a similar move by the Sultan of Brunei.

Director General of Somalia's Ministry of Religious Affairs, Sheikh Mohamed Khayrow, warned that security forces would break-up any gatherings held in the capital Mogadishu.

He said: 'All events related to Christmas and New Year celebrations are contrary to Islamic culture, which could damage aqidah (faith) of the Muslim community.

'There should be no activity at all.'

Sheikh Nur Barud Gurhan, deputy chairman of the Supreme Religious Council of Somalia, said Christian events might provoke further attacks by the Muslim terror group Al Shabaab, it was reported by Ugandan daily New Vision.

He said: 'We Islamic Scholars are warning against the celebration of such events which are not relevant to the principles of our religion. Such events give also Al Shabaab to carry out attacks.'

In the latest attack, on Monday, passengers on board a bus bravely defied Al-Shabaab militants who ordered them to sacrifice the Christians on board during a deadly standoff in Kenya.

When the 10 Al-Shabaab militants stormed the bus in the country's north, they demanded Muslim passengers separate themselves from the Christians on board.

But the passengers refused - even giving some of their fellow travellers Islamic articles of clothing to wear so they could not be distinguished.

A year ago, Al-Shabaab gunmen - who operate as Al Qaeda's affiliates in east Africa - stormed a Nairobi-bound bus in the same area and killed 28 non-Muslim passengers execution-style.

The move comes days after the Sultan of Brunei's decision to jail Muslims who celebrate the festivities.

The super-rich ruler, Hassanal Bolkiah, told residents of his country that if they plan on celebrating December 25, they could face up to five years in jail.

There are fears Christian events might provoke further attacks by the Muslim terror group Al Shabaab (above)

Banned Christmas: Oil-rich Brunei has banned public celebrations of Christmas for fear of Muslims being led astray. Pictured, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah

There may be no Christmas in Brunei - but there is at the nation's leader's Beverly Hills Hotel. The Sultan owns the Dorchester Collection of hotels including the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel Air.

While non-Muslims are allowed to celebrate the holiday within their own communities, they must not disclose their plans to the nation's Muslims – which make up 65 per cent of the 420,000-strong population.

Around 20 per cent of Brunei's residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities.

'These enforcement measures are…intended to control the act of celebrating Christmas excessively and openly, which could damage the aqidah (beliefs) of the Muslim community,' said the Ministry of Religious Affairs in a statement.

The small Borneo nation prohibits propagating religion other than Islam to a Muslim, and breaking this is a violation of the penal code.

Other banned activities include putting up Christmas trees, singing religious songs and sending Christmas greetings, reported the Borneo Bulletin.

'Some may think that it is a frivolous matter and should not be brought up as an issue,' the imams are quoted as saying in the Bulletin.

'But as Muslims…we must keep it [following other religions' celebrations] away as it could affect our Islamic faith.'

The Los Angeles property, owned by the Sultan's Dorchester Collection, is covered in Christmas decorations - which would land a Brunei resident in jail

The Dorchester Hotel in London is similarly bedecked for the Christmas season

Harsh: The tiny state of Brunei on the island of Borneo is ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and relies on oil and gas exports for its prosperity

Religion: Around 35 per cent of Brunei's residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities. Pictured here is the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and Clock in Brunei

Some Burnei residents, however, are risking jail time by still celebrating Christmas and uploading pictures to social media as part of a #MyTreedom campaign that celebrates religious freedom.

Imams have told followers to abide by a government edict banning celebrations that could lead Muslims astray and damage their faith

The tiny state on the island of Borneo is ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and relies on oil and gas exports for its prosperity.

The nation embraced a harsh new penal code in April 2014, led by 68-year-old Bolkiah.

At the time, he said: 'Today I place my faith in and am grateful to Allah the almighty to announce that tomorrow,Thursday, May 1 2014, will see the enforcement of Sharia law phase one, to be followed by the other phases.'

The change means people can face conviction by Islamic courts and fines or jail terms for a range of offences such as pregnancy outside marriage, failure to perform Friday prayers and propagating other religions.

A second phase of the law comes into effect in May this year covering theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims, which would be punishable by whipping and amputation.

The death penalty, including death by stoning, will be introduced in the final phase a year later for offences such as adultery, sodomy and insulting the Koran or the Prophet Muhammad.

The Sultan lives in the Istana Nurul Imam, also the seat of Brunei government (effectively the sultan and his family). The palace has over 1700 rooms and 350 toilets. The Istana is pictured here when the Sultan's daughter Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom were presented to the royal court in 2012

The Sultan pictured here with his brother Jefri, known for harems and a yacht called 'Tits'

Most of the laws will also apply to non-Muslims.

The Sharia Penal Code calls for the stoning of people who commit a variety of sexual 'crimes' including sodomy, adultery and rape.

The strict Islamic law code also includes flogging, stoning and amputation.

'By the grace of Allah, with the coming into effect of this legislation, our duty to Allah is therefore being fulfilled,' the sultan said at a legal conference in Brunei's capital last year.

Even before that law was passed, there was a ten year prison sentence for gays.

The land of gold-plated mosques and wooden water villages is so rich from its oil and gas resources that no one pays tax.

Alcohol is also banned in the nation.

Under the Sharia code theft and alcohol consumption are punishable by whippings and amputation.

Smoking is also banned in public.

The Sultan owns the Dorchester Collection of hotels.

The chain's two American hotels are the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel Air.

In the spring of 2014, after the move to sharia law, celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres led the charge for massive boycotts at the properties.

Despite the no alcohol, no smoking and strict sexual laws in place in Brunei, the Sultan has an infamous playboy brother.

Prince Jefri gained notoriety for his harems of beautiful women, his flotilla of luxury yachts including a boat named 'Tits' and his alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars while he was finance minister.

The Sultan lives in the Istana Nurul Imam, also the seat of Brunei government (which is effectively the sultan and his family).

The palace has a reported 1788 rooms, a 110-car garage, a stable for the sultan's 200 polo ponies, five swimming pools and 350 toilets.

Implementation of Sharia law was denounced by United Nations Commission on Human Rights and also is concerning to Western workers in the oil sector and the tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese Bruneians and 30,000 mostly Roman Catholic Filipino migrant workers living in Brunei.

Jewish extremist Benzi Gopstein has called for Israel to ban Christmas - days after the Sultan of Brunei's decision to jail Muslims who celebrate the festivities

Meanwhile, a Jewish extremist also called for Israel to ban Christmas.

Israeli anti-racism activists have called for an investigation after Benzi Gopstein urged a ban on Christmas celebrations in the country and called Christians 'vampires'.

Gopstein, who heads the far-right Lehava organisation and has been arrested a number of times, made the comments in an article on the ultra-Orthodox Jewish website Kooker.

'Christmas has no place in the Holy Land,' wrote Gopstein, who lives in a Jewish settlement in Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

He spoke of the 'fall of the line of defence of the Jewish people for hundreds of years against our enemies, the Catholic Church.'

'The mission of those vampires and bloodsuckers remains. If Jews cannot be killed, they can be converted,' he wrote.

'We must remove the vampires before they drink our blood once again.'

The Coalition Against Racism in Israel and others have called on authorities to investigate Gopstein.

In August, Israeli police questioned Gopstein after he condoned torching churches amid an uproar over recent hate crimes, including the firebombing of a Palestinian home that killed a toddler and both his parents.

On June 18, an arson attack occurred at a shrine on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel where Jesus is believed to have performed the miracle of loaves and fishes.

Israeli prosecutors have charged three Jewish extremists in that case.