Brunei’s sultan bans Christmas in hardline shift

The Dorchester hotel in London, owned by the Sultan of Brunei, is decked out with Christmas decorations, in contrast to Brunei where Christmas celebrations are banned.- AFP

The all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world’s richest men, announced last year he would push ahead with the introduction of sharia law, eventually including tough penalties such as death by stoning or severed limbs.   

Religious leaders in the oil-rich sultanate warned this month that a ban on Christmas would be strictly enforced, for fear that Muslims could be led astray.