At Bandung Indah Plaza, the city’s oldest shopping center, few Christmas-themed decorations were on display. Only posters in red and green — Christmas colors — were seen at the main entrance.

Some employees wore Santa hats, but not all.

Adam, a supervisor, said there was no obligation for employees to put on such hats. “Moreover, we don’t have enough of the hats,” he said on Wednesday.

A number of employees at the Yogya store on Jl. RE Martadinata, meanwhile, were seen putting up Christmas decorations.

Christmas accessories including Santa hats were for sale in one corner, but none of the employees were seen wearing the hats.

Hours earlier, Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil said he had issued a circular calling on employers not to force non-Christian workers to wear Christmas-themed accessories.

He said it was not aimed at promoting intolerance. Instead, the aim was to help prevent intolerant acts by hard-liners who might dislike Muslims being forced to wear Christmas paraphernalia.

“Some groups might think of raiding [the stores], claiming to represent the majority by doing vigilante acts. It’s better for me to issue the circular,” said Ridwan.

In the circular, he asked employers to give staff the freedom to choose whether to wear Christmas accessories.

Non-Christian workers can wear Santa hats as long as it is done voluntarily and sincerely.

The controversy about wearing Santa accessories recurs every year as Muslims in Indonesia have mixed feelings over the use of such items ahead of Christmas for workers in malls and other public places.

Ridwan said he had received complaints about workers being forced to wear Christmas accessories.

General affairs manager of the Yogya Group retail chain in Bandung, Bambang Sucipto, welcomed the circular, saying the company’s employees were of diverse religions.

“There is no obligation. If your faith says no, don’t do so,” he said.

Last week, members of Ahlus Sunnah Defenders (PAS) and the Indonesia Islamic Preaching Council (DDII) forced the cancelation of a Christmas service at an auditorium, arguing that worship could not be conducted in a building available for public hire.

Ridwan later asked the two organizations to apologize to the church. “They said they would not apologize. Let’s wait for a week,” he said.

Bandung Police chief Sr. Comr. Hendro Pandowo said the force was still investigating the incident.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued on Wednesday a fatwa banning Muslims from wearing any Christmas-related attributes.

MUI edict division deputy head Huzaemah Tahido Yanggo said Muslims were forbidden from wearing attributes related to other faiths.

“It is haram [forbidden] for Muslims to wear other religions’ attributes,” Huzaema told The Jakarta Post, adding that the MUI had asked the government to punish companies that forced Muslim workers to wear Christmas accessories.

Hendardi, chairman of human rights group the Setara Institute, said the fatwa was an “overreaction”. He said he was worried hard-line Muslims could use the fatwa to justify conducting raids. “People should be aware that the fatwa is nonbinding,” he told the Post.

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