A Corner for Secular Season’s Greetings

Yes, Mission Viejo, there will be a Santa Claus at La Paz Road and Chrisanta Drive this year--but there won’t be a nativity scene, giant menorah or Ramadan display.

City officials say that only a secular display will be allowed on the four corners this holiday season because the city was “unable to make the corner available to all faiths” wishing to be represented, as was the custom in past years.

Rabbi Martin Cohen of Congregation Eilat, a conservative synagogue in Mission Viejo, said many in the community enjoyed the religious displays and will be disappointed with the new policy. He also criticized the decision to allow a Christmas tree in the secular display.

“How a Christmas tree is not a religious symbol, I don’t know. The bottom line is that in the eyes of a huge majority of disinterested citizens, a Christmas tree is a symbol of Christmas,” Cohen said. “It certainly is exclusionary and mean-spirited.”

Some Muslim leaders found the timing of the decision to end a three-decades holiday tradition to be “rather strange.” Last year was the first time Muslims participated in the Mission Viejo display and the first time in California that the month of Ramadan received equal billing with Christmas at many public spaces.

“Because of the timing regarding Sept. 11, we should have more reason to show unity within the diversity,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Anaheim. “I hope we’re not responding to our paranoia or our fears.

“For good reason we do feel isolated and somewhat besieged. This brings a lot of worries into our minds. It brings a chill to us.”

Representatives from other religious groups could not be reached for comment.

Haitham A. Bundakji, a leader of the Islamic Society of Orange County, was also surprised the city would do away with the display.

“It’s really sad. After Sept. 11, more people are flocking to churches, mosques and synagogues,” he said.

“Removing the religious displays at this time is going to offend quite a few people. I hope and pray to God they didn’t remove [them] because Islam was added recently. If that’s the case, it’s even more sad.”

Dennis Wilberg, Mission’s Viejo’s assistant city manager, said the Mission Viejo Activities Committee made the decision that this year the corners would feature Santa Claus, a tree, a winter wonderland and American flags. The nonprofit committee coordinates the intersection’s holiday display.

“We simply advised them [the committee] in a letter that, because it is a public area, they would have to make it available to all faiths,” Wilberg said.

He said the city wrote the letter to the committee before Sept. 11. No committee officials could be reached for comment.