JAKARTA, Indonesia — Apit Abdullah does not believe in Santa Claus.
That is not surprising, considering that he is 18 years old. But Mr. Apit, a Muslim, was wearing a red Santa hat at the cafe where he works, inside the largest upscale shopping mall in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.
“It’s showing respect for the holiday,” he said of his Christmas-themed hat as he cleaned a window. “It’s no problem.”
Others, however, are trying to make it one.
This month, the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s largest body of Islamic clerics, issued a religious edict barring Muslims from wearing Christmas-themed clothing, specifically those working in shopping malls, department stores and restaurants.
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