SOME readers may be confused as to seeing a new set of festive lights going up in homes.

A few years back it may not have been so noticeable but in many Lancashire streets you may have spotted some lights adorning windows and doors.

If one was driving past you could think they were just normal festive lights.

I was asked what these were and am happy to explain that these are in fact ‘Milaad lights’ commemorating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. In some streets you are likely to see these lights alongside neighbours who have the traditional Christmas lights up.

I personally don’t have these type of lights up and have no intention of doing so in the future. But I couldn’t care less if someone else does.

In another more intense discussion last week I was speaking to one man who tended to have a dislike for these lights as it was not in ‘his religion’.

He wished to lecture me on the fact that these lights were prohibited.

This, I found a little strange.

Are the lights affecting you in any way? Are they making you miserable? When you walk past the lights do you suffer some sort of anger deep inside you that makes you sick to the stomach?

The answer was ‘no’. So, why on earth would you be so concerned about it?

Where there was once many Christmas lights there are now Milaad lights alongside them. Anything that brightens up the streets on these dreary dark days has got to be welcomed.

I think we become obsessed sometimes with minor differences in the hope it will make us all feel better about ourselves.

More importantly, I realised some people do in fact love to make out they have a right to impose their way of thinking on others yet do not wish to have anything else imposed on them.

You may not agree with what people may do and how they celebrate it but what gives us the right to say anything against it?

The funny thing is on this issue I have found there was less said from non-Muslims that other Muslims within their community.

My daughter got told by her non-Muslim friend that really pretty Christmas lights (they were in fact Milaad lights) had gone up next door. To a child lights are lights and they are they are there to be enjoyed.

We could learn a lot from that wise kid.