One of the world’s biggest electronics retailers this week stood by a decision to include a small “Happy Eid al-Adha” greeting in its circular advertising Thanksgiving Day sales.

Right-wing internet bloggers and forum users attacked Best Buy for printing the greeting after coming under fire in past years from groups like the American Family Association for using “Happy Holidays,” rather than “Merry Christmas” in its advertising materials.

“I am thinking that if there is no Merry Christmas from Best Buy in an ad before Dec 25, that Best Buy will be losing my business,” said a commenter under the name Conservative on Best Buy’s online community forum.

Others took a more blatantly bigoted approach: “All Muslims can go live and purchase in the other part of the world where it is accepted. I do not accept Muslims in my country, my state, my county or my community. Best Buy was a joke before this but now is invisible to me and my family, we will purchase else where,” wrote a commenter named Andrea on a news Web site in Minnesota, where Best Buy is based.

Best Buy spokespeople said the company intends to include greetings recognizing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other holidays in its advertising this season.

“Best Buy’s customers and employees around the world represent a variety of faiths and denominations.  We respect that diversity and choose to greet our customers and employees in ways that reflect their traditions,” said one statement released by the company.

“Over the last few days, there has been great discussion over Best Buy wishing a Happy Eid al-Adha to those who celebrate that holiday,” said Gina Debogovich, Best Buy’s online community manager. “While there have been many compliments for our recognizing this holiday (which is this coming Friday 11/27), there have also been reports that Best Buy is not planning on mentioning any other holidays… These reports are not accurate.  This year, as we did in 2007 and 2008, Best Buy will be wishing people a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah and other holiday greetings.  With stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Europe, Best Buy recognizes that our customers and employee celebrate a variety of holidays.  It is one of Best Buy’s core values to show respect to our customers and employees.  It is by doing this that we are able to meet our customers’ unique needs and honor their differences.”

Eid al-Adha marks the end of the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca by hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world. It commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son to show obedience to God, according to the Islamic faith. Both the Qur’an and the Old Testament of the Bible relate versions of the story.

“Thanksgiving and Eid al-Adha are now sharing the same spiritual and social space when Best Buy, for the first time, puts a ‘Happy Eid Al-Adha’ in its ‘Black Friday’ newspaper insert,” said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “As with Thanksgiving, Eid al-Adha is a time when everyone counts their blessings and offers thanks for friends and family, even if circumstances may not be the best in any particular year.”