New York City Schools to Close on Muslim Holidays
March 5, 2015New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that the city’s public schools will be closed for two Muslim holidays, CNN reported.
Under the change announced by de Blasio and city Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, there will be no classes for Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, starting next September 24.
Another Muslim holiday, Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, will become a holiday for those in summer school starting in 2016.
“This is a common-sense change,” de Blasio said Wednesday, “and one that recognizes our growing Muslim community and honors its contributions to our city.”
The decision affects some one million students in New York City. While it’s not known exactly how many of them are Muslim, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said, according to CNN, that almost one million of the more than eight million people in the city’s five boroughs practice Islam and a 2009 Columbia University study found that roughly 10% of New York City public school students are Muslim.
“Muslim students and their families who observe Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha shouldn’t have to choose between an instructional day and their religious obligations,” said Farina. “This new addition will also enable a teachable moment in the classroom for our students to learn about religious tolerance and the societal contributions of various cultures.”
Having schools close on the Muslim holidays was one of de Blasio’s pledges when he ran for mayor in 2013, telling Muslim voters that New York should respect everyone’s faith.
Linda Sarsour, executive director of the Arab American Association of New York and the parent of three public school students, said a plan in which students wouldn’t have to choose between education and faith “a win for our children and for future generations in this country.”
“Muslims are a part of the fabric of this country,” she said, according to CNN. “We make our country proud, and today, New York City made us proud.”
New York City joins school districts in other states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont, that similarly observe Muslim holidays, according to a news release from Farina’s office.
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha join other religious holidays already on New York’s public school calendar. In addition to holidays like Easter that always fall on a weekend, students already have Christian holidays such as Good Friday and Christmas off, as well as the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Similar posts
-
Israel Is Held To A Higher Standard Than Any Country
April 25, 2024In the intricate tapestry of global affairs, one nation stands out for enduring scrutiny and condem...
-
Israel Has The Most Moral Military In The World
April 10, 2024In the heart of a region often riddled with conflict, Israel stands out not only for its technologi...
-
The Resilience of the Israeli People
April 2, 2024Visitors from around the world have seen Hamas's October 7th Massacre's destruction in southern Isr...
-
Israel: Small Size, Big Impact
March 21, 2024Nestled along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is a land of immense historical sig...
-
Israelis Are Fighting For Their Lives
February 21, 2024By Jonathan S. Tobin The world looks a lot different from Kibbutz Kfar Aza than it does in the U...
-
Over 2 Million Arabs Live In Israel
January 23, 2024In the complex landscape of the Middle East, where diverse cultures and identities intersect, Israe...
-
'Fauda' Star Idan Amedi Injured Fighting in Gaza
January 8, 2024Despite the severity of his injuries, Amedi's father assured Israeli news channels that his life is...
-
Israel Is A Great Country To Live In
December 28, 2023Nestled at the crossroads of the Middle East, Israel stands as a vibrant and dynamic nation, offeri...