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Muslim Americans welcome first NY Eid school holiday | ||
2015-09-24 | ||
[ARABNEWS] New York marks a milestone in the fight for equality Thursday when 1.1 million children in America's largest school district will take the day off to mark Eid Al-Adha. It is a small but hard-won victory at a time when American Moslems complain of growing Islamophobia ...the irrational fear that Moslems will act the way they usually do... and worsening anti-Moslem rhetoric following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. For the first time, more than 1,800 public schools in New York will close for the Moslem feast of sacrifice, a day after also closing for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the new policy in March, announcing that New York public schools would get two days off for Eid Al-Fitr, which falls during the summer, and Eid Al-Adha, in addition to major Christian and Jewish holidays. Since then, city hall has added a further day off -- February 8, 2016 -- for Lunar New Year, celebrated by Asian-Americans. "It is a huge victory to actually see the day come," says Linda Sarsour, a member of the Coalition for Moslem School Holidays and a New York activist with three children. "As a holy man as well as a parent I am very happy," agreed Imam Shamsi Ali, director of the Jamaica Moslem Center in Queens. "I'm sure this kind of policy from the government side will push Moslems further to feel a sense of belonging," he said. 10 million Moslems Moslem New York parents previously faced a quandary: keep their children at home to observe the holiday and skip class, or send them to school and let celebrations fall by the wayside. There are an estimated seven to 10 million Moslems in America,
Activists hope that embracing Eid in the school calendar will make Islam more mainstream and counter Islamophobia. "It's a very tense time," Sarsour told AFP. "No one can talk about Islam without talking about terrorism." | ||
Posted by:Fred |
#7 Thought there was supposed to a separation between state and religion. |
Posted by: chris 2015-09-24 19:29 |
#6 Better Eid than Ied's. |
Posted by: rjschwarz 2015-09-24 13:40 |
#5 Wait until they slaughter a goat in the street. |
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2015-09-24 12:12 |
#4 I demand equal time for Galzar Wolfhead! |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-09-24 10:49 |
#3 Do they also get off for Hindu, B'hai, Zoroastian, Catholic holy days (other than |
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2015-09-24 10:13 |
#2 Well it isn't as if they teach anything in school anyway... |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2015-09-24 10:03 |
#1 Eid 'festivities' and Car-B-Ques coming to a city near you soon. |
Posted by: Mullah Richard 2015-09-24 09:33 |