New York City Will Close Schools to Observe Two Muslim Holidays

[Purveyor]

11:59 AM EST March 4, 2015

(Bloomberg) -- New York will become the largest U.S. school district to close in observance of the Muslim holy days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The mayor announced the policy Wednesday at a Brooklyn public school where 36 percent of its students were absent the last time Eid al-Adha occurred on a instructional day. The program will begin in the school year that starts in September.

“This is about respect for one of the great faiths of this Earth,” said de Blasio, a 53-year-old Democrat. In past years, “either the child went and pursued his education and missed his religious observance or the other way around. That is the kind of choice that was wrong to have to make for these families.”

The move fulfilled a promise de Blasio made to the Muslim community during the 2013 campaign that made him the first Democrat to run City Hall in 20 years. Eid al-Adha, which will be observed Sept. 24 this year, commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Eid al-Fitr, which will occur in July 2016, marks the end of the holy month of fasting known as Ramadan.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, who joined de Blasio for the announcement, said hundreds of thousands of the city’s more than 1 million students practice the Muslim faith. She said the day off would be used for teacher training and as a “teachable moment” to educate students of all faiths on the meaning of the holidays.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-04/new-york-city-will-close-schools-to-observe-two-muslim-holidays

[KamaAina]

1. Interesting. The reason NYC schools close on Jewish holidays has nothing to do with students.

Back in the day, you would have been hard-pressed to find an NYC teacher who was available for work on a Jewish holiday.