More holidays added to the schedule
"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 Chancellor Farina. Muslim Holidays are now being added to the calendar and there will be no classes on Eid al-Adha, which is known as the Festival of Sacrifice starting next September 24th. Photo from public domain.
by Ifra Mahmood, staff reporter
Officials announced that Muslim Holidays will be added to the New York City public school calendars. This makes New York City, the nation’s biggest district to add the Islamic holy days to the school calendar.
“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,” Chancellor Farina said.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and city schools Chancellor Farina both announced that there will be no classes on Eid al-Adha, which is known as the Festival of Sacrifice starting next September 24th. Also, Eid al-Fitr, a festival to celebrate the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, will become a holiday for students that will be attending summer school in 2016.
“I feel that the holidays should be added- along with every other important holiday because there are all different types of religions around the world, and they should all be respected no matter what,” eighth grader Leah Leem said.
This decision will affect thousands of students that will attend New York City public schools. A 2009 study taken place at Columbia University shows that at least 10% of students are Muslim in NYC schools. Also City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said that almost 1 million of more than 8 million people in the city’s five boroughs practice Islam.
“I think that’s fine, if New York City public schools have off for Christian and Jewish holidays, we should have off for Muslim holidays as well. Every religion should be able to celebrate their holidays with the same right of having no school,” junior Marcella Arcabascio said.
With students taking days off for the holy days of Islam, they will also be educated about Islam. Along with that, holidays like Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, and Christmas will have the holidays of the Muslim faith joining them on the school calendar.