New York City Schools to Observe Muslim Holidays

muslim prayer

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced recently that the nation’s largest school system will observe the two most important Muslim holidays.
Today’s Zaman reported:

America’s largest public school system will observe the two most important Muslim holidays starting later this year, a policy change hailed Wednesday by Islamic leaders in New York City.

Under the new policy, the city’s 1.1 million-pupil public school system will close on Sept. 24 for Eid al-Adha, which is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice. The holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, will be observed during summer school in 2016.

“Hundreds of thousands of Muslim families will no longer have to choose between honoring the most sacred days on their calendar or attending school,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in his announcement.

Muslim leaders welcomed the announcement.

Linda Sarsour, a Muslim community advocate and public school parent who joined de Blasio for the announcement at a school in Brooklyn, said, “This is what New York City is all about – recognition, inclusion and respect.”

Estimates of the number of Muslims living in New York City vary from 600,000 to 1 million.

Community leaders have long urged adding the two Muslim holidays to the school calendar, and the City Council passed a resolution supporting the change in 2009.

Here is the breakdown of religious communities in New York City.
Via Allen West:
nyc breakdown
Jewish holidays are already being observed at the city schools.

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