NYC Muslims push to add holidays to school year

**Jason** · 07-06-2009, 08:25 AM

NEW YORK (AP) — Moneeb Hassan remembers having to choose between a final exam in American history or celebrating the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha. In the end, he chose both.

Hassan, 17, is one of thousands of Muslim students in the city who must perform a balancing act between his academic and religious obligations during his holidays. But the nation's largest school district hasn't sanctioned official Muslim holidays.

"People came to this country for freedom of religion," Hassan said. "We're just asking for fair and equal treatment."

Muslim activists lobbying to add the holy days to the school calendar — which takes school off for Christmas and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — were heartened this week by a City Council resolution supporting the observance of the two holidays — Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...zgpUgD9973TT00

yustr · 07-06-2009, 11:35 AM

Add in the holy days for the Buddhists, Maoists, Hindu, etc, etc, etc and soon they won’t have to go to school at all.

Quote:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

For some reason people think that to abide by the first part of that they have to ignore the second part. Why not just say, “You’re allowed to freely exercise any religion you want. Just do it on your own time. School is in session.” Yes, that goes for Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur and all the rest too.

Kids are in school only about 15% of the year. The other 85% they are free to be brainwashed by whatever religion their parents care to subscribe.

Quote:

Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind.
-Thomas Jefferson to James Smith, 1822.

**Drew1369** · 07-07-2009, 01:22 PM

I agree with Yustr on this one... however...

The breaks that are currently "sanctioned" are not holiday breaks at least in WA they are winter break, mid winter break, and of course the ubiquitous spring break... there are no actual religious breaks in the WA school system...

07-06-2009, 08:25 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jason Faugh a ballagh Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pasco, FL Posts: 8,483 OS: Windows Vista My System Blog Entries: 2	NYC Muslims push to add holidays to school year NEW YORK (AP) — Moneeb Hassan remembers having to choose between a final exam in American history or celebrating the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha. In the end, he chose both. Hassan, 17, is one of thousands of Muslim students in the city who must perform a balancing act between his academic and religious obligations during his holidays. But the nation's largest school district hasn't sanctioned official Muslim holidays. "People came to this country for freedom of religion," Hassan said. "We're just asking for fair and equal treatment." Muslim activists lobbying to add the holy days to the school calendar — which takes school off for Christmas and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — were heartened this week by a City Council resolution supporting the observance of the two holidays — Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...zgpUgD9973TT00 __________________ Posting Tips \| Advice for New People \| Common Fixes \| Agus na damnaithe fágtha gan focal Glaoigh ormsa i measc na naomh

07-07-2009, 01:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
Drew1369 Moderator Relaxation Room Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 3,444 OS: Win7 Ultimate	Re: NYC Muslims push to add holidays to school year I agree with Yustr on this one... however... The breaks that are currently "sanctioned" are not holiday breaks at least in WA they are winter break, mid winter break, and of course the ubiquitous spring break... there are no actual religious breaks in the WA school system... __________________ We humans have a primal urge to kill because, thanks to natural selection, all the homo sapiens who didn't have a primal urge to kill, were themselves killed. http://obamaclock.org/