New York Muslims Call for Eid holiday

NEW YORK, NY–The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays is spearheading a campaign to recognize Muslim holidays. The coalition is a collective of over 55 labor, religious and community organizations.

The group released a report documenting the inequities faced by Muslim students in a post 9/11/ New York City.

Among the problems, the coalition cites the fact that more than 100,000 Muslim students are forced to take state-wide tests on Eid-Ul-Adha.

The decision to schedule the exam on that day, which was made on Jan. 10, 2006, has been protested by local politicians and human rights groups ever since. The report, compiled by Columbia University’s Muslims in NYC Project, says the exam schedule forces 12% of the city’s public school population and their families to make the difficult choice between education equity and the free exercise of religion.

The group also wants the education department to recognize the Eid-Ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, as a school holiday.

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