New York, NY – Some City Council members are urging the state to add two Muslim holidays to the school calendar, calling it a matter of religious freedom and fairness.
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But their efforts appeared headed for failure, as long as Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in control of schools and the state legislature continues to stall a bill that would make the holy days official days off.
The debate on the issue continued at a packed meeting of the City Council’s Committee on Education, where several Muslim students testified about their desire to observe their religion without missing valuable classroom instruction.
Estimates of the number of Muslims in New York City range from 600,000 to 850,000.
Their children comprise about 10-12 percent of the more than 1 million students in public schools.
Current school policy permits students to take off religious holidays as an excused absence after submitting a written request signed by a parent. Public schools are closed on Xtian holidays, and Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays is seeking to add two more days off, but Bloomberg has rebuffed the group’s efforts on several occasions, saying that students cannot afford any more days off, and adding Muslim holidays could open up the doors for other religions to make the same requests.
wow 10percent give it a couple of years and they will take over the schools since the NY Americans dont have kids
I dont want to hear all the self righteous comments that will follow but i will say this they have every right to demand this just like we have the right to demand it for ourselves.I know most of you hold racist views towards muslims and i dont care because all it means is that you havent learnt any lessons from thousnds of years of anti semitism (im sure people who think they should have no right are the same who supported the chassidims efforts in williamsburg to ban hipster bicyclists …….. double standard?) so all you racist commentators please keep your opinions to yourselves and stop embarrassing your fellow jews.
“Estimates of the number of Muslims in New York City range from 600,000 to 850,000”
Where did they get that figure from ? Moslem groups that want to exaggerate their numbers to make people think they are larger than they actually are?
They routinely exaggerate their numbers, don’t believe em without investigating.
They have done the same on the national level, as well as in Eretz Hakodesh. Some groups excel at exaggeration and lies.
They are a presence to watch, but that doesn’t mean that we should accept anything they claim without examination.
its a takeover I tell ya!!
lets not be foolish and think that jewish holidays are being given off because of the student body! its only because of the teaching body that we are given off. trust me… as soon as there are a decent amount of muslim teachers there will be those days givin off.
First of all, the city should accommodate them.
Second, please do so, I’d like extra days off.
I think they deserve days off for their holidays as well.
I echo an earlier commenter. The closings on Jewish holidays were instituted by the UFT for the conveineince of the teaching staff
ex frummie: the reason teh public school system gives off the first day rosh hashana and teh day of yom kippur is simply because they dont have enough substitutes. 30-35 percent of teachers and administrators are jewish. it is a matter of logistics then favoritism to judaism. muslims in this country have no education for the most part, and it will be probably one or 2 more generations before you start seeing muslim teachers in the system.