Acceptance, Not Exclusion:

A Case For Muslim Holidays

in New York City Public
Schools

A report for
The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays

Report by:
New York Civic Participation Project
New Settlement Parent Action Committee
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

With Support Provided by

The Muslims in NYC Project of Columbia University
Summary
New York City is home to over 600,000 Muslims, about one-
quarter of the national Muslim population. Every year over 100,000
Muslim students and their parents in New York City public schools1 are
forced to make a difficult choice between two fundamental rights:
education equity and free exercise of religion. The current Chancellor’s
Regulations, while excusing students for religious observance, do little to
alleviate the impossible choice parents must make either to send their
children to school or keep them home to celebrate the most significant
Muslim holidays with family. These regulations are further inadequate
because they marginalize Muslim students and provide inadequate
protections for Muslim students against discrimination.

Furthermore, it is vital that the New York City Department of

Education recognize these Muslim holidays because doing so would send
a powerful message that Muslims are a valued part of the diverse New
York City community. In the post 9/11 environment, Muslims in New York City continue to experience a
harsh environment of harassment and racial profiling. Muslim children in New York City public schools
remain especially vulnerable and face an increasingly hostile social environment, both inside and outside of
school. This intolerant backdrop makes it an especially difficult setting for Muslim children and their
parents to feel welcome and free to observe their religion, as many do not want to risk being singled out.

The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays is a

diverse city-wide coalition of over fifty-five labor,
religious and community organizations that arose out of
the shared concern over the experiences of Muslim
parents and their children who have to make this difficult
choice between educational access and religious
observance. Muslim and non-Muslim parents all over the
city grow increasingly frustrated by these discriminatory
practices that continue to marginalize Muslim students.
The Coalition is calling on the New York City
Department of Education to stop requiring Muslim
students to exercise their religious rights at the expense of
their access to education and officially incorporate two
important Muslim Holidays, Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha,
as school holidays.
On January 10th of 2006, a statewide test was
scheduled on Eid-Ul-Adha, one of the holiest days in the
“Applying the theory of cultural pluralism, it
could be stipulated that in order to participate in
American civic life, to educate children in the
secular public schools, and to seek better
economic opportunities, Muslims must not be
treated differently from other groups.”
“These students believe that misperceptions and
negative stereotypes about Islam and Muslim
values are pervasive in schools, and they feel
that they are affected by them.”
“These Muslim children would like to see
schools fostering a positive image of Muslims by
establishing connections with the larger Muslim
community and celebrating Muslim holidays.”
“Muslim Children in Urban America: The New
York City Schools Experience”
by Iftikhar Ahmad and Michelle Y. Szpara

Muslim calendar. There was wide-spread community

advocacy challenging the testing schedule. Senator Sabini introduced a bill that was recently passed to
prevent scheduling of state mandatory examinations on religious holidays in the future.2 This is the first
step in the right direction but this is not enough. The failure of New York City Department of Education
1
Iftitikhar Ahmad & Michelle Y. Szpara, Muslim Children in Urban America: The New York City Schools Experience, 23 J. OF MUSLIM MINORITY
AFFAIRS 295 (October 2003).
1 MUSLIMS IN NEW YORK CITY PROJECT, COLUMBIA UNIV., MUSLIMS IN NEW YORK CITY (2005).
2 Press Release, John D. Sabini, N.Y. State Senator, ‘No Testing on Holy Days’ Law Goes Into Effect (Sept. 4, 2006),

http://www.nyssenate13.com/press_archive_story.asp?id=817.
to recognize Muslim holidays along side the Jewish and Christian holidays that are already recognized,
denies Muslim students their rights to freedom of religion and access to an equitable education.

This report documents the inequity that Muslim students face in a post 9/11 New York City. It
describes the current legal and policy options Muslim families have and the Department of Education’s
failure to provide equal access to education and free exercise of religion. It documents the hardship
families and students face, and makes policy recommendations for creating equal access for Muslim
students.

This report was prepared for The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays by the Asian American
Legal Defense and Education Fund, the New York Civic Participation Project and New Settlement Parent
Action Committee, with support from Muslims in NYC Project at Columbia University.

Muslims in New York City

Muslims represent one of the fastest growing, diverse religious
communities in New York City and are the fastest growing religious
minority in the country. There are over 600,000 Muslims living in New
York City, more than 7.5% of the population. About 12% of students
attending New York City’s public schools are Muslim.

Muslims also represent a large percentage of the immigrant

population in New York City. Three in four Muslims in NYC are
immigrants, approximately 16% of NYC’s total foreign-born
population. New York City's Muslim immigrants come from over forty different countries spread across
regions of vast social, historical and cultural diversity, including, but not limited to the Balkans, the
Caribbean, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa.3

Both immigrant and non-immigrant Muslims actively participate in civic life. According to a report
by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, 89% of Muslim Americans said they vote regularly, well
over the national average for American voters in general. Nine percent of all Muslim voters are in New
York State. Despite the high percentage of Muslim Americans’ inclination toward civic participation, a
large segment of Muslim voters feel a certain level of alienation and 43% have felt discriminated against or
profiled.4 In the aftermath of 9/11, Muslims in the U.S. and particularly in New York City have
experienced increased discrimination, racial profiling and bias attacks.5

With Muslim voters identifying education first, followed by civil liberties as the issues most important to
them, 6 recognizing the Eids in the Department of Education calendar would send that much more
powerful a message that Muslims are a legitimate and valued segment of New York City’s diverse
community.
Muslim Students’ Experience in NYC Public Schools
Muslim Americans also widely recognize the alienation that their children feel in public spaces
because of their religious identity. Muslim public school students have also faced an increase in incidents
of anti-Muslim discrimination and harassment after 9/11 that make it a particularly difficult environment

3 MUSLIMS IN NEW YORK CITY PROJECT, supra note 1.

4 Council on American-Islamic Relations, American Muslim Voters: A Demographic Profile and Survey of Attitudes.
5 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, "WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY”: HATE CRIMES AGAINST ARABS, MUSLIMS, AND THOSE PERCEIVED TO BE ARAB OR

MUSLIM AFTER SEPTEMBER 11 (2002); T. Rosan, Letter to the Editor, Muslims in America: A Time of Fear, N. Y. TIMES, Apr. 20, 2003, at 8; L.
Goodstein, A Nation at War: American Muslims Resentful of Treatment, Muslims Still Work with Authorities, N. Y. TIMES, Mar. 21, 2003, at B11.
6 Council on American-Islamic Relations, supra note 4.
for Muslim students to feel free to practice their religion. With 95% of Muslim school-age children in
NYC attending public schools,7 a large number of Muslim students are potentially subjected to direct or
indirect forms of discrimination that inhibit access to an equal education.

According to a report by the Muslims in New York City Project

at Columbia University, in these post-9/11 times, Muslim students
perceive the school environment and society more broadly, as
increasingly intolerant of their religious identity. Today, many Muslim
immigrant parents and their children feel that American society views
them as a despised, racialized “Other.” And for African-American
Muslims—numbering as many as 100,000 in NYC—the racialization of
Muslim Americans creates a double dose of discrimination. Many of
these distressing problems and the factors that cause them go largely
unreported and unresolved. Similarly, the Asian American Legal
Defense and Education Fund and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee are documenting
the discrimination and harassment issues that Muslim students have faced in New York City.

Inadequacy of Religious Accommodation for Muslim Students

Under Chancellor
Regulation A-630, “students
may not be discriminated against “When I was growing up in Brooklyn, New York I was
on the basis of their religion and made fun of in school because I was Muslim. Teachers would
schools must make reasonable always give me a hard time and I felt discriminated against whenever
accommodations for students to I needed to take time off for my holidays. I felt ashamed. I was not
be able to exercise their religious ashamed of being Muslim, but they shame you – they make you feel
rights.” Students can be different.
excused for missing school on --Simone J., SEIU Local 32BJ member and Grandmother
religious holidays as long as
these requests are made in writing prior to the religious holiday. Under this regulation, Muslim students
are still marginalized and discriminated against.

While the regulations allow for certain religious accommodations, at times even properly presented
requests for accommodation have been denied, as documented in various incidents over the years. For
instance, in 2004 Brooklyn International High School, where Muslim students made up a third of the
school’s population, would not excuse 20 to 30 Muslim students to take two hours of time off to attend
Friday mosque services for Ramadan. Students were similarly denied permission the year before.8 The
New York Civil Liberties Union wrote to Chancellor Joel Klein of the Department of Education to
express their concern that this episode demonstrated that “the Department of Education often fails to
ensure that its policy guidelines are, in fact, understood and followed by all New York City school
personnel.”9

7 MUSLIMS IN NEW YORK CITY PROJECT, supra note 1.

8 Jen Brown, Denied Time Off for Ramadan, Brooklyn Students Start Petition, N.Y. TIMES, Oct. 14, 2004, at B4; Davidd M. Herszenhorn, Time Off Is
Given for Ramadan For Students at Brooklyn School, N.Y. TIMES, Oct. 15, 2004, at B2
9 Letter from N.Y. Civil Liberties Union to N.Y. City Schools Chancellor (Oct. 14, 2004),

http://www.nyclu.org/nycschool_muslim_101404.html.
 Given the post-9/11 anti-
Muslim atmosphere, Muslim parents are
often hesitant to risk further singling out
their children for possibilities of
harassment or discrimination by
excusing them from school
to observe their religion. Students also
report experiencing humiliation and
intolerance for revealing they are
Muslim and sometimes do not opt to
exercise their right to an excused
absence. Many teachers and
administrators are not aware of the
holidays or are familiar with the Islamic
tradition, making it even more difficult
for students to be excused on these days.
"Fourteen years ago City government made a
bold statement in favor of recognition of the diversity of
New Yorkers, by formalizing recognition of the
Muslim holy days through inclusion of them under the
laws governing suspension of alternate-side parking.
Today in the post-September 11th world
that need is just as urgent as it was then. Muslim students
from elementary school through college should not have
to be discriminated against by a system of public
education that denies them equal recognition of their
sacred days of worship."
--Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid, Mosque of
Islamic Brotherhood

Many Muslim parents and

students are also unaware of their rights for religious accommodation. For those Muslim immigrant
parents who may know their rights, having to submit a request in writing can be difficult when they have
limited English proficiency.

Although the Chancellor’s regulation allows for students to have an excused absence on Eid, this
adversely affects the performance of over 100,000 Muslim students. Research shows that attendance is
critical to a student’s learning and ultimate goal of attaining a diploma. Each day a student is not exposed
to instructional materials or activities cumulatively affects that student’s ability to keep up, move to the
next grade and in high school accumulates credits for graduation. In addition, there is a direct correlation
between student attendance and how a student performs on an exam.10

In addition, Muslim parents and students also testify to the fact that an excused absence for Eid
prevents a student from attaining a perfect attendance record.

The current regulations leave Muslim parents and students

with having to make difficult choices between two fundamental rights:
education equity and free exercise of religion.

The Facts
The difficult choice that Muslim parents and students are
frequently forced to make was especially emphasized on January 10,
2006, when statewide school testing kept Muslim children in New
York City from celebrating Eid-Ul-Adha, one of the two holiest Muslim holidays. This exemplified the
child’s dilemma between attending school for vital testing or remaining true to one’s faith.

As a result of advocacy efforts, state legislation introduced by State Senator John Sabini was
recently passed to prevent scheduling of mandatory state examinations on religious holidays. However, the
legislation only covers state testing, and signals the first step in a more comprehensive policy that

10Jose Blackorby & Renee Cameto, Changes in School Engagement and Academic Performance of Students, in ENGAGEMENT AND ACADEMICS; Daniel
R. Marburger, Does Mandatory Attendance Improve Student Performance?, 37 J. ECON. EDUC. 148 (2006).
recognizes Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha in New York City Public Schools. As illustrated above Muslim
students are a group often marginalized in the public school system. Having schools recognize these two
holidays will not force students to make a choice between education equity and religious freedom.

Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha are two of the holiest days in the Muslim tradition. Eid Ul-Fitr
celebrates the end of Ramadan, the sacred month of fasting. Eid Ul-Adha celebrates the end of the yearly
pilgrimage to Mecca. “Eid,” means celebration. Students can not attend school on Eid because services
for Eid usually start around or before 9 AM. The rest of the day is spent celebrating with family and
members of the community. The Eids are a period of festivity, feasting, giving and sharing, as Muslin
families come together, visit with relatives and friends, and exchange gifts. The spirit of the Eids is
comparable to the Christian holiday of Christmas.

The current school calendar closes school to observe the following Christian and Jewish holidays:
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, and Passover. As recently as 2005,
Brooklyn and Queens public schools closed for Brooklyn-Queens Day or Anniversary Day.11

The way these holidays

found themselves into the NYC
“I wanted to take Eid off to celebrate with my family. I
public school calendar have no
told my teacher about it, but because it fell during finals that year,
shared origins, but rather the
she just said "Either you take this test or you'll fail the
history shows that there is no set
class…. It's really unfair because Eid is a holiday”
criteria for how the Department
of Education determines which
--Sharzina, Student at Cutis High School
holidays to recognize. The
Department of Education acts
arbitrarily when it does not recognize Muslim Holidays but recognizes Christian and Jewish Holidays
without a set standard. Christian Holidays are traditionally recognized in schools across the country.
Jewish Holidays were recognized in the early 1960s because of the high percentage of teachers who were
Jewish at the time.

Anniversary Day has its roots as a Protestant holiday that commemorates the organization of
Sunday Schools and became an official holiday when the borough of Brooklyn was incorporated into the
city before the turn of the century.12 This holiday is even officially sanctioned by the New York State
legislature and codified under § 2586 of the State education law.

Policies that Promote Education Equity & Religious

Freedom
The New York City Department of Education, headed by Chancellor
Joel Klein, sets the yearly public school calendar in accordance with federal
and state holidays and regulations. The New York City Department of
Education has the authority to incorporate Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha as official school holidays.

New York City would not be the first city in the nation to incorporate Muslim Holidays into the school
calendar. Public schools in other cities have shut down for the Eid holidays. In Dearborn, Michigan,
where there is a large Muslim community, public schools have been closing for Eid since 2001. Many

11See, e.g., The School Year Calendar for 2006-2007, The School Year Calendar for 2004-2005.
12Editorial, It’s Not Just Brooklyn-Queens Day Any More, QUEENS GAZETTE, Mar. 1, 2006,
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2006/0301/Editorial_pages/003.html.
cities in New Jersey with large and growing Muslim communities also close for Eid, including Irvington,
Atlantic City, Trenton, and Paterson.

The Department of Education requires that schools must be in session for at least 180 days every
school year. Under the current 2006-2007 school year calendar, grades 1-6 are in session for 189 days,
grades 7-8 are in session for 188 days, and grades 9-12 are in session for 185 days.13 Under the current
calendar, there is plenty of room for two Muslim school holidays. Therefore, the NYC Department of
Education should move to incorporate Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha into the school calendar beginning
2007-2008 without reservations.

Similar religious accommodation for Muslim students has been supported by the New York State
legislature. In April 2006, a bill was introduced in the New York State Senate by State Senator John Sabini
to amend the education law to avoid scheduling state mandated examinations on religious holidays. The
legislation was passed unanimously and went into effect for the 2006-2007 school year.

Senator Sabini has recently introduced bill number S3142 in the State Senate which amends the
education law to designate the Muslim Holidays of Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha as school holidays in the
City of New York. Members of the State Senate can support the rights of Muslim students in public
schools by supporting this bill to ensure its passage. In addition, members of the State Assembly can
support education equity and religious freedom by co-sponsoring this bill and also ensuring its passage.

The Campaign for Muslim School Holidays

The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays was formed shortly
after thousands of New York City Muslim public school students were
forced to choose between taking a mandatory, statewide test on January
10, 2006 or celebrating Eid-Ul-Adha with their families. The coalition
includes over fifty-five labor, religious, community and advocacy
organizations which advocates for equal access to education that does not
further marginalize the Muslim student population in New York City.
The Coalition formed out of a shared concern for Muslim students and
families who are unfairly discriminated against by the refusal of the New York City Department of
Education to recognize Muslim holy days as school holidays.

Since forming in 2006, the Coalition has engaged in numerous activities including:
• Holding public educational forums with Muslim and
non-Muslim community members.
• Sending thousands of letters from institutions, students
and parents to Chancellor Klein.
• Holding press conferences to share with the wider
public the difficult predicament faced by Muslim students.
• Generating hundreds of phone calls to the Chancellor and
Deputy Mayor to request that schools close on Eid.

13 The School Year Calendar for 2006-2007.

Voices from the Community
Negative stereotypes and misperceptions about Muslim values are pervasive in schools and Muslim
children are greatly affected by them.14 This produces an uninviting environment for Muslim students to
comfortably and freely observe their religion. The below testimonials reflect how the Department of
Education, in refusing to recognize the Eids as school holidays, forces a difficult choice between religious
observance and educational access and continues to harm Muslim students and parents.

Testimonies
Sharzina H.

My name is Sharzina and I go to Curtis High School in Staten Island. I am a

member of Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP!) of the Coalition
for Asian American Children and Families. My junior year, I wanted to take Eid
off to celebrate with my family. I told my teacher about it, but because it fell
during finals that year, she just said "Either you take this test or you'll fail the
class." So, I went to school on Eid to take this test, and went home right after
the test. It's really unfair because Eid is a holiday that you want to spend with
family and friends. If you have school that day you will still have other priorities
to juggle, even though theoretically you can get the day off as an excused
absence.

Simone J.

My name is Simone and I’m a member of SEIU Local 32BJ. When I was growing up in Brooklyn, New
York I was made fun of in school because I was Muslim. Teachers would always give me a hard time and I
felt discriminated against whenever I needed to take time off for my holidays. I felt ashamed. I was not
ashamed of being Muslim, but they shame you – they make you feel different. Now my grandchildren are
also having a hard time – not as hard of a time I had, but still it is hard. My granddaughter got a lower
grade than she deserved on a paper because she turned it in late – after Ramadan. The teacher said that the
paper was an A+ paper, but she got a lower grade because it was turned in late. My grandchildren don’t
want to be absent – they want perfect attendance. They want to do well in school.

Shamina R.

My name is Shamina R. I am a member of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!) and a sophomore
at Baccalaureate School for Global Education. All my life it has been “Do I go to school or not on Eid?”
Some days I do, some days I don’t, but many others and I are fed up.

14 Muslim Children in Urban America:, supra, note 1.

 I have celebrated Eid with my family and missed school for the past two years. Before, we had to
wait until the weekend to have a party because I have so much schoolwork to do. I try to stay home as
much as I can but the workload is a lot heavier now that I am in high school and it is difficult to keep up if
I stay home.

My teachers say my absences on Eid won’t get counted, but I don’t know if I should believe that.
It’s the students’ responsibility to find out what they missed and to make up the work. When I miss a test,
I don’t get a grade. That might seem better than getting a zero, but when you average your grade there’s a
real difference between who took the test and who didn’t.

How is this fair? I miss classes, lessons and homework and am left to make it up on my own time,
giving me more work to do. I also get marked absent which is put on my record. Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-
Adha are religious holidays that should be recognized and respected.

Mira D.

My name is Mira D. and I am a member of SEIU 32BJ and the New York Civic Participation
Project. Times haven’t changed much since I was a kid going to school in New York in the 1960s. My
parents were immigrants. They migrated to New York City in 1962 from Eastern Europe. Back then, my
mom would keep me home from school on Muslim holidays such as Eid. My teachers would ask my
mom the next day “Why wasn’t Mira in school yesterday? What holiday is this? We don’t see it on the
school calendar! Mira will be counted as absent for missing school.” Getting counted as absent wasn’t the
worst part – I also missed tests, which I had to make up later. If I couldn’t take a makeup then I’d get a
“0” mark and my overall grade average would go down. Sometimes, the school would have scheduled
final exams or statewide testing – on those days I would have to go to school even if it was Eid since there
were no make up exams given! My family felt very bad on those days – as though we weren’t important –
that we didn’t count.

Other kids at school used to act like I was strange. They would tease me by saying “You just want
to play hooky! It’s not really a holiday!” Some other friends who were Muslim would go to school anyway
and not mention they were Muslim. But my mom was proud and felt that it was important that we
observe the holidays.

Eventually I had 3 sons. Their stories are just like mine – maybe worse. My sons had a difficult
time growing up – they were teased and misunderstood at school.

On Muslim holidays when I kept my sons home, I would feel guilty. All my sons used to get
counted as absent on those days. This was hard on them because they really wanted to get the perfect
attendance awards.
The hardest part as a mother was to have to get called into school the day after the holiday
– to be made to feel like we weren’t important – like we didn’t count. This country was founded by
settlers who were fleeing religious persecution. Why can’t I celebrate my holidays like everybody else? I
hope my grandchildren will have it better than my sons or me – I don’t want them or their families to feel
guilty or different – I dream that someday they will be able to enjoy and celebrate our holidays!

Bakary C.

Hello. My name is Bakary C. I am a representative of the

Gambian Society of New York. I am a board member with
Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy coalition and a member
with New Settlement Parent Action Committee. I am a father of
three school age children in the Bronx – 8, 10 and 12 years old. My children must take time from school
during each Muslim holiday.

I believe the city must recognize the Muslim community as a vibrant force in the city and help
support our family structure. We are a very religious and family oriented people. We spend time with our
children praying and feasting together and to deny Muslim children the right to pray with their family
during Eid is to push us to a corner.

Recognizing the Muslim Holidays is nothing new in America, the holiday is currently recognized in
other cities in the USA and we know taking these two days from school will not be detrimental to the
education system. Though, when our children are absent from school it is detrimental to their learning.
We know the importance of attendance and the direct correlation between absenteeism and success in
school. At this point the focus of our political climate is on children’s education.

Currently, children can be excused from school with a note to celebrate their holiday. We know an
absence is an absence, whether excused or not. The point is a child will not recover what is missed that
day. The child will have in his/her report card 2 days absent and even if there is no homework for the day,
they will miss an important part of class. If the grade average is based on attendance and performance it is
common sense that a child with 100% attendance will have a higher average. Muslim children will always
fall short because they have to take two days off, whether the absence is excused or not.

As a parent I would like my child to have the same rights as all children in New York City. As a
community member this concern is just as important as any other concern for the members of the Muslim
community. I would like the Mayor to highly consider this very important issue – The goal of the city
should be to educate all of NYC’s children. We want equal rights and equal participation.

Hasan P.

My name is Hasan P. I am a member of SEIU 32BJ and the New

York Civic Participation Project. I have 5 kids – they all went through the
New York City schools in Brooklyn and Queens. My kids never missed
religious holidays. They would get counted as absent on those days. The
day after the holiday I would have to write letters to the school explaining
why they were absent.

In the beginning, I would say they were sick. My kids weren’t

comfortable with the lying. They would say “…our holidays should be
counted as official holidays. Why do we have to hide? Isn’t this a free
country? Why do you have to write a letter?” I didn’t want my family to be
identified as Muslim – what if my children were harmed in some way by the other kids – what if they were
physically attacked? At that time, the media showed Muslims as criminals, terrorists, suicide bombers!
Kids judged each other by what they saw in the media. They didn’t ask if what they were reading was the
truth. In the last few years since September 11th, things have been bad for us Muslims. Many people say
they hate us and want to take revenge on us. But I think God wants us to share things – to cooperate.”

My youngest daughter came home one day and said “Dad, I don’t feel American,” because she was
told she had to attend school on Eid-ul-Fitr or be marked absent.

Nowadays, I say the truth in my letters. With my 2 youngest I started saying that it’s because of
religious observance that my child is absent. My children should be proud of their tradition and their
family, just like other children. That is why it is so important that they also have their holidays in the
schools.

Nur A.

My name is Nur A. I am a member of SAYA! and a sophomore at Bronx Science High School. I
have to go to school every Eid! This really affects my association with my family and religious customs
because I want to get good grades. Everyone else in my family has time to pray and celebrate this religious
holiday while I go to school. I can’t even celebrate afterwards or help prepare the night before because on
top of going to class on that holiday, I have tests and homework to prepare at home.

Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha definitely should be recognized as school holidays. It would not be
hard to do either, because they only occur two times a year! Please take this into consideration and put
them on the school calendar as days off so that students like me can spend that time with their families.

Lamin J.

Hello. My name is Lamin J. I’m from Gambia and I live in the Bronx. I am a student at Hostos
Community College in the Bronx.

I came to the United States four years ago and enrolled at Hostos in 2004. While in Gambia, I had
already completed two years of my college education. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain credit for the
coursework I had already completed in my country. After enrolling at Hostos, I noticed that the school
system in Gambia was quite different than that in the United States. While students enjoyed Jewish and
Christian holidays in the U.S., Muslim holidays were not observed. For the last two years on Eid-Ul-Fitr
and Eid-Ul-Adha, I have had to miss several hours of important lectures because I needed to go to pray in
the mosque. These holidays invariably fall during the year when school is in session. This has meant that
I need to scramble to catch up by borrowing notes from my classmates or reading the material from the
textbook and hoping it is not too different than what my professors discussed in
lecture.

As a Muslim, I feel that I have the right to observe my religious holidays

without being forced to miss college. That is why I am joining the campaign to
incorporate Muslim holidays into the New York City school calendar.

Shujaat K.

My name is Shujaat K. and I am a member of the New York Civic

Participation Project. I am originally from Bangladesh and now I live in Queens.
I have 2 kids – a 10-year-old daughter who is in 5th grade and an 8 year old son
who is in the 4th grade. They both attend elementary schools in Queens. Both
of them are good students – they have high scores and study hard. My family is Muslim.

We all want to celebrate the Eid holidays together as a family. Normally I write letters to the
school principal and teachers the night before Eid stating that the next day my child will not be at school
due to a religious observance. Some teachers understand my children need to celebrate with their family
and others don’t.

We are all supposed to go to the mosque and pray together in the morning on Eid. My kids love
to go to school but on the Eid holiday they get confused – they don’t know what to do. They worry about
the tests and assignments they will miss. The schools say that my child can have an excused absence on
Eid, but my children’s records show they are counted as absent – there is nothing to indicate they were
observing a religious holiday. This affects their attendance record. I myself get confused!

So at least for the last 5 years I have been writing these letters to my children’s principal and
teachers – they know we have this holiday. So why did they schedule statewide testing on Eid last year?
Both of them had statewide testing scheduled on Eid. They wanted to go to school – they didn’t want to
miss the test - so that’s what they did. I spoke to the principal – he said it’s not in my hands, which is true.
We were all so confused and sad. My kids were at school like a regular day – I picked them up at 2:30pm
as usual. I was so angry – it was a big mess. Normally we celebrate together all day.

There are 14 kids in my daughter’s class who are Muslim – that’s almost half her class! Those
children don’t go to school on the Jewish holiday, but have to go to school on their own holiday if they
want to keep perfect attendance records. This does not make any sense. My children get worried
sometimes because they say that if they don’t have perfect attendance records, they will not get into the
high school of their choice. This is not fair.

At Christmastime in school here, there’s so much celebration. During Eid, there’s nothing. The
school does nothing to make my children feel that their holiday is important.

Florah H.

My name is Flora H. I am a public school teacher in Manhattan

and also a member of the New York Civic Participation Project. I once
scheduled a test on Eid-Ul-Fitr because I didn’t know about it. I
eventually found out and gave my students three days to make it up.
The problem is that other teachers didn’t know about the holiday and
many Muslim students ended up having to make up all their
assignments and tests that they had for other classes they missed that
day.

The reality is that most teachers are not aware of Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha as sacred and
significant holidays for Muslim students. The Department of Education does not make it known to us.On
Yom Kippur we are asked as teachers not to give assignments or homework during that time off because
students fast and it’s difficult for them to complete. If the schools ask to make religious accommodations
for students who already have a holiday recognized, doesn’t it make sense to give the day off to students
who are not given any religious accommodation?

In schools where I’ve worked with a high percentage of Muslim students, the drop in attendance
rate during the two holidays is dramatic. The city is losing a lot of state aid when over 100,000 students
miss school. If the holidays were given to all students, we could avoid this and many other problems.

Kamrun N.

My name is Kamrun N. I am a member of SAYA! and a sophomore at Bronx Science High School.
The New York City Public School System should definitely close school on our Muslim Holidays. On Eid,
my school is practically empty, despite it being open. No one goes to school, including myself. We have to
make up our lessons later if we choose to stay home. It is always a problem because my family and I are
unable to celebrate Eid properly because of the fact that I have to go to school.
There’s always a debate in school about whether school should be closed or not because so many students
are absent. The multiple requests of the teachers to make Eid a national holiday and close schools have not
had any effect. It would be great if more people could take our Muslim Holidays into consideration and
help make this change so that we don’t have to choose between our education and our religion.

Mohamadou T.

Hello. My name is Mohamadou T. I am a member of New Settlement Parent Action Committee.

I live in the Bronx and I have three children in New York City public schools. Two attend PS 63 and one
attends PS 70. In the last few years all my children have gone to school during the two most important
Muslim Holidays. The children were not happy to miss their celebration and miss the opportunity to visit
each other’s homes. The children were crying and there was a sense that they were losing their culture and
not feeling Muslim. Our mothers and fathers did not have to force us to go to school, because this is our
holy day and the government recognized these days.

I have lived 14 years in this country and enjoy the freedoms of this nation. There are many
Muslims that are choosing to live in this country. Muslims are good people, our religion give us a sense of
self. The religion helps us to protect family values, it teaches children not to fight, to no use drugs or
drink alcohol, it teaches respect for elders. The religion allows us to educate our children, to teach them
discipline through fasting and self-control. The religion helps us to keep problems away in our
community. We believe it takes a village to raise a child and we do this through family and our culture.

We believe in community and not being separate. When we cannot celebrate Eid together it
deteriorates the family, our culture and beliefs. During the holidays we eat together and celebrate together.
It is like a Christian child celebrating Christmas – it is a very important holiday. We should not have to
make our children choose between their family and school.
Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why can’t Muslim children attend school on Eid?

A: Services for Eid usually start around or before 9am. The rest of the day is spent celebrating
with family and members of the community.

Q: The Constitution prohibits our government from endorsing a religion or interfering in

religious affairs. Wouldn’t it be unconstitutional for the Department of Education to close
schools on Muslim holidays?

A: Government agencies may not endorse a particular religion, nor may they convey a message
of disapproval. Recognizing Jewish and Christian holidays, but scheduling testing during
Muslim holidays despite the number of Muslim students in city public schools implies a
preference for Jewish and Christian theology.

Q: If schools close on Eid, would the department have to extend the school year longer into the
summer in order to make up for the extra closings?

A: Schools are required to have 180 days of classes a year or risk reductions in government
funding. Most schools in New York City already hold classes for more than 180 days so adding
these two holidays to the calendar wouldn’t create a need to extend the school year.

Q: Doesn’t the school allow Muslim children to take an excused absence for Eid?

A: Although the law requires that New York City public schools “make reasonable
accommodation for students to be able to exercise their religious rights,” Muslim children are
still disadvantaged because of missed lessons or tests that they have to make up. For example,
on January 10, 2006, statewide school testing kept Muslim children in New York City from
celebrating Eid-Ul-Adha.

Muslim students in NYC have also historically faced discrimination in the public school system,
particularly since 9/11. Despite the significant percentage of Muslim students who attend public
schools, they continue to face problems in having their absence recognized because of general
lack of awareness about Muslim holidays and religious practices by public school administrators.
Maps

* Map Provided by The Muslims in NYC Project of Columbia University

* Map Provided by The Muslims in NYC Project of Columbia University

 The Current Members Of The Coalition Are:
• 32BJ, SEIU
• ACORN
• Al-Razi School of Queens
• American Friends Service Committee
• American-Bangladesh Friendship
Association
• Andolan (Organizing South Asian
Workers)
• Arab-American Family Support Center
• Asian American Legal Defense and
Education Fund
• Astoria Islamic Center
• Aurora
• Brooklyn-Queens for Education
• Coalition for Asian American Children
and Families
• Council of Peoples Organization
• Desis Rising Up and Moving
• Faith of America
• Families for Freedom
• Gambian Islamic Society
• Gambian Society of New York
• Greater New York Labor-Religion
Coalition
• The Harlem Shura
• Islamic Center at NYU
• Islamic Circle of North America
• Islamic Cultural Center of the Bronx
• Islamic Cultural Center of New York
• Islamic Fallah of America
• Islamic Leadership School in the Bronx
• Islamic Unity and Cultural Center
• Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
• La Voz Latina
• Latin American Integration Center
• Majlis Ash-Shura (Islamic Leadership Council)
of NY
• Make the Road By Walking
• Masjid Al-Ham-dullilah
• Masjid Al-Hikmah
• Masjid Aqsa
• Masjid Baitul-Mukarram
• Masjid Manhattan
• Masjid Noor
• Masjid Omarr
• Masjid Uthman bin Affan
• Masjid Wahab
• Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood
• Muslim Bar Association of New York
• Muslim Student Association
• Muslim Student Association at Hostos
Community College
• National Alliance of Latin American and
Caribbean Communities
• National Employment Law Project
• New Immigrant Community Empowerment
• New Settlement Parent Action Committee
• New York Civic Participation Project
(NYCPP)
• New York Immigration Coalition
• Northwest Bronx Community-Clergy
Coalition
• Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum
• Professional Staff Congress-CUNY
• South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow
(SAALT)
• South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!)
• Tawhid: The Center for Islamic Development
• UNITE-HERE Local 100
• United Federation of Teachers
 What Can You Or Your Organization Do?

Join The Coalition!

Fill out and fax the endorsement form on the opposite page to:
Attn: Zahida Pirani, New York Civic Participation Project,
212-388-3210.

Ask your State Senator or State Assembly Member to support

Senator Sabini’s bill number S3142.
NY State Assembly Switchboard: 518-455-4100
NY State Senate Switchboard: 518-455-2800

For more information on the Campaign contact:

Angelica Otero, New Settlement Parent Action Committee,
718-716-8000 x140
Zahida Pirani, New York Civic Participation Project, 212-388-3664
Khin Mai Aung, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund,
212-966-5932 x219
 Muslim Students Should Not Have to Choose Between
Celebrating Religious Holidays or Attending School!

Your organization can help by joining the Coalition for Muslim School
Holidays!

ENDORSEMENT FORM
________YES! Our Organization endorses the Coalition for Muslim School Holidays and the
Coalition’s demand to include Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha in the school calendar as holidays!
Please sign us onto letters supporting the Coalition.

We can help by:

_____ Signing onto the letter to NYC Department of Education
Chancellor Klein

_____ Arranging a meeting at my mosque, synagogue, church or

religious center

_____ Attending coalition meetings regularly

_____ Mobilizing our base for actions

_____ Collecting letters and testimonies from parents

_____ Collecting letters and testimonies from students

_____ Other (Describe :____________________________________)

Organization Name: _______________________________________________________

Contact Name: ______________________________Title: ________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________Fax: __________________ E-mail:__________________

FAX THIS FORM ATTN: Zahida Pirani: (212) 388-3951