NYC Muslims push to add holidays to school year

NYC Muslims push to add holidays to school year

www.huffingtonpost.com

NEW YORK — The stress of catching up on school work and having to ask for permission to miss classes for holidays is routine for Muslim students in New York City.

That's because the nation's largest school district hasn't sanctioned official Muslim holidays. A handful of school districts in New Jersey and Michigan have recognized them, while efforts in Baltimore and Connecticut failed recently.

New York City Muslim activists were heartened this week by a City Council resolution supporting the observance of Eid al-Fitr (ayd ahl-FIH'-tur) and Eid al-Adha (eed al-AHD'-hah).

(visit the link for the full news article)

Looks like the US is suffering from a similar problem to the UK, where politically correct politicians and officials pander and capitulate to the immigrants whenever they demand laws and rules to be changed in their favour. If a western person migrated to a eastern country they quite rightly would be expected to respect and abide by the rules and cultures of that country so why is it that when it is the other way around we have to change our rules and cultures to satisfy the immigrants?

www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think that Muslim students should get some sort of exemption during their religious holidays but I don't agree with EVERY student being compelled to celebrate or abide by these dates. What next? Hidu, Buddhist and every other religion jumping on the bandwagon too?
Like I said followers of these faiths should get an exemption to be able to partake in their religious holidays but it shouldn't be mandatory for all.

reply to post by solidshot


What about people born and raised here that wish to have their culture represented in a nation of "freedom" with the rest of the christian and corporate trash.

Which is why NO religious holiday should be recognised, but who wants to go and do that... its ignorant self-centered sacks of crap that have always distroyed nations.

freedom is a myth...

I think it's funny how you use the word "suffering."

Other than that, I believe people should have a week off of their choosing to celebrate their own cultural or religious holidays. A big mistake was "Christmas break" because that ushered in any old religion to call for equal representation.

School is supposed to be separate from church, and all though you should always hold on to your faith, it gets mucky when you try and create a hybrid.

Leave them Separate, and give people a week to recognize whatever they want to recognize and leave the specifics out of it. The strong willled will create controversy because they don't feel represented, and the weak minded will view that as a threat to their personal beliefs (that they should keep to themselves).

I think it's funny how you use the word "suffering."

Other than that, I believe people should have a week off of their choosing to celebrate their own cultural or religious holidays. A big mistake was "Christmas break" because that ushered in any old religion to call for equal representation.

School is supposed to be separate from church, and all though you should always hold on to your faith, it gets mucky when you try and create a hybrid.

Leave them Separate, and give people a week to recognize whatever they want to recognize and leave the specifics out of it. The strong willled will create controversy because they don't feel represented, and the weak minded will view that as a threat to their personal beliefs (that they should keep to themselves).

This is the # that will further ruin this country..

# christmas, I want mine celebrated..

I have to take their side on this issue. I went to elementary and middle schools where only Christian holidays were observed which caused MUCH anger in the Jewish and Muslim communities, which are vocal in our area. THe Jewish holidays were added some years back, the Muslims were not. BAD move, you are isolating a segment that already estranged from the general population. Stupid little things like that do more to contribute to anti-American sentiment, but that's another thread.

In our school district, taking off unobserved holidays is an unexcused absence and after three absences in one marking period all grades are dropped by one letter grade. Excessive absences mean suspension. Now you see why parents are upset, that affects transcripts, potential scholarships and other issues. The solution here was to eliminate holidays except Christmas-New Year's break (a Christian holiday), Thanksgiving (percieved as Christian) and Memorial Day.

Back in my day kids who were not Christian or were Jehovah's Witnesses were stuck in the back of the classroom during parties and basically ostracized, which does affect their emotional wellbeing. I'd rather see kids have a chance to participate in their own culture and maybe learn someone else's than go through life with that baggage. I pissed off my second grade bigot, I mean teacher, by joining them once in solidarity.

[edit on 3-7-2009 by secretagent woooman]

Holidays like Christmas have been celebrated in Christian founded countries, that they are also now considered a CULTURAL thing as well. It's part of the fabric of most western cultures.

Oh, the horror! This is obviously going to destroy our God-fearing Christian nation.

I mean, it's not like we have Christian holidays celebrated in schools. That'd just be coercive and/or exclusive towards nonchristians, right?!? Oh wait. Fortunately they've toned down the religious aspects in past years, though every winter we still have to suffer through the episodic "War on Christmas" rhetoric from the zealots.

Sometimes I wish they would hurry up and completely secularize all the holiday festivities in schools. Until they do, though, I have no problem with some faith being able to have their celebrations recognized.

My state government took away the easter holiday and gave everyone a floating holiday to be used when it was wished.

I think regarding holidays in schools, it should be the same. The kids are allowed three holiday absences, to be used when wished..

I do believe that the religous observance thing is getting a little out of hand. This country does have a culture that is followed. But on the other hand, we do have a growing population of American muslims, those that were born here.





[edit on 3-7-2009 by nixie_nox]

How about eliminating all religious holidays, that will make everybody even and equal.

What a whole bunch of baloney, I got rights, you got rights everybody have rights and by rights we all turning this nation into nothing but crap.

Still I like the Christmas holidays specially the commercialized one.

Hey I got rights, right?

I honestly don't have a problem with Muslim, Jewish, Christians, Buddhists etc getting a few days off for religious holidays.

The US is a "melting pot"

I see both sides of the arguement.

On the one hand, Islam is one of the three monothesitic religions that dominate the world, its not like say... Scientology.

And they are only asking for two days off.

On the other hand, if every religion gets their holidays observed, then there really would not be any school.

I think they should just give the two days off of these Islamic holidays, or compramise and give one day off for the more holy day.

I do not see why they should not.

I used to live in an area that had a large Jewish population (im not Jewish). And the schools in that county had off Christian and Jewish holidays.

Im sure ALL kids will love it.

I guess the only problem I see are non-muslim working parents who have to find care for their kids - since most employments would not recognize the Muslim Holidays like American and Christian holidays.

The new tyranny of the minority is becoming very evident. Scream loud, scream long and get your way. Yet 81% of america calls itself christian.

According to the poll of 1,003 adults, released Tuesday, 60 percent of American adults say religion is very important in their lives and 78 percent say prayer is an important part of their daily lives.However, less than half (48 percent) believe religion can answer all or most of today’s problems. The percentage is the lowest number Newsweek has recorded since it began polling Americans on that issue in 1957 (when 82 percent believed religion could answer the problems of that time).

Also, 68 percent of Americans think religion is losing influence on American life, up from 62 percent in 2007 and 46 percent in 2005. And 81 percent say that’s a “bad thing.”

www.dakotavoice.com...

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
I do not see why they should not.

As i said in the op, if you move to an eastern country you would be expected to abide by their traditions and cultures, would they give your kids a school holiday because they believe in a different religion? of course not because it is not the religion of their country so why should western countries continually pander to immigrants who come over here? why should we not expect them to respect our traditions and cultures rather than forcing our own people to absorb the traditions and cultures of the immigrants?

Originally posted by solidshot

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
I do not see why they should not.

As i said in the op, if you move to an eastern country you would be expected to abide by their traditions and cultures, would they give your kids a school holiday because they believe in a different religion? of course not because it is not the religion of their country so why should western countries continually pander to immigrants who come over here? why should we not expect them to respect our traditions and cultures rather than forcing our own people to absorb the traditions and cultures of the immigrants?

Oh trust me, I understand what you are saying. So, I assume that you feel that all Jewish holidays should not be "celebrated" by schools too?

The only solution then is to not have any religious holidays in public schools. Because really, not everyone is Christian and not everyone celebrates Christian holidays. I am a Christian, and I do not even celebrate all of them.

And let us remember - this country was founded on immigrants and the traditions/cultures they brought with them.

reply to post by solidshot


So you believe that we shouldn't close school for Jewish holidays either, right?

Originally posted by Johnmike
reply to post by solidshot

 

So you believe that we shouldn't close school for Jewish holidays either, right?

Nope, if your country isn't a Jewish country why should you? As someone above stated if they continuously pander to the ever increasing demands from immigrants there won't be anything taught in schools because they will be constantly on holiday