U.S. school board votes again to exclude Islamic holidays

[sonz]

For the third year in a row, the Baltimore County Board of Education voted against including Islamic holidays in the 2007-2008 school calendar, despite years of lobbying by the county’s Muslim leaders, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Muslims attending the June 13 school board meeting expressed disappointment after the unanimous vote.

The school calendar approved by the board includes a day off for one Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashana, but not Yom Kippur, which falls on a weekend this year.

Members of the Baltimore County Muslim Council say that it is unfair that the school calendar includes Jewish holidays but excludes two Islamic holidays; Eid al- Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

School board member John Hayden tried to defend the broad’s vote, claiming that economic factors justify allowing holidays during Jewish feasts because there is a large number of Jewish teachers in the country and therefore the school system cannot afford to hire substitute teachers.

However, Hayden said that the school system will monitor attendance on the two Muslim holidays in the coming years to determine if there is a spike in student or teacher absences.

Dr. Bash Pharoan, president of the Baltimore County Muslim Council, and several Muslims attending the board meeting vowed to continue the fight to put the Muslim holidays on the school calendar.

"I will see you here next year," said one Muslim girl, a seventh-grader at Pine Grove Middle School in Carney.

The 2006-07 school year starts on August 27 and runs through June 13.

[north_malaysian]

MUSLIM HOLIDAYS AS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN NON MUSLIM COUNTRIES

* Uganda - Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Trinidad & Tobago - Eid al Fitr

* Togo - Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Tanzania - Eid Al Adha, ISlamic New Year, Eid Al Fitr

* Suriname - Eid Al Fitr

* Sri Lanka - Eid Al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday, Eid Al Fitr

* Singapore - Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Sierra Leone - Eid al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday, Eid Al Fitr

* Rwanda - Eid Al Fitr

* Philippines - Eid Al Fitr

* Nigeria - Eid Al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Bithday, Eid Al Fitr

* Mauritius - Eid al Fitr

* Malawi - Eid Al Fitr

* Macedonia - Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Kenya - Eid Al Fitr

* India - Eid al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Guyana - Eid Al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday

* Guinea Bissau - Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Gabon - Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Ethiopia - Eid Al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday, Eid Al Fitr

* Eritrea - Eid Al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday, Eid Al Fitr

* Cote d'Ivoire - Eid Al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday, Eid Al Fitr

* Christmas Island - Eid Al Adha, Eid al Fitr

* Central African Republic - Eid Al Adha

* Cameroon - Eid al Adha, Eid Al Fitr

* Burundi - Eid Al Fitr

* Benin - Eid Al Adha, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday, Eid Al Fitr

source: http://www.bank-holidays.com

[HeiGou]

* Albania - Easter Monday, Orthodox Easter Monday, Mother Teresa Day, Christmas Day

* Azerbaijan - Orthodox New Year, Orthodox Easter

* Bangladesh - Christmas

* Bosnia - Good Friday, Easter Monday, Corpus Cristi, Assumption Day, Virgin Mary Nativity, All saints Day, Christmas

* Brunei - Christmas

* Burkina FAso - Easter Monday, Ascension, All Saints Day, Christmas

* Chad - Easter Monday, All Saints Day, Christmas

* Cocos Islands - Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day

* Comoros - Christmas

* Djibouti - Christmas

* Egypt - Coptic Christmas, Orthodox Easter, Orthodox Easter Monday

* Gambia - Good Friday, Easter Monday, Assumption, Christmas

* Guinea - Good Friday, Easter Monday, Assumption, All Saints Day, Christmas

* Indonesia - Good Friday, Ascension, Christmas

* Jordan - Christmas

* Kazakhstan - Orthodox New YeaR, Orthodox Easter

* Kyrgyzstan - Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox New YEar, Orthodox Easter

* Lebanon - Armenian Christmas, Orthodox Christmas, St. Maron Day, Good Friday, Orthodox Good Friday, Orthodox Easter, Assumption, Christmas

* Malaysia - Christmas, Good Friday (East Malaysia ONLY)

* MAli - Easter Monday, Christmas

* Niger - Eaaster Monday, Christmas

* Palestine - Armenian Christmas, Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox New YEar, Orthodox Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Orthoodox Good Friday, Orthodox Easter Monday, Christmas. Feast of St. Stephen

* Senegal - Easter Monday, Ascension, Assumption, All Saints Day, Christmas

* Syria - Easter, Orthodox Easter, Christmas

* Tajikistan - Orthodox New Year

* Uzbekistan - Orthodox Easter

Source: http://www.bank-holidays.com

New Year is not a Christian celebration so if you don't mind I have edited your comments to reflect that. How many Muslim countries are there in the world and more to the point - how many give holidays to non-indigenous non-Muslims?

[sameer]

MUSLIM HOLIDAYS AS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN NON MUSLIM COUNTRIES



* Trinidad & Tobago - Eid al Fitr

source: http://www.bank-holidays.com

I'm from Trinidad & Tobago.....we're trying to get Eid ul Adha also or instead of Eid ul Fitr.
But for now now...i usually take a day off for Eid ul Fitr.

[ZOREENA]

I Dont Think We Should Work Then We All Be Fine!!! Next We Gona Fite About What Religion Time Is!! LOL!!!

[sameer]

New Year is not a Christian celebration

Neither is christmas a "christian holiday" as most christians liek to believe.

Check the link for history on christmas. BTW...its from a christian site..not a muslim one.

http://www.pathlights.com/theselastd.../tract_22m.htm

heres an excerp.

Church leaders adopted a pagan holiday, in spite of the protests of some godly local pastors. It was considered idolatry to do this, since it was nothing more than a heathen day of worship. In addition, the day for this worship had been selected in honor of Mithra, the sun god. December 25 was dedicated to the keeping of his birthday. Therefore, sincere Christians considered it to be a form of sun worship. The sun had reached its lowest angle in the sky on December 21 (the winter solstice), and the 25th was the first observable day in which it began rising in the noon sky. So December 25 had, for centuries, been celebrated as the "birth of the sun god."

But earnest believers recognized that Christians dare not accept pagan practices or pagan holidays. Those heathen customs could not be found in the Bible, so they ought to be shunned by conscientious Christians.

The Roman world was essentially pagan and many converts to Christianity had come to enjoy those festivities, and did not want to forsake them after baptism into the Christian church. When these half-converted church members rose to leadership positions, they made policy changes in agreement with contemporary heathen customs. And that is how we got Christmas.

[Joe98]

Neither is christmas a "christian holiday" as most christians like to believe.

And yet Muslims refuse to come to my house, the house of an athiest, because a party in December might be connected to Christmas.

[ZOREENA]

Is The New Year Not A Welcoming Of Another Year Of Christ???

[sameer]

And yet Muslims refuse to come to my house, the house of an athiest, because a party in December might be connected to Christmas.

Because it is a pagan festival....so we would not want to be mistaken of taking part in a pagan festival. Or even be mistaken for taken part in a christian festival by someone who dosent knwo better. Besides...if u serve alcohol in ure parties then this mite be aniother reason y ure muslim friends may not want to visit u at these parties.

[catmando]

Neither is christmas a "christian holiday" as most christians liek to believe.

Check the link for history on christmas. BTW...its from a christian site..not a muslim one.

http://www.pathlights.com/theselastd.../tract_22m.htm

heres an excerp.

Church leaders adopted a pagan holiday, in spite of the protests of some godly local pastors. It was considered idolatry to do this, since it was nothing more than a heathen day of worship. In addition, the day for this worship had been selected in honor of Mithra, the sun god. December 25 was dedicated to the keeping of his birthday. Therefore, sincere Christians considered it to be a form of sun worship. The sun had reached its lowest angle in the sky on December 21 (the winter solstice), and the 25th was the first observable day in which it began rising in the noon sky. So December 25 had, for centuries, been celebrated as the "birth of the sun god."

But earnest believers recognized that Christians dare not accept pagan practices or pagan holidays. Those heathen customs could not be found in the Bible, so they ought to be shunned by conscientious Christians.

The Roman world was essentially pagan and many converts to Christianity had come to enjoy those festivities, and did not want to forsake them after baptism into the Christian church. When these half-converted church members rose to leadership positions, they made policy changes in agreement with contemporary heathen customs. And that is how we got Christmas.

Absolutely true. The Christians stole ALL our holidays.:mad:

[Joe98]

Is The New Year Not A Welcoming Of Another Year Of Christ???

No, its turning over the page of a calendar.

[Joe98]

Besides...if u serve alcohol in ure parties....

In my country people always bring their own drinks to parties. And therefore I don't serve any drinks.

[Looking4Peace]

Absolutely true. The Christians stole ALL our holidays.:mad:

lol thats so funny

[ZOREENA]

Therz B.C then theres After.C.........so did that start 2006 yearz ago or not??