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California lawmakers' push to make Muslim holy days state holidays sparks debate over school neutrality
Fox News ^ | 07/02/2026 | Kristine Parks

Posted on 07/06/2026 9:47:30 AM PDT by DFG

California lawmakers are advancing a new bill that would establish two Muslim holy days as state holidays while authorizing the state to develop a new model curriculum for students to "acknowledge and celebrate" these religious observances in the classroom.

The bill, AB 2017, passed the State Assembly with a 64-1 vote and advanced to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Authored by Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, the bill establishes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha — two major holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world — as official state holidays and allows local public school boards and community colleges the option to shut down their campuses for both holidays.

Both holidays are traditionally celebrated over three to four days, but the legislation designates a single day of observance for each on the state calendar.

Haney said the legislation is aimed at protecting religious diversity and recognizing the traditions of the state's 500,000 Muslim residents.

"California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country, and their traditions deserve recognition and respect," Haney said in a press release.

"No student should have to choose between celebrating one of the holiest days of their faith and showing up to school, and no worker should feel they have to sacrifice their religious observance," he continued. "AB 2017 is about making sure Muslim Californians are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state."

But an under-the-radar provision in the bill's text would bring the celebration of these religious holidays into the classroom and has drawn criticism from a prominent conservative advocacy group.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: California
KEYWORDS: ab2017; asshats; assimilationfail; california; islam; islamization; matthaney; muslimholidays
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1 posted on 07/06/2026 9:47:30 AM PDT by DFG
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To: DFG

I’m surprised it’s taken this long. We’ll have to change the name to Caliphornia.


2 posted on 07/06/2026 9:50:11 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: DFG

Is this the same state that doesn’t recognize Easter at any level?


3 posted on 07/06/2026 9:51:09 AM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: DFG

Destroy the culture first-
Political Destruction comes easy.

Read Gramscii-


4 posted on 07/06/2026 9:51:55 AM PDT by Macoozie (Roll MAGA, roll!)
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To: DFG

I don’t recall them ever making Jewish holidays State holidays.


5 posted on 07/06/2026 9:52:25 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: DFG

Close the public schools.


6 posted on 07/06/2026 9:55:07 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: Texas Eagle

Washington state already has 2 culturally recognized Muslim “holy” days. 🤮


7 posted on 07/06/2026 9:55:16 AM PDT by PROCON (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: DFG

IDIOTS


8 posted on 07/06/2026 9:56:03 AM PDT by Democrat = party of treason
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To: PROCON

Are state offices closed on those days?


9 posted on 07/06/2026 9:57:53 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: Texas Eagle

> I’m surprised it’s taken this long. <

Early last winter I went shopping for a 2026 calendar. I was surprised and disgusted to find that most of them now include Muslim holidays.

No thanks. I have not forgotten 9/11, and never will.

Fortunately I eventually did find a good, old-fashioned 2026 calendar.


10 posted on 07/06/2026 9:58:52 AM PDT by Leaning Right
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To: DFG

Which two traditional American holidays will they replace?

I suspect Christmas and Easter.


11 posted on 07/06/2026 10:02:02 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: Texas_Jarhead

Here in Commiefornia, state offices are closed on Good Friday and Christmas (unless Christmas falls on a weekend in which case they are closed on Friday or Monday) but there’s no real acknowledgement of the significance of those days. You can be sure the jihadist holidays will not go unacknowledged. They probably won’t even allow mattress or car sales specials on those days.


12 posted on 07/06/2026 10:05:27 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: DFG

“most vibrant Muslim communities”

Does that mean lots of wife beating, rapers of white women, child sex, female genital mutilation, and animal molestation?


13 posted on 07/06/2026 10:07:33 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: Texas Eagle

Nothing closed, it’s just ‘recognized’ by the leftwing hack Governor who panders to every group except conservatives.


14 posted on 07/06/2026 10:12:23 AM PDT by PROCON (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: PROCON

Ah. Thank you.


15 posted on 07/06/2026 10:13:39 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: BenLurkin; All
Thank you for posting BenLurkin.

Close the public schools.


College Students Are Testing at the Level of 10-Year-Olds (7.4.26)

16 posted on 07/06/2026 10:16:29 AM PDT by Amendment10
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To: Texas Eagle
Hmmm, I was going off this info from sos.ca.gov/state-holidays

2026 State Holidays
Thursday, January 1 New Year’s Day
Monday, January 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, February 16 Presidents’ Day
Tuesday, March 31 Farmworkers Day
Monday, May 25 Memorial Day
Saturday, July 4 Independence Day
Monday, September 7 Labor Day
Wednesday, November 11 Veterans Day
Thursday, November 26 Thanksgiving Day
Friday, November 27 Day after Thanksgiving
Friday, December 25 Christmas Day

17 posted on 07/06/2026 10:17:24 AM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: DFG

I find it confusing that the powers making the call had to take out a coup-le of former president’s birthdays to toss in MLK day but they can add islam holidays with no problems and no taking anyone out.

As for religious holidays, they say it is to make it fair for islamists not to be left ojut for their “religion, are they going to make it equal by adding a number of the other religious holidays for other religions within the country?

Other holidays can include:

Pentecost - This holiday celebrates the time when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ 10 days after Jesus’ ascent to heaven, as described in Acts 2:1-31.

Buddhism - Buddha’s Birthday

Diwali - the festival of lights, which is an Indian festival holiday, Hindu, that is traditionally celebrated in the autumn of each year. It is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil, and hope over despair.

Peshach, or Passover which is a Jewish spring festival which commemorates the escape of the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt, as described in the book of Exodus.

Rosh HaShanah (Judaism) - this “holiday marks the beginning of a 10-day period, known as the Yamim Nora-im (“Days of Awe” or “High Holidays”), ushered in by Rosh HaShanah and culminating with Yom Kippur (the “Day of Atonement”).” It is usually celebrated around the September-October months.

Gantan-sai is the Shinto New Year celebration during which adherents focus on inner renewal, prosperity and health as well as visit shrines and spend time with friends and family.

Makar Sankranti/Pongal/Lohri (Hindu) - Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival but much bigger than Kwanza.

I could go all day on this as there are seven more days in January alone and I haven’t mentioned anything in February yet. So what we are expected to think is that Islam is more important than the other religions even over the celebration of the birthdays of our founding fathers and presidents? And the guy with the funny hands down there along with other islamists already in the mix want to be president? If I lived there, I’d be part of the class action suite of the state for civil rights suing a government entity for establishing a state religion by ignoring other religions. In the U.S., neither state nor federal governments can establish an official religion or favor one religion over another. The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause prevents governments from passing laws that aid, promote, or prefer any specific religion or all religions:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”

wy69


18 posted on 07/06/2026 10:17:24 AM PDT by whitney69
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To: DFG
Haney said the legislation is aimed at protecting religious diversity and recognizing the traditions of the state's 500,000 Muslim residents.

Most of whom are probably illegal. And for those who emmigrated here legally - there are 51 countries where the majority of the population practice the Muslim religion - why are they emigrating to and populating Western countries?

It's more of a rhetorical question........

19 posted on 07/06/2026 10:18:53 AM PDT by capydick ("Within the bible are the answers for all the problems men face")
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To: Texas_Jarhead

Let’s just make everyday a Holiday.................


20 posted on 07/06/2026 10:19:26 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ((Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere))
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