NJ Schools Add Muslim Holiday to Day-Off List

1010 Wins ^ | Nov 14, 2003 2:38 pm US/Eastern | 1010 Wins

[Calpernia]

Add Eid to the list of religious holidays that can get students a day off from school in some communities.

This Essex County district will become one of only a handful of districts in the nation to close schools on a major Islamic holiday, the Eid-al-Fitr on Nov. 26. Paterson and Trenton schools also close that day.

Public schools across the nation have traditionally closed for major Christian holidays including Christmas and several days before or after Easter, and many also close for Jewish holidays as well.

Now, with Islam emerging as one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States, some school districts with significant Muslim populations are recognizing the Eid holidays.

"Up to now, the major holidays have either been Christian or Jewish," said Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. "But now we're diversifying, and I'm sure this is something we'll see other districts doing in the future."

Irvington, 2.9-square-mile community adjacent to Newark, is the latest to give students off for the Eid, which celebrates the end of Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims.

Superintendent of Schools Ernest Smith said community leaders convinced the school board that sufficient numbers of students and teachers observe the holiday and planned to be absent from school on the Eid holiday.

Paterson, with its large Arab-American population, started giving students off for Eid about three years ago.

"Members of the Muslim community came forward and requested we consider doing it," said Patricia Chalmers, a school district spokeswoman. "It really came from the community itself, and we were one of the first in the nation to do it."

Trenton has closed its schools for Eid for nearly a decade, a school official said.

In Michigan, Dearborn schools started closing for Eid in 2001, and the Crestwood school district agreed this year to close on Eid as well.

Other New Jersey municipalities with significant Muslim populations still do not close for Eid, including Newark, Jersey City and Camden.

The Eid holiday is slowly gaining in American public consciousness as well. The U.S. Postal Service recently introduced an Eid stamp.

[SoothingDave]

I don't understand what you said.

You asked if Islamic schools give students days off for Christian and Jewish holidays. Right?

I'm asking you if we are supposed to do what they do, or if we are trying to be better people than they are?

What do you think?

SD

[Calpernia]

I didn't ask. It is a rhetorical statement because they do not.

Private Islamic schools do not give off for nonmuslim holidays. Nor do Jewish schools.

I don't support Public schools giving off for non Christian holidays.

[SoothingDave]

You ignore the fact that the stamp was issued before 9/11, and that the calligraphy would have been done many months before the stamp was issued.

Yeah, that's his point. It's a big conspiracy. All the Muslims knew this months before and duped the Postal Service into printing a stamp showing the towers burning.

Very clever, they are.

SD

[Mr. Mojo]

This gives me the creeps. It's like finding out you have cancer.

Indeed, our nation does have cancer. ....A cancer that can be cured by mass deporation and sealing of our borders, and the will to do it.

[SoothingDave]

Private Islamic schools do not give off for nonmuslim holidays. Nor do Jewish schools.

If half of a Jewish school's students were Christians, they would. It's just not common the way a large percentage of some area's Catholic schools are non-Christian.

I don't support Public schools giving off for non Christian holidays.

Why do you support giving Christian holidays off?

Furthermore, why would you support wasting taxpayer money?

SD

[MineralMan]

"You ignore the fact that the stamp was issued before 9/11, and that the calligraphy would have been done many months before the stamp was issued.
Yeah, that's his point. It's a big conspiracy. All the Muslims knew this months before and duped the Postal Service into printing a stamp showing the towers burning.

Very clever, they are."

Nonsense, in my opinion. I'm not a big conspiracy theory guy, and this one is way far-fetched.

[Koblenz]

NJ, the most Dem state in the nation. Dem governor, Dem legislature, 2 Dem senators, Most of the house delegation is Dem. Went for Gore. Lost cause.

[DeepDish]

November 26, I will try to remember the day. By eating pork steak and consuming copius amounts of beer.

[SoothingDave]

Nonsense, in my opinion.

I agree totally. And yet here we are on FR talking about it.

SD

[sphinx]

Loking on the bright side, it will take these schools off the target list for the Eid celebrations. Prudent thing to do....

[Calpernia]

I'm sorry, what religion was this country and gov found on?

And what calendar do you use?

[ChiMark]

The Muslims give pineapples to Christians and Jews. The type that explode. Scary.

[SoothingDave]

I'm sorry, what religion was this country and gov found on? And what calendar do you use?

I believe this country was founded upon certain Christian principles. Among them is using the brain God gave you.

Now, why would you want to waste taxpayer money? It's a simple question.

SD

[MineralMan]

"Nonsense, in my opinion.
I agree totally. And yet here we are on FR talking about it.

"

So we are. It's still nonsense, though. But, there's a lot of nonsensical things discussed here on FR.

[StriperSniper]

Honestly though, Irvington has bigger problems than this. If the Jihadi get out of control there, just tell the dealers that they want a piece of their hood and we won't have to worry about them.

[Calpernia]

Actually, since you are not from NJ, and you don't know the corruption that has run amuck here, that is not a question you can poise to me about ME wanting to waste tax payers money.

Plus, I believe you posted the pretense of most of the children being absent from school that day anyway to change the argument to about me wanting to waste tax payers money.

Why don't you trying supporting that theory first; then I'll engage with you about me wanting to waste tax payers money.

[Calpernia]

You are right, we do have bigger problems then this. This just urks me.

[genefromjersey]

Oh, no, Calapernia !!
You've inspired me to song !!!
( You know you're going to hate it...)

All together now : Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

(Child's voice)

If it doesn't snow
On Eid al-Fitr
How's the Prophet gonna come to slay ?

If it starts to rain
Will a camel train
Come to speed him on his way ??

If it doesn't snow
On Eid al-Fitr
How's Mohammed gonna get to us ??

They won't let him fly
Through American sky
Or ride a train or bus !!

[Coleus]

Paterson has been doing this for a good number of years and some Clifton Schools have a Ramadan table in the cafeteria for the kids who can't eat during their holiday about a month.

[Major_Risktaker]

WOW! Christmas in November...Cool!