Council OKs Muslim School Holidays, Bloomberg Doesn't

Yesterday, the City Council voted to add the Muslim holy days of Eid ul-Fitrand Eid ul-Adh to the NYC public school calendar. However Mayor Bloomberg does not approve, saying, "One of the problems you have with a diverse city is that if you close the schools for every single holiday, there won’t be any school.” There's a 10-12% Muslim population among students. Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, head of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in Harlem and a proponent of the measure, suggested to the NY Times that there could be "catastrophic" results from the city's 600,000 Muslims come election time, if Bloomberg is still down on adding the holidays, “We really have confidence in the mayor’s intelligence. It’s an election year.” And City Councilman Robert Jackson told PolitickerNY, "Having to choose whether to send your children to school on your highest, holiest holidays where there may be an exam or stuff like that, it’s a clash situation and it should not have to happen."

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By Jen Chung in News on July 1, 2009 6:54 PM

Comments [rss]

Mr Mel

The Imam predicts a catastrophe. He must be getting advice from the European Imams who able to get the English, Dutch and Danish governments to submit to their blackmail.

buttface

Let's make this fair and abolish all school holidays that are remotely tied to religion. No Christmas this year, kids.

buttface

Let's make this fair and abolish all school holidays that are remotely tied to religion. No Christmas this year, kids.

Brooklynbobby

"Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, head of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in Harlem and a proponent of the measure, suggested to the NY Times that there could be "catastrophic" results from the city's 600,000 Muslims come election time."

Right, like any of them can legally vote here.

rasputinsghost

catering to immigrants! NOOOOO!!!!! SUBMIT, SLAVES

columbus day

st paddy's day

etc

hotstepper

did his comment seem like a veiled threat not pertaining to voting at all?

Nyctini11

I know i shouldn't but, LMFAO :-)

Rfive

My First Ramadan is written by a JEW? WTF?

NannyState

For any jew it would be their first Ramadan.

Steven

Why not make school three times a week? It's not like there are many five day school weeks in a year.

Snoopy

Somehow I see the "Fall of Rome" creeping in here. 365 days a year and 389 "holidays" really seems somewhat scary.

Snoopy

Ooh Ooh by the way. From the town my father was born in Italy there is the feast of Saint Bartholomeo which is celebrated on August 24th. Can I park freely throughout the city or only in Little Italy and NoLita?

Do I need to apply for a plaque for my dash or are they automatically supplied?

Snoopy

I really don't give a shit one way or the other regarding yet another voodoo tradition. All I want to know is, will alternate side of the street parking be suspended for those days?