ROCKVILLE, Md. - Montgomery County Public Schools will remove religious labels from school holidays, but members of the Islamic community say the adjustments to the school calendar do nothing to gain parity and a day off for the Muslim holiday of Eid.
The school board approved the school calendar for the 2015-2016 school year Tuesday. The calendar will no longer reference specific religious holidays but rather state simply that school will be closed on dates that correspond with holidays like Eid, Yom Kippur and Christmas.
Saqib Ali, a former Maryland state delegate and co-chair of Equality for Eid, was not happy with the board of education's action Tuesday.
"Equality is really what we're looking for," Ali said. "Simply saying we're not going to call this Christmas, and we're not going to call this Yom Kippur, and still closing the schools, that's not equality."
School board members said they were sympathetic to the desire to have Eid recognized and close schools but that legal precedent in Maryland bars them from closing for religious purposes.
"We can't close for religious holidays. We can only close for operational purposes," like high absenteeism, school spokesman Dana Tofig said.
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18 comments:
This is so very wrong and here it is happening right here in Maryland. If the Muslims want to celebrate their holiday, why are they in the United States of America. They need to go back to their country and celebrate away. They need to learn about the holidays we, in the U.S., celebrate. I do believe if we went to their country we could not have schools change their calendars just so we could celebrate Christmas - it's more like we would get our head cut off for asking!!
We haven't been able to call it Christmas or Easter break in a long time. Im ok with this as long as they do not cave and take another day away from the students so that a few can celebrate a pagan holiday.
They already do this in Wicomico County. Look at the calendar. The holidays are listed as Winter Holiday, and Spring Holiday.
You are in America and these are the holidays we celebrate. If you have issues with that, go back to whatever rock you crawled out from and leave our country. If this crap continues its only obvious we won't be asking for you to leave.
"That's all we want". No, methinks you'll not be happy until Christianity is obliterated, & Sharia rules. Go the F home!! Don't come to our country & change everything it was based on while whining it's not fair. There are lots of religions that we don't close schools for their holidays, why are you so special? If all were recognized, there wouldn't be very many days in a year attended!
Fellow readers,
As a former school system employee, I have objected to this for years - all falling on deaf ears. The establishment is so concerned with being PC that the reflection of our democratic founding is quite in jeopardy. Should we sit quietly for this - NO! Our founders built this country on the establishment of non-religious persecution - our currency reflects this as a constant reminder, however that being said, it is up to us as citizens to reflect this in our voting of public officials to reflect our well founded concerns and beliefs (which we have recently done so). Two years ago I was in a school where a Muslim woman STRONGLY objected to the pledge of allegiance during the actual pledge. Several service members (in uniform) were present at that time (having dropped off their children just in time for the start of the day) - the woman was in a full burka, and was quite clearly agitated about this....and was quietly and respectfully escorted from the building by US service personnel who ALL had earned the C.I.B. (combat infantry Badge) - we should all show such fortitude with regard to our country.
Best,
Paladin
Dearest Saqib,
Eat a huge bag of d***s.
Sincerely,
Everyone
Home school.
The new muslin strategy will now entail getting on the board, taking over and getting what they want.
I guarantee you, this isn't over.
An example would be;
get one into the white house, he then gets them all jobs, and the rest is history...
2:40 talk about double speak. You say; - "Our founders built this country on the establishment of non-religious persecution"
Who is being persecuted?
Were we not founded on religious freedom? For all? Or for a select few? And who determines that?
Was it like this when the Jews wanted inclusion? Same hatred? Do we only recognize a 2 party religion?
All religions need to stay out of PUBLIC schools.
You want religious inclusion go to a private religious school.
2:40 You are partly right. The original trip here by the Pilgrims was about freedom of religion. However, the movement to became an independent Nation was because of taxation without representation. That is why the liberal Democrats just got their asses kicked in the elections, especially in Maryland. It's time the politicians started listening to the voters. They forgot that they work for us.
Anonymous said...
2:40 talk about double speak. You say; - "Our founders built this country on the establishment of non-religious persecution"
Who is being persecuted?
Were we not founded on religious freedom? For all? Or for a select few? And who determines that?
Was it like this when the Jews wanted inclusion? Same hatred? Do we only recognize a 2 party religion?
All religions need to stay out of PUBLIC schools.
You want religious inclusion go to a private religious school.
November 12, 2014 at 4:26 PM
Obviously a freaking libtard Democrat.
What country do American born Caucasian Muslims return home to?
I fully support removing religious holidays from school.
All of them. That's what separation of church and state means. Unless the church funds the school, ergo, a private institution.
2:45
The country their spouse was born in. They can return with them.
Cannot wait for Governor Hogan to shut down this crap...
@2:45, my spouse and I are both Maryland born. My wife's family from Baltimore, Polish, probably immigrants after ww2. Me, I'm good ole Wasp. My family has been around since they cracked whips on the plantation.
I mention this only to illustrate a point to the ignorant amongst us. Those who have no argument or ability to convey a point and resort to screaming "go back to your own country".
This is my country.
Marylandastan. I won't be leaving it, nor will I abstain from participating in it's direction of spirit to appease misguided and bigoted Caucasian Christians who take every opportunity to bash Muslims for whatever perceived wrong they feel they have been subjected to.
3;28...."whatever perceived wrong they feel they've been subjected to."
Hmmmmm....are you referring to 9/11, Hasan's attack on unarmed men and women while screaming "allah ahkbar!!", or maybe the video tape of muslims beheading Americans (last latest one was a former Army verteran), or maybe it's the murder and torture of Christians in the Middle East....
Please be more specific about the "perceived" wrongs you think all of the "misguided and bigoted" Christians believe we've been subjected to....
And while doing so, --just for fairness -- point out all the examples Christians murdering, raping, and destroying muslim people and property. Also, please don't go back 800 years to look for any...it won't make you look any smarter or believable. Or make a valid point.
When the number gets anywhere close to just the 1 million Iraqi children that perished thanks to America then we can talk. Or we can look at Hiroshima and Nagasaki as that's glazed over as well. Do you have any idea how many children died in Nagasaki and Hiroshima?
Christians murdering, raping and destroying Muslim people and property? 800 years? Try 2004 or so at Abu Ghraib as well as various crimes that made headlines of US soldiers raping and killing Iraqis. How much property damage did shock and awe do?
The Israelis carried out 911. Aided by Israelis in our government. And quite frankly even if they hadn't and the most extreme Muslim were the cause, we deserved it.
When you kill peoples children they kill you.
Please, stop embarrassing our race and country.
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