Muslim Brotherhood-CAIR Demands Maryland schools close for Muslim Holidays

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Hamas-CAIR is on the Islamic supremacist march in Maryland. Latest front is the Montgomery County public schools. They want them closed on Muslim holidays (does that include 9/11)? Of course, they frame this as a civil rights issue. 9/11 is a civil rights issue. I expect Zawahiri to frame Islam's war on the West as a civil rights issue as well. There is nothing civil about the exploitation of the civil rights issue.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the name of the group, "Equality for Eid Coalition." Considering that there is no equality under the sharia, it is particularly contemptible. Under the sharia, non-Muslims are denied basic human rights and forced to live as sub-humans or dhimmis (more here)

The Hamas-CAIR sponsored group has started a petition, equality4eid. How about a Hamas-CAIR group starting a petition calling for equality for non-Muslims under the sharia? How about a petition calling for the end of ethnic cleansing, subjugation and oppression of non-Muslims under Islamic law? How about a petition calling for expunging the quran of Islamic Jew-hatred?

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Yes, that would be the start of a movement for real "reconcilation and healing."

"Coalition wants Montgomery County schools to close on Muslim holidays" Gazette, September 18, 2013 (thanks to J. Christian Adams)

Group asks staff, students to stay home, celebrate Eid al-Adha on Oct. 15

A coalition of local Muslims and others are urging Montgomery County
Public Schools to close on two holidays, which the coalition’s co-chair,
Saqib Ali, framed as a civil rights issue.

Besides an amended
county school system calendar, the Equality for Eid Coalition —
sponsored by the Maryland chapter of the Council of American Islamic
Relations
— wants students and staff members to skip school on Oct. 15
and instead celebrate Eid al-Adha.

Supporters can sign the coalition’s online petition at www.equality4eid.com. As of Monday, it had about 260 signatures.

The
coalition, which formed about a year ago, also wants schools to close
when classes conflict with another Muslim holiday, Eid al-Fitr. However,
for at least the next three years, Eid al-Fitr will fall on days during
the school system’s summer break.

Both Eid holidays fall on different days each year, as they follow the Islam lunar calendar.

Eid al-Adha marks the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan, according to the coalition’s website.

The
issue was discussed by the county Board of Education in November 2012,
when it opted not to close school on the Muslim holidays after parents
and community leaders requested it.

School system staff reported at the time there was not a high absentee rate on the holiday in the past three years.

Ali
— a state delegate from 2007 to 2011 who has filed to run again next
year — said, however, the coalition thinks attendance is “not the right
question to ask.”

The decisions to close school on or near
Christian and Jewish holidays were not based on similar analyses of
attendance records, Ali said, and Muslim holidays should not be held to a
different standard.

“If we’re only going to use them (the attendance studies) for certain communities, that’s not equitable,” Ali said.

Ali said the number of Muslim students in the county school system is unknown.

“But we know there’s a significant number and it seems to be growing,” he said.

According
to its website, the coalition’s supporters include Montgomery County
Executive Isiah Leggett, County Council President Nancy Navarro, and
seven state senators and delegates.

Montgomery County Board of Education member Philip Kauffman (At-large) of Olney said it boils down to what the law allows.

“We need evidence of student absences or staff absences that would impact on the delivery of instruction,” he said.

The
school system will monitor absences this year, he said, though past
studies in recent years have not indicated a “discernable trend.”

Schools close on Christian holidays such as Christmas and Good Friday under state law.

Chief
Operating Officer Larry Bowers said the school system added Jewish
holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur based on low attendance
from Jewish teachers and students on the holidays.

The school system, however, does not have records showing how it came to the decision in the early 1970s, he said.

Since then, Bowers said, case law has arisen that lets districts close schools only for secular purposes.

“We make it clear that these are excused absences, but we, at this stage, we really need to follow the law,” Kauffman said.

The school system recognizes both Muslim holidays by declaring them nontesting days and giving Muslim students excused absences.

Mimi
Hassanein, outreach coordinator for the Islamic Society of Germantown,
said she personally has advocated on this issue for about 25 years and
joined the campaign about a year ago.

Hassanein has had three
children go through the county school system and has five grandchildren
currently attending. She said she has had a “positive” experience in her
efforts to help educate school system teachers and staff about Muslim
holidays and culture.

Yet, she wants schools to close in observance of the Eids, either entirely or just for students.

Hassanein
said the school system has been more sensitive to Muslim students and
staff by trying not to schedule exams or introduce new topics in class.

But, she said, “it varies from school to school. It’s not set in stone.”

In her experience, she said, about half of Muslim families have their children miss school to celebrate an Eid holiday.

Montgomery
County Council member George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park
has supported efforts to close school on Muslim holidays in the past and
said he thinks the school system eventually will decide to close
schools.

“It poses a conflict for people who want to exercise their right to religious observance,” Leventhal said.

If
schools remain open, he said, parents and students “highly motivated
toward academic achievement” will go to school instead of celebrating.

If
schools were open on a Jewish holiday such as Rosh Hashanah, Leventhal
said, he thinks “a substantial number” of Jewish students would attend
classes.

Leventhal said the school system has “a lot of flexibility” when it comes to closing schools.

“They’ve drawn the line at Christians and Jews, and that’s exclusionary,” he said.

Area
mosques and organizations, including Jews United for Justice, which has
an activism focus in the Washington, D.C., area, are supporting the
campaign.

Rebecca Ennen, the organization’s development and
communications manager, said generally holidays are “crucial and
central” to a religious group’s community and identity.

“When those don’t get recognized, it’s a real negation of what our values are and what we stand for,” she said.

The
coalition plans to hold a press conference Monday outside the
Montgomery County Council Office Building in Rockville announce itself
and its mission.

The school board is scheduled to discuss the issue next in the fall of 2014.

 

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Larry S.
Larry S.
10 years ago

When I was in school, schools were closed around Christmas and prevailing Easter celebrations. School was open but Jewish children tended to not attend school on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Some Catholic children did not attend school on St. So and So’s day and often, in elementary school, were excused early from school to attend cathecism classes. Children who missed school for religious reasons were expected to make up the work, although I strongly suspect school personnel tried to facilitate children’s religious observances. Nobody to my knowledge took offense at this arrangement which prevailed since the advent of the common school movement in the USA.
Muslims seem unwilling to work within that paradigm: other people have to bend to their particular desires. Gee, I wonder how sensitive Muslims are to the religious needs of children from families of other faiths when Muslims are in the majority.

Sunset Gazr
Sunset Gazr
10 years ago

Lets MARCH! EDL style!

KLKL
KLKL
10 years ago

“Civil right issue.” Why? Muslims are only 1 percent of the American populations and one with a bad history as Boston bombings and 9/11 show atheists far outnumber Muslims in the States and they have no problem with schools getting out for Christmas and Easter this is stealth jihad to accustom americans to adopting Muslim practice and will not stop at school holidays

Linda Rivera
Linda Rivera
10 years ago

This is a Judeo-Christian country and if you Muslims don’t like that; what’s the problem? Go back to your own countries! Problem solved!

canadianmohamhater
canadianmohamhater
10 years ago

Schools in a multi cultural society should not close for religious holidays at all. Schools should not embrace religion in any way as they are government institutions.

Kate
Kate
10 years ago

This is just the beginning…it needs to be SHUT DOWN

kbuksch
kbuksch
10 years ago

Why doesn’t the Board of Education do for its students what many employers do for their employees: allow two (or more) “freedom of choice” holidays per student, per year. The students and their parents can use these days to celebrate holidays not recognized by the regular academic calendar.

Gleaner1
Gleaner1
10 years ago

This is just the latest attempt to force Islam down the throats of a Judaeo Christian society, the larger the population grows, the louder and more frequently these demands will be.
Linda is right, stand fast, then attack the Muslims “running dogs”, their leftist enablers, hand in hand, those traitors will destroy everything you value and have built.

valhalla
valhalla
10 years ago

Religion should not be taught in public schools nor should there be any religious holidays -islam is always -demanding -and in your face – muslims never reciprocate in any way by learning anything about christianity -islam won’t let them.

tj
tj
10 years ago

Don’t close the schools.. serve BBQ pork for lunch!

Laura
Laura
10 years ago

“They’ve drawn the line at Christians and Jews, and that’s exclusionary,” he said.
………………………………………………………………………….
And that’s as it should be. This is a Judeo-Christian nation, muslims do not count. They DO NOT belong here. I make no apologies for my prejudice. islam is not even a legitimate religion.

sam
sam
10 years ago

give it to them..afterall we allow christmas good friday off..and jews get time off for their holidays…so should the muslims..a day off for fasting ramadan and a day off to celebrate abraham…seems appropriate…..lets not forget the verses of hate in bible/talmud not withstanding…jesus bible john 8 36 44 ‘je– children of the devil’…talmud ‘je– may kill enslave rape and steal from non-je–‘

NO AMNESTY;NO H1BS;NO MOOSE-LAMBS
NO AMNESTY;NO H1BS;NO MOOSE-LAMBS
10 years ago

What the hell is wrong with Montgomery, a sanctuary county. Another place I am glad I don’t live anymore. Isaiah Maggot was a piece of shit 20 years ago and now he is county exec. The shit really seems to rise to the top in politics.

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