Maryland Muslims claim fear, discrimination behind school calendar:
The Baltimore County Board of Education is expected tonight to reject calls from a Muslim group to add two Islamic holidays to the proposed 2006-07 school calendar.
The board is expected to adopt the recommendations of a subcommittee that found countywide attendance does not drop enough on Muslim holidays to justify closures. Instead, the subcommittee recommends that the district note the holidays on the calendar and teach students about their significance….
Baltimore County Muslims point out that schools close for two Jewish holidays. “The recommendation tells everyone that the board has fear of Muslims, and it is unfair,” said Bash Pharoan, president of the Baltimore County Muslim Council.
Jewish leaders say Mr. Pharoan is attempting to politicize the school calendar, which schedules closures only for holidays that cause low attendance rates countywide.
I wouldn’t call it fear, exactly. Perhaps a not-unjustified dislike. I blame the Jews.
I don’t think there is any reason to make it a day off for the entire school district. Why not give practicing Muslims an excused absense? I don’t see a real issue here.
In my wife’s school district, they get excused absenses for the first day of deer season and during the statewide wrestling championships. As long as they make up the work, it’s not a big deal. If they keep this up, no one will get days off except for national holidays.
Right on!
I agree. If you start doing this, pretty soon there won’t be any days to go to school. Of course, the students may like this, but it’ll drive the parents crazy…