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Thursday 05 Mar 2015 - 11:24 Makkah mean time-14-5-1436  Mayor Bill de Blasio with Muslim leaders on Wednesday to announce the added school holidays (Pic from New York Times) New York, (IINA) - New York City public schools will add the Muslim holy days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to the official calendar, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday, media sources reported.
“This is about respect for one of the great faiths of this Earth,” De Blasio said. “Hundreds of thousands of Muslim families will no longer have to choose between honoring the most sacred days on their calendar or attending school.”
Several municipalities across the country including in Massachusetts, Michigan and New Jersey have moved in recent years to include the holy days, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, in their school calendars. But New York City, with its 1.1 million schoolchildren, dwarfs the others in its size and symbolism.
The move will make New York City the largest school district in the nation to recognize the two holidays on the official school calendar, Bloomberg reported.
Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, who joined De Blasio for the announcement, said the day off could be used as a “teachable moment” for educating students on the meaning of the holidays, Bloomberg reported.
From their side, Muslim leaders welcomed the announcement.
SM/IINA
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