For more information:

Zahida Pirani, New York Civic Participation Project,

(212) 388-3664

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Coalition Calls for NYC Department of Education to Recognize Muslim Holidays

Report Reveals Inequities Faced by Muslim Students

On Thursday, March 15th a broad coalition of labor, community and religious organizations along with elected officials, religious leaders and other allies gathered on the steps of Tweed Courthouse to release a report that reveals the discrimination that Muslim students and their families have faced in schools since 9/11. 

“It is very important to me and my community that our children are treated equally in their schools and have equal access to practice their religion, just like other students,” said Hasan Pupovic, a member of SEIU Local 32BJ and the New York Civic Participation Project. “My brothers and sisters from both my union and my mosque are here today because this is an issue about equal rights.” 

The ground-breaking report entitled “Acceptance, not Exclusion: A Case for Muslim Holidays in NYC Public Schools” calls on the Department of Education to recognize Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha as official school holidays in order to ensure that Muslim students, representing 12% of the NYC student population, do not continue to face problems of religious accommodation in the public school system on their tradition’s holiest days.

 “Muslim students feel a growing sense of alienation in schools since 9/11. Harassment and discrimination, often left unreported, are common experiences. In today's political climate, Muslim parents and their children often perceive the school climate and the larger society as increasingly intolerant of their religious and ethnic identities,” said Professor Louis Abdellatif Cristillo, Director of the Muslim Youth in NYC Public Schools Study at Teachers College Columbia University.

Over 600,000 Muslims live in the city, one of the fastest growing and most diverse Muslim communities in the country.

“Fourteen years ago City government made a bold statement in favor of recognition of the diversity of New Yorkers, by formalizing recognition of the Muslim holy days through inclusion of them under the laws governing suspension of alternate-side parking,” said Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood. “Today, in the post-September 11th world, that need is just as urgent as it was then. Muslim students from elementary school through college should not have to be discriminated against by a system of public education that denies them equal recognition of their sacred days of worship.”

“Non-Muslim and Muslim members of our union are joined together in this struggle because education, family and equity are important to all of us.  Our union recognizes Eid-Ul-Fitr as a holiday that our members can choose to take off because we recognize the diversity of our union and the fact that it is important for our members to be with their families on their most holy days,” said Hector Figueroa, Local 32BJ SEIU Secretary-Treasurer.

“All the members of Local 100 who worked at Windows on the World were deeply affected by September 11, 2001, including the Muslim members. Our Muslim members suffered more in the weeks and months that followed because of the backlash against their community.  Now we have an opportunity to do right by the Muslim community and help provide equal opportunity for education to Muslim children in New York City,” said Bill Granfield, President of UNITE HERE Local 100.

“It's important that we recognize the most important religious holiday for a sizeable number of our public school students,” said State Senator John D. Sabini. (D/I-Queens) who recently introduced bill S3142 in the State Senate, which amends the education law to designate the Muslim holidays of Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha in the City of New York.  Last year, he authored a bill--now State law--that prohibits standardized testing during the two Eids.

The press conference was organized by the Coalition for Muslim School Holidays, a coalition of over 55 labor, religious, community and advocacy organizations working to ensure students have equal access to religious accommodation.