Muslims seeking student day off asking board to adjust calendar

12/16/2004 7:10:00 AM GMT

Source: Worldnetdaily.com

A group of Muslims in Florida requested from the school officials to observe Islamic holidays add at least one day off to the calendar.

The Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations referred its case to the Hillsborough County School Board this week, seeking to make Nov. 4, 2005, a non-student day in honor of Eid al-Fitr, a day that marks the Muslims holy month of Ramadan.

"How can you continue to ignore our needs, our holidays, our interests?'' 16-year-old Mariam Osman, asked the board, according to the Tampa Tribune.

The group is also seeking recognition of another holy day, Eid al-Adha, in January 2006.

"Our holidays go unnoticed,'' Ahmed Bedier, director of Tampa CAIR, said, noting that Muslim students watch classmates of other faiths have their holidays respected. He said the request for recognition is coming at this time because "we're organized now.''

The Tribune reports the superintendent said that no religious holiday is officially recognized, but some days off for students coincide with religious holidays.

Ken Otero, assistant superintendent for the administration, told those in attendance families to get a note from religious leaders to be excused from classes on religious holidays.

"Why do they need a note? I'm a Christian and I take Christmas off,'' board chairwoman Candy Olson asked.

According to CAIR about 30,000 Muslims live in the Tampa area, but the organisation didn’t give a figure on the number of Islamic students in public schools.

The board held off on voting on a new school calendar until January, as it instructed the district to look into the request

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