The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: twyacht on November 08, 2011, 05:17:14 AM
-
But wait I'm a Hindu, where's my holiday?
But wait I'm a (insert religion), where's my holiday?
Ah, but a Muslim? We will give you and ALL our students Tuesday Off...
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/mass-school-district-to-close-for-islamic-religious-holiday/
The Cambridge Public School District in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the first in the state to close in observance of an Islamic holy day. Today, students and teachers will have the day off, as a district committee voted last year to close for one Muslim holiday each year.
The holiday – Eid al-Adha — is also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice” (last week, the Blaze covered a Florida legislature’s attempts to block animal slaughters associated with this observance). It is one of the two “high holy days” that are observed by Muslims.
Schools will not be closed for the second holiday, Eid-ul-Fatr (celebrating the end of Ramadan), as this holy day occurs in August (at the end of the summer). If both holidays do end up falling during an academic year, the district will only close for one of them. WCVB has more:
“We’re ecstatic about this,” says Atif Harden, the interim executive director of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center. “This is the first year that it’s going to occur. This sort of recognition of our existence and the population we have, we feel very good about.”
The decision to close the district down in observance of the Islamic holiday came after Muslims students approached staffers, administrators and students at a school in the district in an attempt to launch a discussion about their faith. After meetings were held and leaders considered the fact that there is a large Muslim population in the district, the decision was solidified.
Officials claims that the size of the Muslim population as well as a general push for inclusiveness are the reasons behind the policy change. Currently, the district closes for some Jewish and Christian holidays, thus closing for an Islamic holiday is being defended as a common-sense ideal.
*****
Gee, aren't we just one big all inclusive community? Honor-killings will be scheduled for 3:00 next Wed. (sarcasm added)...
-
To me TW its just a question of critical mass. Are there enough Muslim (or Jewish or Christian) students who will take the day off anyway to justify it? Its the "Good Friday" question. It wasn't a holiday at UT, but enough students skipped class to go to mass that I just declared it a holiday and said I wouldn't give a new lecture, but would show up for a "study session". Most of my colleagues did the same. Like wise if I had exams that fell on yom Kipur I wouldn't reschedule, but if the student wanted to choose another date to take them it was fine by me. I think this is a non-issue.
FQ13
-
To me TW its just a question of critical mass. Are there enough Muslim (or Jewish or Christian) students who will take the day off anyway to justify it? Its the "Good Friday" question. It wasn't a holiday at UT, but enough students skipped class to go to mass that I just declared it a holiday and said I wouldn't give a new lecture, but would show up for a "study session". Most of my colleagues did the same. Like wise if I had exams that fell on yom Kipur I wouldn't reschedule, but if the student wanted to choose another date to take them it was fine by me. I think this is a non-issue.
FQ13
Again, too easy.
Yours was an individual decision. This is DISTRICT POLICY.
-
Again, too easy.
Yours was an individual decision. This is DISTRICT POLICY.
So what? It is again a question of critical mass. How many Muslim students do they have? Here in south Florida Jewish holidays are recognized because we have a lot of Jews. In Dearborn Mi., football practice takes place after sunset during Ramadan because of the large numbers of Muslim students. As long as its a question of demographics and keeping the home folks happy, I have zero problem with it.
FQ13
-
So what? It is again a question of critical mass. How many Muslim students do they have? Here in south Florida Jewish holidays are recognized because we have a lot of Jews. In Dearborn Mi., football practice takes place after sunset during Ramadan because of the large numbers of Muslim students. As long as its a question of demographics and keeping the home folks happy, I have zero problem with it.
FQ13
It's Cambridge, they have Jews and Christians,Asians maybe some blacks, Hispanics, and way down on the bottom of the list, below Hare Krishna's, come Muslims.