US lawmakers propose motion to designate major Muslim Eids as national public holidays

A group of progressive Democrats in the US House of Representatives has proposed a bill to designate Eid Al Adha and Eid Al Fitr as national public holidays in the United States, the National reported.

Despite this effort, the bill’s progress is hindered by the lack of support in the Republican-majority House and Democratic-majority Senate.

“As of right now, we do not have any Senate or Republican co-sponsors,” the office of the bill’s primary sponsor, Andre Carson, informed The National on Tuesday.

Mr. Carson emphasized, “Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country,” in his statement introducing the legislation. He described it as “a chance to promote inclusion and tolerance of all people and all religions – the bedrock of our American values.”

Several House Republicans, including the Foreign Affairs Committee chair, chose not to comment on the bill.

Samina Sohail, vice chairwoman of the Islamic Centre of Greater Cincinnati in Ohio, stated that officially recognizing Eid “validates the Muslim experience” and warned that opposition to the bill would “continue the isolation and marginalisation that is felt by so many Muslim Americans in the current geopolitical environment.”

Pew Research polling from 2018 indicates that Muslims make up approximately 1.1 percent of the US population, a figure expected to rise significantly in the coming decades.

By 2040, “Muslims will replace Jews as the nation’s second-largest religious group after Christians,” and by 2050, they will constitute 2.1 percent of the US population, according to Pew.

On a local scale, more US school districts with significant Muslim student populations are recognizing Eid Al Fitr as a holiday, including giving students the day off.