Maryland school district to recognize Muslim holiday

Board of Education in Maryland voted unanimously to add Eid al-Adha to the list of days off for religious holidays

The Howard County Board of Education in Maryland voted unanimously to add Eid al-Adha to the list of days off for religious holidays, as recognition of Muslim holidays grows within U.S. school districts.

Back in March 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also announced that the city’s public schools would close for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, starting in the fall of 2015.

School districts elsewhere in the country, including in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut, have made similar decisions to close on Muslim holidays. Some have recognized the holidays for years, while others have done so only recently.

A spokesman of an Islamic group said that when these holidays are recognized, it’s a sign that Muslims have a role in the political and social fabric of America.