Fairfield students push for Muslim holidays to be added to school calendar throughout district

Students throughout the Fairfield School District asked the Board of Education to add Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to the school calendar.

News 12 Staff

Nov 19, 2022, 12:52 AM

Updated 753 days ago

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Families are working to change the Fairfield School District to be more inclusive of Muslim holidays.
Students throughout the Fairfield School District asked the Board of Education to add Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to the school calendar.
They say it would allow for a more inclusive environment for this important day in the Muslim community to be acknowledged.
“Throughout Fairfield, throughout school, they always talk about inclusion and equity, and I think that’s great, but I think a great way to include that is to give us Eid as a holiday,” said Yahia Hassan.
Other towns in Connecticut have supported adding Eid al-Fitr to their calendar, like Bridgeport and New Haven.
In the Muslim religion, the end of Ramadan is celebrated with food and family at their Eid celebration.
But students say their non-Muslim friends don’t know much about it.
“It’s my holiday and I want to invite non-Muslim friends there and I don’t want to miss school,” said Zara Fadl.
The executive board of director for the Islamic Center of Connecticut says families should be together on this holy day.
"Both of these holidays are celebrated with the prayer in large congregations outside the Mosque, for the most part, depending on the size of the community, which includes male, female and children," said Executive Board of Director Anis Shaikh. "It is something done as a family. Both the holidays are unique in its way."
The next board meeting will be on Nov. 29 where the students plan to speak again. The Board of Education is expected to make a decision on this in December.