NYC Is Closing Schools On Muslim Holidays for the First Time

a reply to: thesaneone

Most of the Indian people are in NJ.

I'm kidding.

i'd have to look, but i don't think the Hindu population in NYC is as large. And the Chinese New Year is a pretty big deal in NYC too, at least in Chinatown.

ETA: There are apparently a lot of Hindus in NYC, but they have not gotten there yet.

Here is another interesting article about htis (and I'm laughing because it has Edison, NJ in it): Link

a reply to: thesaneone
Yes, in the new America we must make everyone happy, while offending no one. Let's make up some scientology holidays to take off while we are at it. Some Voodoo days too. Church of Satan probably has a few. How about Raleians? How about a day off for Branch Davidians and Heaven's Gate?

i'm fine with it so long as they don't use any muslim symbolism to promote it.
if you can't use Christian symbolism, it's only right that you not use muslim symbolism.

Politically savvy schoolchildren all over the country are feverishly coming up with new religions as we speak! Soon snow days will be a thing of the past, because every religious group will have holidays that require time off school! 365!

Yeah, having Christmas break wasn't OK. It hasn't been Christmas break in a LONG time where I live, it's winter break.

There should be no breaks for specific religions in schools. It's BS. Where do you draw the line? Saying that it's OK for certain religions means it's OK for ALL religions. Even the made up ones. Change winter break to not include Christmas, don't start adding more days our undereducated youth go without schooling. Make it so that kids can skip a day without it reflecting on their attendance and have teachers give them reading assignments the day before.

Jew, Christian, Muslim shouldn't get special days off or rob children of school days.

It's about time? It's about time this stopped.

a reply to: thesaneone

Yet they are still associated with Christmas. Are schools ever open on Christmas? No. The holiday is recognized either way by association in my opinion. I don't see why Islamic kids should have a day marked against them if their religion asks for it just like it should be with any religion. Schools are closed on Good Friday, why not Ramadan too?

originally posted by: hounddoghowlie
i'm fine with it so long as they don't use any muslim symbolism to promote it.
if you can't use Christian symbolism, it's only right that you not use muslim symbolism.

Actually, from what I've seen, many schools up north and even some in the south use ALL the symbolism and use the diversity of the holidays to teach the children about each others cultures and religions.

The issues lie more in the exclusion of one over another than the inclusion of all.

Do the parents get a day off a work on these holidays too or do they still have to go to work while the kids are at home all alone and observing whatever the holiday it is?

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

No public school should observe any religious holiday.

originally posted by: thesaneone
Do the parents get a day off a work on these holidays too or do they still have to go to work while the kids are at home all alone and observing whatever the holiday it is?

Oh gee I dunno. Do the parents get all of spring break off? All of winter break off? All teacher workdays off? MLK and Presidents Day off?

a reply to: thesaneone

That would certainly be another way, the more logical way, to do it.

Remember that thing they used to have called Separation of church and state?

originally posted by: ~Lucidity

originally posted by: thesaneone
Do the parents get a day off a work on these holidays too or do they still have to go to work while the kids are at home all alone and observing whatever the holiday it is?

Oh gee I dunno. Do the parents get all of spring break off? All of winter break off? All teacher workdays off? MLK and Presidents Day off?

a reply to: thesaneone

That would certainly be another way, the more logical way, to do it.

I don't know that's why I was asking.
When my brother and I went to school our parents would save their vacation days for when we had our breaks so we could enjoy it as a family.

a reply to: abe froman

Yes the thing that prohibits a state sponsored religion.

I was going to say something really profound about religious holidays then i remembered i was getting a public holiday for a horse race Monday .

Adelaide Cup in Australia
Adelaide Cup is a state holiday in South Australia that falls on the second Monday of March. This horse racing event has been the heart of South Australia’s sporting and social life since it was first run in 1864.

Religious holidays don't seem over the top so much .

But .

How many days of education do we take away from our kids .

They have pupil free days here . WTF .

a reply to: Elton
It's supposed to mean a hell of a lot more than that.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

that maybe the case in some, but if i'm not mistaken NYC doesn't allow the main Christian symbolism the nativity scene during Christmas.
back in 2000's they banned the nativity scenes, if that has changed then i'll post a retraction to the post i made earlier, if proven wrong before time runs out i'll edit it.

ETA: i just checked wiki cause it's fast,

A controversy regarding these issues arose in 2002, when the New York City public school system banned the display of Nativity scenes, but allowed the display of less overtly religious symbols such as Christmas trees, Hanukkah menorahs, and the Muslim star and crescent.[43] The school system successfully defended its policy in Skoros v. City of New York (2006).[44]
Christmas controversy / War on Christmas

a reply to: thesaneone

I tend to agree with you, but Christian holidays are recognized already so I don't think a little equality is too much to ask for.

If I had it my way no religious holidays would be recognized but as it is they are.

As a working professional something or other (career specialist?) I get two days off for "christmas"-
I don't celebrate consumerist holidays, but some do. I'd rather get my days off in May, when I can use them in this climate.


I went to public school, and I'm going to go ahead and say it was a joke two decades ago- I can't imagine it's gotten better. I actually have heard it's gotten much worse- but I'm too busy scraping together franklins to keep the tax man off my back to pay attention. I don't think that's a coincidence, either.

As for holidays- I say stop closing school for religious holidays at all. If you want to teach children your agenda, make a schedule and stick to it. Those kids could learn a lot more if you'd stop cutting into their summer vacation. Do we still give kids break to help with harvest in the fall in this political nightmare?

Separation of church and state never existed. Marriage is a christian-like (Forgive me, I don't know much about religion) thing, yet state and federal lawyers swarm it like ants on a cracker. Find me a city of law that isn't directly governed by religious aspects- I'd be curious to see if a single one exists.

Any day our children don't have to endure the state's authoritarian positivist brainwashing (sorry, "socialization") is a good day, in my humble opinion. I'd be tickled pink if it was closed for the whole of Ramadan.

Of course, it should be noted that if we simply ended compulsory education, this debate would not ever need occur. How people have managed to convince themselves that it's a good idea for the state to control the education of our children is completely bewildering to me. It's just a blatantly obvious bad idea.

Christian holidays. Muslim holidays. What difference does it really make to squabble about it? When the holiday is over, you're still sending your children back, under threat of force, to an institution designed to make them the best slaves they can be.

They've got you completely distracted and arguing about a problem they invented for that very purpose.

The mental gymnastics are astounding.

Sorry that christianity hijacked other religions holidays to call their own, regardless of whos holiday it is, kids still get it off.

shoot it is two less days of common core, yall should be happy.

Are people really mad over this?

Crazy how it comes from the same 'Freedom for all' crowd

a reply to: beezzer

Why? Are they implementing any sort of Islamic monument?

Why are we talking nativity scenes and 10 commandments when it has nothing to do with what is going on