NEW YORK CITY — This week New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to implement a policy that would close schools for Muslim holidays and the Chinese New Year. The two Muslim holidays include, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. 

Bill de Blasio didn’t discuss whether Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which is very popular in the city among its large South Asian population. Students in the city’s schools come from homes where over 185 languages are spoken and more than 42 percent come from homes where English is not the primary language according to the NYC Independent Budget Office’s annual report on NYC  Public School Indicators. 

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY)  applauded NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio for plans to move forward in closing schools for the Muslim holidays .’

“The NYC Muslim community looks forward to finally having the Eid holidays recognized in our public schools. It will be gratifying to know that Muslim children will soon no longer have to choose between honoring and celebrating their faith or missing class. We applaud Mayor de Blasio on his plans to soon make this a reality,” said CAIR-NY Executive Board Member Zead Ramadan.   

During his election campaign in October, the mayor announced his promise to recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which take place at the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan and following the annual pilgrimage to Mecca respectively. “The origins of this nation (are) people of many different faiths coming together … That’s why we have to respect Muslim faiths by providing the Eid school holidays for children in our school system,” said de Blasio.