Muslim holidays and public school closings

Question for Rochelle S. Eisenberg, an attorney who has represented school boards and superintendents across Maryland. She works for the law firm Hodes, Pessin & Katz: Q: Since school systems aren't allowed to ask for religious affiliations, would the school consider sending out surveys to get the opinions of parents in regards to the addition of the Muslim holiday(s)? --- Nazma Khan-Edwards A: The issue as to whether any particular religious holiday should be a school holiday cannot be based on a survey of community interest or intent. It must be based on the impact the holiday has on the school system. Should there be such absenteeism of students or staff that the education of students is adversely impacted, only then may a local board of education consider closing for the holiday. For instance, if such a large number of teachers were absent that it would be difficult to secure substitutes, then the local board would consider closing on the holiday. For instance, in some western Maryland counties, the schools are closed on the first day of hunting season due to the rate of absenteeism should the schools be opened. In a southern Maryland county, the schools are closed on Fair Day. The issue is not intent. The issue is impact. What is the impact of the religious holiday on the operation of the public school in the county? If the impact is minimal, the school system may not close. Question for Dr. Bash Pharoan, president of the Baltimore chapter of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee: Q: What did you tell your children when they weren't allowed to take off from school to celebrate Eid? --- Nazma Khan-Edwards A: It has been difficult to explain to my three sons why the public school system is not treating them equal to others.  In the younger years, my wife and I stressed to our children to attend school, even on our holidays. When the turn-down of equal holidays occurred in 1997 or close to it, by Dr. Stuart R. Berger, who was then superintendent of Baltimore County public schools, I started teaching my sons to be active in discussing matters of ethnicity and discrimination with others. I encouraged them to educate others about Islam and Arab culture and history. I must admit, it was a difficult road, as many times they come back with stories of how others are not aware of or misinformed about Islam. The exclusion of Muslims from the school’s holidays is part of general trend to profile and discriminate against others who the others perceive as different. I tell my sons that the U.S. can count those who are visible. We can reverse the profiling and the discrimination by active participation in public affairs and in public debates. Question for Rochelle S. Eisenberg, an attorney who has represented school boards and superintendents across Maryland. She works for the law firm Hodes, Pessin & Katz: Q: Why can't Christmas and Easter breaks be shortened to accommodate Muslim holidays? --- Nazma Khan-Edwards A: State law requires that the schools in all counties be closed on certain days, including Christmas Eve and from then through January 1 and the Friday before Easter and from then through the Monday after Easter. (See Section 7-103 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland). Closing on these days is mandatory, not discretionary, in all Maryland counties. This same law requires that the public schools in Maryland be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, and primary and general election days. Question for Dr. Bash Pharoan, president of the Baltimore chapter of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee: Q: What keeps you motivated after so many years of being turned down on this issue? --- Nazma Khan-Edwards A: The Japanese-American experience inspired me after 9/11. America unfairly interned its own citizens and immigrants just because of their Japanese ancestry during World War II. Japanese-Americans still organized in the aftermath of internment despite the heavy pressure on them. The USA today is casting a new internment on Muslim and Arab-Americans in a non-physical way. Arab and Muslim-Americans today are subject to surveillance, racial and religious profiling, and deprivation of equal rights in schools and worse than that by the public schools passing misinformation about Islam or Arab culture, thus they add fuel to the fire. My eyes today are set on making a better future for our grandchildren so they can be included in the American way of life, as equal citizens, adding to and enriching America in the same way as America enrich them. We owe it to this nation not to be a nation of smart discrimination. We send a terrible message to the world when we preach democracy, freedom and human rights, when in fact we still discriminate against many minorities without due cause. Question for Rochelle S. Eisenberg, an attorney who has represented school boards and superintendents across Maryland. She works for the law firm Hodes, Pessin & Katz: Q: Year after year, children who celebrate Christmas have something to look forward to. Muslims fast for 30 days and in the end have to make the decision of whether to send their child(ren) to school or celebrate with families. These two days off that we would like implemented ARE for the children. Aren't the children our future? What do we tell our children as to why their school isn't closed for Eid? --- Nazma Khan-Edwards A: If a child asks why his school is not closed on any particular religious holiday, and if the child is old enough to understand the following, explain that there are not enough children or teachers absent for the school system to be closed on that particular holiday. Explain that within any heterogeneous, diverse society, there are people who follow many faiths (and some choose not to follow any faith). Schools cannot be closed on every holiday for every faith or the school systems could not function. State law requires that public schools be open for 180 actual school days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a 10-month period in each school year. Tell the children that all families in America have the right to provide religious instruction to their children outside of the public schools or have their children attend private, religious schools in lieu of the public schools. Other countries do not give families this right and some do not even give all citizens equal rights unless they profess certain religious beliefs. If a family wishes their child to engage in a religious observance on any particular religious holiday, the child will be excused from school and the absence will be deemed lawful. This is not the case in all countries. Tell the children to be grateful to be living in America, which is the most diverse, open, and religiously tolerant country in the world.