Philadelphia Schools to Recognize Two Muslim Holidays
Proving yet again that it is a city of inclusion and acceptance, Philadelphia recently announced that its schools will be among the first in the nation to recognize two significant Muslim holidays on the administrative calendar. Not content to stop there, Mayor Jim Kenney says that he has appointed a task force to determine the logistics of also adopting the days off for city workers.
Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, which is now recognized as a holiday on the Philadelphia school calendar.
Yesterday, Kenney held a press conference alongside Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. He commented that Philadelphia’s history “is based on being a place where religious freedom is part of its founding ethos.” Furthermore, he went on to say that: “Our city was built on the idea that while we may be different in nationality and ethnicity, the city welcomes all to worship and practice the faiths of our culture or our choosing.”
A handful of smaller school districts have already taken the step of adding the Muslim holidays to their calendars. New York City became the first major metropolis to do so, an act that was seen as especially meaningful considering the tide of anti-Muslim sentiment following 9/11. Philadelphia’s move, coming in the wake of Islamophobic comments by presidential candidate Donald Trump, is equally political.
