Howard County, Maryland Approves Muslim, Hindu, Asian Holidays in School Calendar
Maryland’s Howard County Board of Education has unanimously voted to add Muslim, Hindu, and Asian holidays as days in which students will be off.
“This vote is proof that it is indeed possible to accommodate the religious needs of multiple faith communities in diverse school districts,” said Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Maryland Outreach Manager Zainab Chaudry. “Religious pluralism is the hallmark of an integrated and inclusive society. We see that reflected in the Howard County Board of Education’s decision.”
CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror financing trial, and a designated terror organization in the United Arab Emirates.
“I am extremely pleased by the Board’s ability to discuss and unanimously agree to seek ways to recognize the diverse backgrounds of Howard County’s students and families,” said board of education chairwoman Christine O’Connor. “We want to do our best to find flexibility within the calendar to provide opportunities for all students to experience all cultures within our community.”
The Baltimore Sun reports the school district has always closed schools on state-mandated holidays and on the Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. However, a recent proposal to keep schools open on the Jewish holidays and only allow school closures for those mandated by the state evoked significant public attention in December. (Read more from “Howard County, Maryland Approves Muslim, Hindu, Asian Holidays in School Calendar” HERE)
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