North Jersey Muslims Allege School Discrimination During Islamic Holiday

As millions of East Coast Catholics prepare to celebrate the arrival of Pope Francis in New York on Thursday evening, some North Jersey Muslims are reporting that they are experiencing discrimination for Eid al-Adha, one of the most important Islamic holidays of the year.

In Jersey City, several Muslim parents are claiming that their civil rights have been violated after the Board of Education reversed an earlier decision to close public schools for Eid al-Adha this year.

And nearby in Newark, a student reported that her professor at Rutgers University refused to excuse her from class unless she produced “documents” that proved “attending classes on a religious holiday is not prohibited in your religion.”

WHAT IS EID AL-ADHA

Eid al-Adha, also called the “Feast of Sacrifice,” commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, as well as marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

The celebration – which is recognized worldwide and is a public holiday in many nations - began on Wednesday this year.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wrote that the holiday is “one of the fundamental pillars” of the Islamic faith.

“Eid al-Adha is a special time when Muslims pause to appreciate the importance of sacrifice and devotion,” Kerry wrote. “It provides an opportunity for renewed spirituality, prayer, and reflection, and for families and friends to gather in celebration and thanks for the many blessings of God… It is also a time for charity and for helping those who are less fortunate.”

JERSEY CITY

In Hudson County, several Jersey City Muslims are protesting the school board’s recent decision to keep the city’s public schools open during Eid al-Adha, so as not to disturb the school routines of non-Islamic families.

The board’s decision was especially consternating to many local Muslims, as the school board had originally approved the closure of schools on Sept. 24 in observance of the holiday.

City Council members also approved the decision via a separate resolution during their Sept. 9 meeting.

However during a public meeting on Sept. 17, school board members reversed their earlier decision and decided to keep schools open, setting off a furious response from local Muslim parents in attendance.

“Doing this at this point on six days’ notice for this upcoming holiday is going to cause undue hardship on 5,000 to 10,000 people, who are going to have to scramble to get coverage for their children,” board member Gerald Lyons explained at the meeting, the Daily Mail stated.

But a Muslim parent with children in the school district told Hudson County View that while the incident isn’t overtly racist, “it’s saying no to our human rights.”

“We have a right to celebrate the same way the other religious holidays are happening and our children feel really left out,” Jessica Berrocal Abdelnabbi told Hudson County View.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fullop called the school board’s decision a “missed opportunity,” especially considering that New York decided to close schools in honor of the holiday for the first time this year, NJ.com reported.

According to the Jersey City public school calendar, the only other approved religious holiday for 2015 was Good Friday.

NEWARK

In Essex County, a student at Rutgers University-Newark is alleging that one of her professors refused to excuse her from class for Eid al-Adha unless she proved that it was required by her religion.

According to The Daily Targum, the professor’s email read:

“I am sure that attending classes on a religious holiday is not prohibited in your religion… Please bring me a document form your religious leader confirming that you should not attend classes on a religious holiday and I will accept that confirmation as a valid excuse for your class absence.”

University administrators responded by informing the student that the professor’s email doesn’t represent school policy, and the professor has since issued the student an apology, The Daily Targum reported.

Photo from the Sept. 17 Jersey City Board of Education meeting via WNBC-TV

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