Dear Cliffside Park School Administration,

The Islamic Holiday of Eid is an important holiday for Muslims worldwide.  Eid occurs twice in the Islamic calendar, the first Eid is Eid Al-Fitr and the second is Eid Ul-Adha.  Eid Al-Fitr is the first day after Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, in which Muslims fast, pray, and come together as a community.  Eid Al-Fitr is celebrated by millions of Muslims as it signifies the end of Ramadan and the end of fasting.  The second is Eid Ul-Adha, in which Muslims celebrate and remember the story of how Prophet Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his son as a sign of obedience and when God ordered him to and was then given a lamb to sacrifice instead of his son.

Both Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Ul-Adha are very important holidays in the Islamic community.  On both holidays, Muslims have a traditional Eid prayer at their local Masjid/Mosque, and later come together and celebrate with their friends, families, and local community.  However, many Muslim students find it hard to celebrate because of school.  Many times, Eid will fall on a school day and Muslim students will feel pressured and stressed out about missing school, as teachers will usually assign important work or tests that they will miss out on.  Though we may have excused absences, many students don't know about this, and will still be marked, which isn't fair for many of us.  Next year, it is likely that both Eids will fall on a school day. 

Both Eids should be recognized as holidays at Cliffside Park and schools should be closed on those days in recognition.  Closing the schools would allow the students who observe the holiday to be able to celebrate without having to worry about missing out on anything important at school.  It will allow them to celebrate with their friends and families happily.

Muslims make up a huge portion of the student body in the Cliffside Park schools.  We already barely use our snow days, so why not use them for something that would be beneficial to the Muslim students at Cliffside Park?

Sincerely,

Shahd Ibrahim