EDIT: An earlier version of this petition stated that students get days off for Hanukkah. This was incorrect and has been removed. However, not having days off for Hanukkah is also unfair, and Sachem should move to rectify this as well.

In 2015, New York City public schools made the two Muslim holidays of Eid-al-Adha and Eid-ul-Fitr official days off. It is past time for Sachem to follow suit.

There is an estimated number of 80,000 Muslims on Long Island, and about 1 million in New York as a whole. Giving students days off on these holidays would give many students the chance to spend the day with their loved ones instead of worrying about missed work or excused absences.

Children are already given days off for Christmas, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, yet Muslims are not represented in this area. We are not asking for special or preferential treatment, but simply asking for equality.

Currently, Muslim children simply miss school on the days of Eid, and teachers / administrators correctly treat this as an excused absence. In theory, this stop-gap approach seems like a good solution. One might ask: how many Muslim kids can there possibly be? Does it warrant cancelling school?

In practice, however, not having sanctioned days off leads to children falling behind on schoolwork. Some children may opt to not celebrate their holiest holiday in order to not miss an important lesson or crucial review for an exam. This is a decision that is unfair to put on a child and is a decision that children of other faiths are not forced to make.

Making the two days of Eid official school holidays will help foster inclusivity and ensure a more equitable education experience for all.

We are a country with the freedom of religion. Is it really the freedom of religion if we can’t freely practice our religion just like every other religion does?  Thank you.