Gavin Newsom set to sign bill making 2 Muslim holy days official state holidays

Assembly Bill 2017 would recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays, allowing state workers to use holiday credits to take the days off, reports the New York Post. The bill has already cleared the California Assembly by a 64-1 vote in May and is now awaiting a full Senate vote. Lawmakers have until the end of the legislative session, expected Monday, to send the measure to Newsom.

“California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country,” bill author Assemblymember Matt Haney, a Democrat, said. “AB 2017 is about making sure Muslim Californians are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state.”

The legislation would also allow community colleges and public schools to choose to recognize the holidays and teach students about them.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, California, has backed the bill, saying Muslim students can otherwise face conflicts between school attendance and religious observances.

“Muslim students often face a no-win situation: attend school and miss communal prayers and religious practices or observe their faith and risk falling behind academically,” the organization said.

“Even when absences are excused, students can miss instruction and feel excluded from their peers.”

The California Family Council, however, has raised concerns over schools being permitted to teach about the holidays. The group said it does not object to allowing people to take the days off, but opposed what it described as schools being given a pathway to “celebrating Islamic theology in schools.”

“No California statute authorizes public schools to hold exercises celebrating the meaning of Christmas, Easter or Good Friday,” the council said. “The asymmetry is written into the law.”

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, while Eid al-Adha commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah. Both holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar, so their dates change each year.

If approved, the measure would add the two holidays to California’s growing list of recognized community-specific holidays, including Diwali and Lunar New Year. Muslim groups say California is home to more than one million Muslims.