posted on October 27, 2005 08:42:38 AM new
This story reminds me of something reamond once asked.....how were Christians going to accept it when the Muslim faith wanted 'equal' time. Guess this shows how it's going down in Florida.
School board bans religious holidays - Nixes days off after Muslim group asked classes be canceled for Eid
Rather than add a school holiday for Muslims who were requesting one, a Florida school board has canceled all religious observances – including Yom Kippur, Good Friday and the day after Easter.
The Hillsborough County School Board this week approved its 2006-07 calendar without the religious holidays, on a 6-1 vote, the Tampa Tribune reported.
"A school board cannot recognize a religious holiday for the sole purpose of recognizing a religious holiday," board attorney Tom Gonzalez is quoted as telling a packed meeting of the panel Tuesday.
The controversy began when Ahmed Bedier, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, in December requested a school holiday for Eid Al-Fitr, a holy day marking the end of Ramadan.
The board then decided to reconsider the district calendar, voting to delete all religious holidays.
Bedier called the change away from observing religious holidays "just an excuse to hide bias against the Muslims."
Bishop Chuck Leigh, president of the Florida Council of Churches, backed Bedier, telling the Tampa paper: "I think it's really petty on the part of the school board. ... Instead of giving them one holiday, they decided they're not going to give anybody anything."
Bedier told Tampa Bay's 10 News: "It will stigmatize and cause friction between Christian and Jewish students and Muslim students, because now kids at schools will say, 'Hey, the Muslim kids were responsible for us losing our holiday.'"
Several individuals connected to the Council on American-Islamic Relations have been indicted on terrorism-related charges. In addition, CAIR's chairman of the board, Omar Ahmad, was cited by a California newspaper in 1998 declaring the Quran should be America's highest authority. He also was reported to have said Islam is not in America to be equal to any other religion but to be dominant.
Board member Jennifer Faliero voted against the new calendar, saying she believes Good Friday has become a secular holiday in American culture. "It is now about the Easter Bunny.... They have taken religion out of it completely," she said.
The policy of excusing students with no penalty on their religious holidays will continue, board members stressed.
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Previous stories on WND:
District bans
Halloween to not offend witches
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School bans Christmas, but OK
with Halloween
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Christmas in America becomes battleground
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posted on October 27, 2005 12:09:12 PM new
"The Rev. Colin gets it.
Just don't call them rag-heads."
dont call them camel jockeys or towel heads either.Crowfart got all over Fennix's butt for making that statement last year and calling her a racist...remember Fenix?? ROFLMAO!!
posted on October 27, 2005 05:09:45 PM new
chimp- actually, that was Colin. though he was referring to the group he belongs to... you know... those who wear sheets over their heads... the KKK.
posted on October 27, 2005 07:15:12 PM new
"'Hey, the Muslim kids were responsible for us losing our holiday.'" "
Which is better than "Hey, that Muslim kid's Dad KILLED my Dad!"
I think this decision is stupid. I think every single Christian/Jew who is unhappy about this decision should withdraw their child from the school. If the Muslims want it so bad let them have it. Oh wait, that's the policy the Liberals have concerning Iraq. Bad idea there too.
Seriously, our rights continue to be stripped away by politcal correctness. It has to stop.
This country has been based around Christian concepts (and holidays) since the country was founded. Why change that now? How many of our founding fathers were Muslims?
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Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum sonatur.
posted on October 27, 2005 07:48:44 PM new
Idiotic. I especially like the statement by the school board's attorney: "A school board cannot recognize a religious holiday for the sole purpose of recognizing a religious holiday," ...
Yeah, the board members claim Easter vacation is secular...but we know it isn't, really. Same for the Jewish kids getting time off for Hanukkah. Let a non Judeo-Christian religion ask for equal treatment and all hell breaks loose. Typical.
And, Colin, for you to claim that this is an attempt by radical Muslims to disrupt our government is equally ludicrous.
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"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush
posted on October 27, 2005 07:55:12 PM new
Federal Holidays are holidays that are held for federal employees, they aren't "National Holidays", there is no such thing, and since they aren't, there is no guideline that suggests that states or other entities should follow them.
Near, the NYSE is a private entity, not a governmental organization. They can do whatever they want. This has no bearing whatever on governmental organizations like
schools.
So are they saying that there will be no school time off for "Christmas" vacation?
WEBayer: Nope, they'll call it Winter Holiday, and take the days off anyhow, which is how it should be done. Along with Good Friday, and the Monday after Easter, which they'll call Spring Recess or something. It's really not a big deal.
I'm trying to figure out how this is news or a big deal in any way. My district, which is tiny and in a conservative, very rural, and 101% conservative Christian area, has for years called Christmas break Winter break, and Easter break Spring Break. Big deal. Heck, we were even calling it Winter break before we discontinued having a live Nativity scene with a real baby at the school Christmas play.
I guess people around here just don't have time to get upset about stuff that doesn't matter.
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