Beacon High School Students Fought For 2 Years To Have Both Muslim Eid Holidays Recognized As Day Off

As first reported by the Beacon High School Newspaper Club April 2023 print edition, the Breaking Beacon, high school students in the Muslim community in Beacon fought for the last 2 years to have both of Islam’s holiest holidays, Eid al-Fitr (celebrating the completion of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha, be recognized as official school days off. According to reporting in the article, the students encountered a “back and forth” resistance from Beacon’s Superintendent Matthew Landahl and Board of Education President Meredith Heuer.

The April 2023 print edition of “Breaking Beacon,” the newspaper of the Beacon High School.

After presenting quotes from emails from the Beacon City School Board of Education, which stated “excuses” on why the holidays could not be made official, student reporter Nadeen Ahmed, in the final sentence of her article titled “School Inclusion For Muslim Holidays," stated: “We are hoping when developing the 2023-2024 calendar, these holidays will be considered.” Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month long holiday of Ramadan, was recognized as an official holiday in April 2023, and experienced for the first time in 2024, during the time of the escalated genocide of the Palestinians of all faiths but mainly Muslims in Gaza.

“Muslims already have to deal with not being respected as a religion. People think our beliefs are fatuous and too oftenly get called oppressed when that simply isn’t true. We realize we cannot change everyone’s opinions, but not even being recognized, that is our breaking point,” Nadeen wrote.

She went on to report: “Students in the Beacon City School District have gone back and forth with the superintendent and the president of the school board, but have made no progress in getting them to consider having the rightful days off for these significant Muslim holidays.”

Why An Excused Absence vs School Holiday For Either Muslim Holiday of Eid Is Harmful and Dismissive

While the school board offered to give an excused absence to Muslim students recognizing the holidays, the reporter described why that was insufficient and harmful: “Offering us an excused day off will cause more harm than it will benefit us. The day will be filled with stress about the work that we will have to make up as well as any final, Regents, or AP exam review we might be missing, or even the test itself.”

“We understand that making a school calendar does happen after a lot of planning to meet the ‘necessary parameters,’ but these days should be considered one of them. In recent years, Eid al-Adha hasn’t been during the school year, but in upcoming yeras it will be. When this day comes, we expect to be at home, not worrying about the schoolwork or test preparations we’ll be missing.”

— Nadeen Ahmed

Nadeen described the feelings around both Eids, to help non-Muslim readers identify: “Imagine. It’s Christmas Day, you wake up full of joy and excitement to continue the traditions that have been in your family for what seems like forever. To open presents in your cozy pajamas, spend the day with the family you haven’t seen in months or years, and to dine on the most delicious feast that you have been longing for since last Christmas. Stop imagining. Muslims don’t get the luxury - scratch that - we don’t get the right to honor our holidays’ true intentions. Days that should be spent celebrating, are instead being spent at school.”

Nadeen described the meaning behind both Eids: “During the holidays of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, students are still expected to attend school. During Ramadan, Muslims don’t eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset with a few exceptions to break their fast, this holiday lasts a month. Eid al-Fitr is a day Muslims spend celebrating the end of the hard month of Ramadan; celebrating our devotion and perseverance through the hardships. Finally, Eid al-Adha is a day commemorating the willingness of our prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as an act of obedience to God’s command. None of these holidays are being given their rightful days off to be truly celebrated and honored in our school district.”

District Stated That Eid-Adha Was In Summer - But It Rotates and Is Here Now

According to the article, the Beacon Board of Education provided several excuses of why the Eid holidays could not be written into the school calendar as full days off. One of them including the timing of Eid al-Adha, which is happening right now - June 16th and 17th 2024. According to the BBC and to Muslims in Beacon: “Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu-al-Hijjah - which is the twelfth and final month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The exact date depends on the sighting of the moon. On the morning of Eid, Muslims gather to perform Eid prayers in congregation. People traditionally wear new clothes and visit family and friends.”

The Breaking Beacon article presented pieces of emails and logic to debating the adoption of this holiday. The reporter pointed out: “These holidays have been during that time of year for many years [Regents, AP exams, finals].”

The article quoted an email from the District: “Our first read of our calendar was approved at the last meeting….” But the student reporter disputed: “The calendar had not had its final approval, so why can’t it be considered? This is not a valid excuse for not taking our holidays into account since they’ve had constant reminders about it.”

The reporter continued commentating on quotes from the emails from the District: “They [the District] also replied with: ‘Eid al-Fitr is on a Saturday and Eid al-Adha is after school is out for the summer, so I am not sure these holidays impact our calendar directly this year.’ It was said that for the 2022-2023 school year, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha do not fall on school days. Not only is that not true, but it would only be justifiable for that one year. While Eid al-Adha is on a day during the summer break, Eid al-Fitr does lie on a Friday. They use these as reasons, but in reality, these are excuses.”

Both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha Fell On School Days For 2024

This year, Ramadan was from March 10 - April 9, 2024 (as noted at MIT, which outlines accommodations given to Muslim students during that time, but also fails in giving both Eid holidays off as full school closures). Eid al Fitr fell on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Superintend Landahl made the announcement in his email to district families a year in advance, stating: “The BCSD Board of Education adopted the 23-24 calendar last night (April 24, 2023). The calendar has some changes from the previous years. Eid al-Fitr, the final day of Ramadan, is now a school holiday on April 10.”

There was no mention of Eid al-Adha, which was Monday and Tuesday of this week, which has been a time of finals, Regents, and a heat wave which has resulted in early dismissals.

However, this recognition of Eid al-Fitr seems like a win for Muslim families and the community at large. Other districts in the area, like Wappingers Falls, do not give the day off. In the Breaking Beacon article, published before the decision was made, the reporter wrote: “These holidays are coming up soon, and the Muslim students of our schools have other choice but to dread these days. Our school district has done nothing to recognize the importance of Muslim holidays. We understand that making a school calendar does happen after a lot of planning to meet the ‘necessary parameters,’ but these days should be considered one of them. In recent years, Eid al-Adha hasn’t been during the school year, but in upcoming yeras it will be. When this day comes, we expect to be at home, not worrying about the schoolwork or test preparations we’ll be missing.”

During last night’s City Council meeting (6/17/2024), Councilperson Molly Rhodes of Ward 1 wished those celebrating Eid al-Adha a Happy Mubarak.

Beacon City Schools Recognize Eid al-Fitr As School Holiday For First Time

Photo Credit: by Saimon Kite

When the Beacon City School principals or assistant principals sent out the upcoming holiday dates, like this one from Rombout Middle School, district families noticed a new school holiday: Eid al-Fitr, which is one of the most celebrated days in Islam. "This will be the first year that the Beacon City School District is closed for the Eid holiday,” Vickie Jackson, Secretary to Dr. Matthew Landahl, Superintendent, confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog. Once the Muslim community in Beacon completes Ramadan, which is the highly anticipated month of fasting from sunrise to sundown, the fast is celebrated on the last day of Ramadan on Eid al-Fitr.

Longtime writer for ALBB, Izdihar Dabashi, who is Muslim, Yemeni-American and a hijabi, explains what Eid is: “Muslims have two Eid holidays: Eid Al-Fitr, which is the first day to break fast following the holy month of Ramadan. Eid Al-Fitr celebrates the completion of Ramadan. We start the day by praying at the mosque for Allah (God) to accept our fast, charity, and good deeds during Ramadan. Each Muslim person donates money to the poor, and it’s common for people to send money to feed the poor or slaughter (in a humane and clean method, which makes it halal) a lamb to feed the poor. Eid is spent with family. Some of us go to the park, others to restaurants, some choose to just stay at home and have family over.”

Eid will be recognized as a school holiday in Beacon on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. The actual date is determined by the Hijri calendar - its lunar calendar of 12 months.

According to Zakat.org, “Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Hijri calendar’s 9th month, Ramadan, and the first day of its 10th month, Shawwal.” As for the start of Ramadan, Zakat.org states: “Based on Ramadan 2024 beginning March 11 (at night, with the first fasting day being March 12), we anticipate Eid al-Fitr 2024 to fall on or near April 9.”

Zakat means almsgiving in Arabic and is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. Zakat is considered a religious obligation and duty for Muslims.

Muslims In Beacon Celebrate Eid ul-Fitr At Memorial Park To Complete Ramadan

Masjid Ar Rashid (the Islamic Teaching Center) led the community of Muslims in and near Beacon in a celebration of Eid ul-Fitr, (“Festival of Breaking Fast”) at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The mosque led Takbir at 8:00am and Eid prayer at 9am in Memorial Park. Muslims brought their prayer mats and laid them on a tarp, as the grass was wet. Men, women and children came out to enjoy the sunshine, pray, and see each other.

For a refresher on what is celebrated during Ramadan, read this article from Izdihar Dabashi. If you see someone celebrating the day, it is joyous to say to them “Happy Eid” or “Eid Mubarak.” And remember, if you hear the call to prayer (adhan) from the mosque, this is what it means. Take a moment to take in some peace!

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Muslim Women during Eid at Memorial Park.
PHoto Credit: Masjid Ar Rashid.

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Muslim Men getting ready to pray during Eid at Memorial Park.
PHoto Credit: Masjid Ar Rashid.

Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr Celebrated Today (Sunday). The Intricate Images Of Mosques and Moons Explained

PIctured here are “Mammoul cookies, which are tea cookies stuffed with dates (spiced with cardamom) and are traditional across Arab culture and popular on Eid in Muslim countries. The tea is Yemeni style black tea, which means it’s brewed loose leaf and steeped with mint and cardamom,” explains the writer, Izdihar.
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Editor’s Note: During quarentine for this coronavirus pandemic, holy holidays like Easter and Passover were experienced in this unknown time. Ramadan, the month-long Muslim holiday started shortly after, and ends today (Sunday) with a celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. A Little Beacon Blog asked writer Izdihar Dabashi to explore the holiday with us, to come closer understanding to what many in Beacon’s community are celebrating today. Take it away, Izdihar!

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If you’re scrolling through images of lanterns and intricate graphics of mosques and moons on social media and wondering what about Ramadan, you are not alone. As a Muslim with plenty of non-muslim friends, I can confidently say most of my friends were unaware of what occurs during the Islamic holy month until I explain the significance of this month.

First and foremost, Ramadan celebrates the month in which the Qur’an, the Islamic holy book, was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Ramadan begins on the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar that varies due to the cycle of the moon. The first sighting of the crescent of a new moon indicates the beginning as well as the end of the month of Ramadan.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown in which they refrain from food and drink. Anyone of good health is expected to fast excluding young children, pregnant/breastfeeding and menstruating women, travelers, those in battle, and people with any health condition in which fasting may risk their well-being. Muslims wake up before sunrise for suhoor, which is an early morning meal before the beginning of the fast. After sunset, Muslims break their fast with the after sunset meal is known as iftar. Traditionally, as set by the Prophet Muhammad’s example, the fast is broken by eating dates but it is not mandatory.

Side Note: I have Ramadan to blame for my obsession with dates. Seriously, you won’t understand the value of dates until you have them spiced with cardamom and stuffed in a maamoul, a traditional Arab tea cookie. To be fair, dates are eaten in their natural form when breaking fast, so perhaps my obsession with dates in dessert is no one’s fault but my own.

The significance of Ramadan goes beyond refraining from food and drink. It’s a month of dedication to the cleansing of your mind and body. Reconnecting to your spirituality occurs through intentionally devoting time to prayer, family and community, and faith. Muslims pray 5 times a day- dawn (Fajr), early afternoon (Duhr), late afternoon (Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and night (Isha’a). The spiritual, physical, and mental act of prayer remains constant all year but Ramadan encourages greater time spent on reading the Quran and praying Du’a, a type of prayer best described as making requests such as asking for Allah (the Arabic word for God) for strength, peace, or more personal supplications.

Allah is believed to ascend to the lowest rank of the sky, referred to as the heaven, every night of the year. Muslims believe that prayers have a greater chance of being accepted and forgiven during Ramadan, which may be explained by people holding an authentic intention during this month or the belief that the gates of heaven are open in the third part of the Ramadan night, a few hours before dawn. The Nabulsi Encyclopedia of Islamic perfectly describes the weight prayer holds for many Muslims, “work is based on vision and vision is based on light and prayer is light”.

Connecting to family and community is easier when you refrain from distractions and focus on priorities during this month of peace, Muslims abstain from listening to music, limiting excessive attention to our surface-level appearances, and entertainment television. During this month, being unkind, using foul language, displaying rude or aggressive behavior without attempting to redeem the harm you cause will result in your fast being unaccepted.

Since this month is spent effortfully limiting bad deeds and focusing on committing good deeds while connecting to the people around you, Muslims donate food and money. Some Muslims may focus on actively feeding a family, others may donate to charity or put together organizations for people in the community who need extra support such as someone with cancer needing assistance in covering medical bills.

When I reference the “community,” it does not allude to only Muslims, religion is not a barrier as to who Muslims choose to offer aid to, anyone they know who needs help will be cared for. Muslims are not awarded by Allah for committing charitable acts, they need to have an earnest intention and intentionally set aside what you can of money and time instead of simply giving away unwanted items around the house. Charity needs to be done wholeheartedly.

“The pandemic changed the bond that comes with the redemption of Ramadan. In my family, we’d usually try to invite people over for iftar or people would invite us, and soon the home becomes alive and filled with warm laughter as everyone bustles around the kitchen to prepare for breaking our fast. ”

— Izdihar Dabashi

Prior to the current pandemic, mosques are normally filled with people breaking their fast or coming to night prayer (Isha’a); especially weekends, when families are able to bring food and break their fast with other Muslims in the community. Some mosques even invite other faiths and non-Muslims to experience a Ramadan iftar. Muslims who are able to make it to the mosque after sundown will follow prayers lead by the Imaam usually to ask for forgiveness, peace, and relief in the world.

The pandemic changed the bond that comes with the redemption of Ramadan. In my family, we’d usually try to invite people over for iftar or people would invite us, and soon the home becomes alive and filled with warm laughter as everyone bustles around the kitchen to prepare for breaking our fast. After iftar and the final prayer of the night, we would gather in the living room with tea and dessert and experience time passing by as we exchange stories and laughter.

Nevertheless, the true spirit and purpose of Ramadan remain intact despite the various hardships experienced this year. Ramadan teaches mindfulness, empathy for those in need, generosity, and humbleness across generations. Any social confinements of age, socioeconomic status, and gender cease to exist in Ramadan. We become equals striving for balance and nourishing individual connection between God and oneself. Ramadan reminds you to be conscious of your role within the community and our earth.

The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid al-Fitr (prounounced “eed,” like “feed” without the f), the religious holiday to celebrate completing a month of fast. Muslims attend Eid prayer at the mosque held in the morning, listen to a khutba (a sermon), and give Zakat al-Fitr before the Eid prayer. In traditional Islam, zakat al-Fitr used to be a charity given in the form of food. In the United States, it is common for $10 to be donated for every household member, others may send money if they have family in different countries or they may gather people to donate to communities in need of money. It is only important for the donation to be made before the Eid prayer for it to be accepted as Zakat al-Fitr. After a morning spent in the mosque, Muslims spend the day with friends and family. Some may choose to dine at restaurants or celebrate outside while others may choose to prepare a feast at home. This year, many Muslims are using Zoom to connect with family or participating in drive-by parades. The pandemic may have brought on adversity but the spirit of Ramadan and Eid will only grow as Muslims are reminded of the blessings of proximity and kinship.