Al Arabiya reports that New York mayoral candidates from the democrat and Republican parties have expressed support for children getting school days off during Eid.
Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio said that it was unfair for Muslim children to have to decide between observing the religious holiday or sitting for an exam that could fall on the same day.
His Republican Party opponent Joe Lhota also voiced support for students getting days off during Eid.
“Their religion needs to be respected as all other religions are respected,” he was quoted as saying by the New York Daily News.
New York schools currently have mandatory holidays for the Christian festivals Easter and Christmas, and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Passover.
Thirteen percent of New York school children are Muslim. Very soon, they can spend time at home on Eid with their family -- in every way, a far sweeter prospect than sweating it out over a Math exam.
