WATERBURY, Conn. — The Muslim community in Waterbury is asking for the public school district to recognize their religious holidays so that their children, families, and friends can be seen.
Advocates at CAIR-CT and Muslim community members have requested for Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr scheduled as official holidays.
“We want recognition for our holidays, so our families and friends no longer feel invisible inside the walls of our schools,” said Fahd Syed, Vice Chair for the City of Waterbury’s Human Rights Commission.
Eid al-Adha also known as the Feast of Sacrifice is one of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam, which commemorates the Abrahamic sacrifice narrative.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month-long fasting of Ramadan where Muslims fast, engage in spiritual reflection, and congregate for the nightly vigil prayers.
“Following other school districts around the state of Connecticut, Waterbury has seen a significant growth in its diversified Muslim populations that include Latino, African American, Pakistani, Indian, Arab, Albanian, and others. Due to sheer volume, the Muslim students have often voiced that recognizing their religious holiday is an important step towards providing them a sense of inclusion and parity with others,” said Jawad Ashraf Secretary of Waterbury Islamic Cultural Center.
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