The Baltimore County Board of Education meets this evening to discuss the 2008-09 school calendar. Mundane stuff, right? Not really. A debate rages over whether to add one Muslim holiday to the list of those celebrated.
Those who support adopting a Muslim holiday frame the argument as one of freedom of religion. It?s not. It?s about business. School Superintendent Joe Hairston should be commended for having the courage to say so in this age where public officials bend over backwards not to offend anyone, ever.
Those who back adopting an Islamic holiday purposefully misinterpret the U.S. Constitution and pave the way for other minority groups to demand and expect special privileges. While this debate may be located in Baltimore County, it holds national implications, making a right decision all the more important. Ironically, it occurs at the same time thousands protest around the country in Muslim Turkey for the government to remain secular.
Bash Pharoan, Baltimore Chapter President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, says “the current proposed calendar recognizes one minority religion holidays [sic] based on political foundation and not impact on schools, thus violating the principle of separation of ?religion and state.? ”
First, school holidays do not reflect religion. They reflect when the majority of students, faculty and parents go on vacation.
If Christmas, for example, were a school day, very few students would show, nor would teachers. That would be a colossal waste of money for salaries, heat and other operations. Besides, the claim that all holidays reflect “Christian” sentiments stretches the imagination. Columbus Day and Presidents Day don?t make appearances on any religious calendar.
Second, under Pharoan?s logic, every religion should be recognized in the school calendar with a day off, and maybe the atheists, who might otherwise feel discriminated against, or agnostics who can?t decide whether to take a day off or not. The U.S. Constitution makes very clear its position allowing freedom of religion. Nowhere in the document does it say public institutions must accommodate every religious group. Doing so would violate the separation of church and state by allowing religion to dictate government operations.
Since the U.S. Census and the school system do not track the religious affiliation of students, it?s impossible to say how many Muslim students are in the Baltimore County school system. But good statistics would be a welcome addition to this discussion.
If population figures showed that enough students and teachers would be absent to impede school operations, Pharoan and other supporters of changing the calendar could make a solid argument for adding a Muslim holiday. Until then, it should be a moot point in Baltimore County and around the country.
