Authored by Bryan Hyde via American Greatness,
Multiculturalism is on the march in California: A Democratic state lawmaker has introduced a bill to recognize two Muslim holidays as official state holidays.
Fox 11 reports that California State Assembly member Matt Haney (D–San Francisco) has introduced AB 2017, which would designate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays and would, in Haney’s words, ensure that Muslims are “seen, valued and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state.”
According to the New York Post, Eid al-Adha is among the most important holidays in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan—the month in which faithful Muslims fast from dawn until sunset.
Haney says the California Muslim community is among the largest in the country, yet they do not have major holidays recognized by the state in the way Christianity does—for example, Christmas or Easter.
In a news release, Haney said, “No student should have to choose between celebrating one of the holiest days of their faith and showing up to school, and no worker should feel they have to sacrifice their religious observance.”
AB 2017 is cosponsored by the California chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR–CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.
CAIR–CA Legislative & Government Affairs Director Oussama Mokeddem celebrated the introduction of AB 2017, saying, “This is a historic moment for California’s over one million Muslims. The climate of heightened fear and anti-Muslim hostility in our country remains a daily reality.”
Mokeddem added, “In this environment, publicly celebrating these holidays is a powerful way for California to show Muslim constituents that their joy, traditions, and presence in our state are deeply valued and protected.”
The bill was also sponsored by the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs in California, which called it a “step toward ensuring that California’s policies reflect the diversity of the communities that call this state home.”
According to Fox 11, the bill will be heard in the Assembly Governmental Organization and Assembly Public Employment committees over the next few weeks.
If it passes, California would become the second state in the U.S. to formally recognize both Eid holidays.