Two major Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, could become state-recognized holidays under a bill heading to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk.
The state House on Monday passed Senate Bill 5106, weeks after the Senate had done the same.
Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic holiday, typically in spring, marking the end of Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. Eid al-Adha is a festival marking the end of the hajj pilgrimage and commemorating the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
The bill, though, does not make Eid a paid holiday in the state.
The passage of the “Eid bills” may help inform school districts before they create academic calendars for the year and could facilitate time-off requests in schools and workplaces, said the Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.
School district graduation dates have conflicted with Islamic holidays in previous years, putting Muslim students in a difficult position, CAIR-WA said in its statement.
“Recognition of Eid is not just symbolic but a step toward equity,” said Rep. Osman Salahuddin, D-Redmond, the first Muslim Washington state House representative, in a prepared statement.
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