Portland Schools change Graduation Date to Accommodate Eid ul Fitr 2019

Now, a growing push to recognize Muslim holidays has been on the go and actions are being taken, surprisingly! The School Board of Portland in the Northeastern American state of Maine reviewed a proposal this month to change their graduation dates for the city’s three High Schools. This was done to accommodate the Muslim holiday of ‘Eid Al-Fitr’, reported by The Forecaster. 
The Hijri Calendar of Islam is a lunar one, meaning that months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. And since this type of calendars is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Eid Al-Fitr, as well as all Hijri months, migrate throughout the seasons. A memo to the School Board from Superintendent Xavier Botana read as following:

“This year the Muslim feast of `Eid Al-Fitr falls between June 3 and 5 when graduation is typically held. `Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic Hijri month of fasting, and is a major religious holiday.” 
 
The Memo also included:
 “The Portland Public Schools strives to accommodate the diverse religious beliefs of our students … (and) each year we ask our school leaders to not schedule important school events, activities or exams on (special) holidays.” 

Botana, the Chief Academic Officer, has proposed that the high school graduation dates be moved to June 6, 2019. This is because this year the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr is expected to fall between June 3 and 5, when the event of graduation is typically held.

According to the Public Religion Research Institute’s American Values Atlas, Portland has been cited as the least religious city in the USA. It has 42% of residents that are identified as religiously unaffiliated. Out of approximately 36% of the city’s residents who do identify as religious, the population identified as Muslim represents no more than 0.3%. 

Keeping all these things in consideration, this initiative to accommodate the occasion of Eid is a big success for our fellow Muslims! Verily, Allah (SWT) listens to our prayers as we try to stay content from time to time. 

See also: Duas for Thanking Allah (SWT)