Muslim holidays test tolerance of US schools

Islam is New York's fastest-growing religion, with over a million Muslim students in the city's schools, but their holy days do not seem to make it onto the curriculum calendar.

The city has already recognized other religious holidays, so should they also recognize Muslim’s?

Hundreds of New Yorkers have been rallying outside City Hall in support of Muslim school holidays.

Online talk show host Lori Harfenist has been gauging opinion on the streets.

“We’ve got a long Christian tradition”

As could be expected, opinions differ. Some citizens believe that the US has a long history of Christian tradition in a country that is 300-400 years old, so it makes it tough for some new religion to come in and claim its rights.

All or nothing

Others say that any significant religion represented in the city should have their official holidays.

Most of the respondents agreed that rejection of Islam simply because beliefs differ is a sort of close-mindedness, something kids should not be taught at all.