Last week, California Democrats proposed a bill aimed at officially recognizing two Islamic holidays as state holidays.
AB 2017 seeks to make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha state holidays. Rep. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) expressed that the bill would affirm that California’s Muslims “are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in the state.”
Haney pointed out that California boasts the largest Muslim population in the country, yet lacks state-recognized holidays like Christmas or Easter that other religions enjoy.
“Students shouldn’t have to choose between celebrating the holiest day of their faith and going to school, and workers shouldn’t feel they must sacrifice their religious practices,” Haney stated in a news release.
Eid al-Adha is one of the principal holidays in Islam, along with Eid al-Fitr, which signifies the conclusion of Ramadan—a month when Muslims observe fasting from dawn to sunset.
Community leaders have applauded the legislation, noting that it would allow students who celebrate these holidays to be excused from school absences.
“For more than 1 million Muslims in California, this is a historic moment. The current climate of fear and anti-Muslim sentiment is a daily reality,” said Osama Mokedem, CAIR-CA’s director of legislative and government affairs. He added that publicly recognizing these holidays shows Muslim voters that their traditions and presence are genuinely valued.
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), a prominent Muslim civil rights organization, co-sponsored the bill. The California Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs Commission also backed it, describing it as “a step toward ensuring California’s policies reflect the diversity of the communities that call this state home.”
The bill will undergo discussions in the Parliamentary Government Organization Committee and the Parliamentary Public Employment Committee in the upcoming weeks.
