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Celebrations and Negations



Today Muslims all over the world will be celebrating Eid.

Eid al-Fitr is one of the two official holidays in Islam. It is celebrated on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal and marks the end of the month-long fast observed during the month of Ramadan.

Eid al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast) is an extremely important religious festival observed by Muslims worldwide. It the former of the two Eid holidays in Islam, the latter being Eid al-Adha, therefore is is also referred to as the Lesser Eid.  - - Anyday Guide

Did you know that Monday, March 31st was originally scheduled as a day off for students in the Howard County Schools?  But, when the Board of Education looked at how they could make up school days lost to snow, they choose this day to be reinstated as a school day. 

Things I cannot tell you: if they understood how this would impact Muslim students, or if they knew and did not care. I can’t pass judgment on that because I do not know. I do know that this decision was extremely disheartening to Muslim families. 

Surely this is a decision that has made them feel invisible and unheard. Christian holidays are protected in our school calendars. We will never have school on Christmas or Easter. Apparently respecting Muslim holidays is just something nice you do if it’s not logistically inconvenient. 

I understand that making up school days is complicated. I don’t understand this.

*****

Today is International Trans Day of Visibility.

International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual observance that occurs on March 31. It was created to celebrate transgender people around the world and raise awareness of discrimination they have to face.

International Transgender Day of Visibility was first observed in 2009. It was founded by Rachel Crandall, a transgender activist from Michigan, United States who felt that the LGBT community lacked holidays dedicated to transgender people. The only existing transgender-related observance at the time was the Transgender Day of Remembrance which mourned transgender victims of hate crimes but didn't acknowledge living members of the transgender community or address their issues. - - Anyday Guide

Last Friday the Howard County LGBTQIA Commission and the Howard County of of Human Rights & Equity hosted a community celebration of  Trans Day of Visibility at the Elkridge 50+ Center. 

Good for them. 

Forces outside of Howard County are demanding the persecution and erasure of trans Americans. Inside of Howard County we are continuing the work of acceptance and celebration. And thank goodness for that.


*****

I am not trying to create any kind of equivalence by posting these two things side by side. They happen to fall on the same day this year by chance. Both are a part of who we are in Howard County whether they impact us personally or not. 

Perhaps you are not a Muslim. You may not even know anyone who is a Muslim. Perhaps you are not transgender. You may not know anyone who is transgender. 

Are you human? Do you care about treating those around you with humanity?

Today is a very good day to do that. Tomorrow, too.


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