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Parents in Newtown Public School district in Connecticut were surprised to hear that a substitute teacher recently spent time during music class to teach students about her Muslim faith.
"I can confirm that students were read a story to help explain why some of their classmates were fasting," Newtown Superintendent Anne Uberti told the Centinal. "This occurred at different points in the day depending on the class; however, it did not take up a full instructional period."
The teacher read the book Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story to students.
"This type of read-aloud is sometimes used in elementary settings to help students build cultural awareness and better understand the experiences of their peers," explained Superintendent Uberti. "At Newtown Public Schools, we believe every student matters and deserves to feel respected, included, and valued for who they are. Helping students understand that different families observe different traditions is one way we support a positive and inclusive school environment."
"You may see similar age-appropriate read-alouds or classroom discussions used to build awareness and understanding around a variety of cultural experiences, such as:
These experiences are intended to promote understanding and respect, not to promote any particular belief or practice," said Superintendent Uberti.
Other Connecticut school districts have worked to promote awareness around Ramadan, adding Eid al-Fitr (the holiday marking the end of Ramadan) as an official district-wide school holiday, meaning schools are closed, including: Avon, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Hamden, Manchester, Milford, New Britain, New Haven, North Haven, Norwalk, Orange, South Windsor, Stamford, Trumbull, Waterbury, and West Haven.
The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) has urged superintendents in districts that have not yet recognized Eid al-Fitr as a school holiday to begin meaningful discussions with their local Muslim communities.
CAIR CT also encourages Muslim families to advocate for holiday recognition, and actively engage with their Boards of Education as they are doing in Cheshire, Stratford, and Farmington to get the holiday added to the calendar.
Additionally, CAIR CT has advocated for and sponsored the annual Capitol Iftar along with State Rep. Maryam Khan and State Sen. Saud Anwar. The event is well attended by religious leaders, politicians (like Governor Ned Lamont, AG William Tong, SOTS Stephanie Thomas), and members of the Muslim community.
Khan, who has faced controversy after replacing the American flag on her desk inside the House chamber, is currently advocating for H.B. 5328 to address alleged "Islamophobia in schools." The bill has since passed out of committee. The purpose of the bill is so that "students can feel proud of their religious beliefs in CT schools."
Of course we would be remiss if we did not mention the controversy surrounding CAIR.
Multiple state legislatures, including Florida, Arizona and Texas, have passed resolutions urging avoidance of any engagement with CAIR due to its alleged affiliations with terrorist groups.
The United Arab Emirates officially designated CAIR as a terrorist organization in 2014.
The FBI suspended formal contacts with CAIR in 2008 due to evidence of ties to Hamas (a designated FTO) from the Holy Land Foundation trial, where CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator.
Bills have been introduced in Congress to direct a review or designation of CAIR as a terror organization, but none have resulted in an official federal listing. CAIR strongly denies the designations, calls them politically motivated, and has pursued legal challenges.
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