NYC Mayoral Candidates Lhota, de Blasio Both Vow School Closings For Muslim Holidays

Students in New York City will likely be getting two extra days off during the school year to honor two major Muslim holidays, if the city's next new mayor has his say.

The Global Post reports that city schools already have mandatory school closures for the Christian holidays of Easter and Christmas and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Passover.

Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio, the frontrunner in the 2013 mayoral race, as well as his opponent Republican Joe Lhota have both announced intentions to add two additional days off during the school year for the Muslim holidays of Eid-al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, according to Al Jazeera America.

Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha is a celebration during hajj.

"We have a growing Muslim community in the city of New York and their religion needs to be respected as all other religions are respected," Lhota told reporters. "We're not going to lose the school days. We'll have to extend the school days by those two days. But nonetheless those who are Muslim will be allowed to have that day off to celebrate their holidays."

At a recent campaign event for Muslim Americans, de Blasio agreed with the need to acknowledge these Muslim festivals.

"The origins of this nation [are] people of many different faiths coming together," de Blasio told reporters. "That's why we have to respect Muslim faiths by providing the Eid school holidays for children in our school system."

With 13 percent of New York City school children representing the Muslim faith, de Blasio has said that closing schools for the Muslim holidays is a much-needed sign of respect.

At the campaign rally, de Blasio explained that by creating these school holidays, it would help recognize the city's growing Muslim population in a way that would not negatively impact or take away from students' education.

"A child who has an exam on a day that right now is one of the Eid holidays, they're either respecting their religion obligation or they're doing what their education requires of them," de Blasio said. "They can't do both under our current system."