AB 2017 - MUSLIM HOLIDAYS IN CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: WHY NOT?

A CALL TO ACTION

Should California codify Islamic religious observances into state-recognized holidays in the United States?

As a nation, the essence of who we are as a People is rooted in our Judeo-Christian values and principles, dating back to the Magna Carta. This shared moral vocabulary has shaped Western thinking since America’s founding. Why, then, would any State in the Union formally endorse or incorporate a religious doctrine with practices antithetical to the belief system in our educational and other public institutions?

AB 2017, introduced by Progressive Democrat, Assemblyman Matt Haney and Progressive Democrat, Senator Aisha Wahab, proposes adding Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast) and Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) to California’s recognized holidays. If enacted, the bill would do the following:

• Authorize public schools and community colleges to close in observance of these holidays
• Expand the list of excused absences statewide
• Establish formal recognition of Islamic religious practices within taxpayer-funded institutions

What must be noted here is the historical foundation of American law and government. Openly acknowledged, and in writing by America’s Founding-era leaders, the foundation of our system of government and legal system is influenced not by Islam, but by our Judeo-Christian moral beliefs. The Hebrews, or Jews, introduced monotheism to the earth realm and gave us the Holy Scriptures, including the Ten Commandments, which, since the Birth of our Nation, have been displayed on numerous public buildings as a “foundational” historical document and were once taught in our finest schools and universities alongside Scripture and the Hebrew language.

These Judeo-Christian beliefs include deeply held concepts such as the inherent dignity of man, God-given Natural Rights, and the Rule of Law -- all grounded in ethical and moral accountability. 

To underscore this historical influence, note a letter to Francis Adrian Van der Kemp, in 1809, by President John Adams. He wrote, “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing nations… [and] … I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, Almighty Sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.”

Consider, too, the obvious lack of fairness in codifying a Muslim holiday. It has been Jewish Americans who have contributed so much to the exceptionalism that is America, never thought to fly planes into American buildings in order to kill thousands. Instead, Jewish Americans have made profound and numerous contributions to American society in the areas of medicine, science, technology, and our national security, without receiving a state holiday in their honor.

Indeed, at the time of America’s founding, approximately 2,500 Jews were living in the colonies at the start of the American Revolution. While supporting the Revolution, many individuals, such as Haym Salomon, were financial pillars of the war. Not only did Saloman support the Patriots by providing rather large financial services, but he also, like so many others, risked his life as a member of the Sons of Liberty, leading to multiple arrests by the British on espionage charges. Furthermore, other men, such as Colonel Isaac Franks, served as George Washington’s aide-de-camp and was a close personal friend.  

If California passes legislation that formally recognizes Islamic holidays, would California also extend the same recognition to Jewish holidays, Hindu festivals, Sikh holy days, Buddhist observances and/or Jain religious events? What is the limiting principle? Where would this precedent end? Should multiculturalism extend so far as to require equal recognition of all religious systems? This is neither practical nor sustainable.

Moreover, the cultural and ethical implications of making Eid al-Adha, the “Festival of Sacrifice,” a state holiday. It involves the ritual slaughter of animals as a religious act. Around the world, this practice includes the mass slaughter of sheep, goats, cows, buffaloes, camels, and other animals. Publications report Eid al-Adha is “the saddest day of the year” for animal lovers. In 2017, news outlets photographed “rivers of blood” and a photo of a little girl dressed in her best clothes, standing in a street of blood.” https://jihadwatch.org/2025/12/former-sex-symbol-brigitte-bardot-passes-away-animal-advocate-was-censored-as-anti-muslim

For many Americans—especially animal welfare advocates—this raises serious ethical concerns. Is it appropriate for the state to endorse or normalize such practices through official recognition? No. Once more, such an outcome would be multiculturalism run amok.

Religious asymmetry also raises concerns. Under Islamic law, celebration of non-Islamic religious holidays is forbidden for adherents to Islam. This raises an important question: Why should a society rooted in religious pluralism extend recognition to a religious/political belief where celebration of a non-Muslim holiday is unlawful and a punishable offense?  

And from a Security and Public Policy perspective, consider the following: There are active threats to the homeland. In California alone, there are 16 active ISIS or Islamic State-related investigations. These investigations are in addition to the ongoing Islamic terrorist threat from Islamic Palestinian, Hizballah, and other groups.

In recent testimony from U.S. intelligence leadership at the U.S. Senate’s Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community on March 18, 2026, FBI Director Patel made clear that in December of last year alone, 4 Islamic terrorist attacks or mass casualty events were averted, including a “bombing campaign” in Southern California. Transcript of Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing Entitled 'Worldwide Threats' – The Singju Post. Moreover, Christians and Jews continue to be tortured and/or murdered for their faith in Muslim countries.  https://persecution.org/2025/06/06/the-not-so-secret-discrimination-of-christians-in-islamic-led-countries/

This debate is about policy, precedent, and principles.

• Islam is a religious as well as a totalitarian (political) belief system. Islamism has been compared to both Communism and Nazism. It is not a race, nor is it an ethnicity.
• Critiquing public policy decisions is not intolerance.

In conclusion, California—and the nation as a whole—faces a fundamental question:

• Do we continue to expand official recognition of religious observances across an ever-growing spectrum?
• Or do we preserve our foundational values, our legal traditions, and the integrity of our public institutions?

AB 2017 would erode the very nature of who we are as a People, what America stands for, our very culture and way of life.

CONTACT Assemblyman Haney at 916.319.2017 and Senator Wahab at 916.651.4410 and SAY NO TO AB 2017.

By Denice Gary-Pandol

661.747.1829.