Re: French Students Curious Over "`Eid Absence"

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> French Students Curious Over "`Eid Absence"
>
> By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent
>
> PARIS, January 13, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) - `Eid celebrations of Muslims
> students in France and their school absence during the festival have
raised
> questions among their non-Muslim schoolmates on the nature of `Eid and the
> accompanying celebrations and rituals during the occasion.
>
> "Why our Muslim friends Mohamed, Amani and Omar are absent during `Eid?"
> questioned some non-Muslim students.
>
> Others wonder about the Muslim celebrations of `Eid and whether they have
> "Saint Claus" celebrations similar to the one of non-Muslims.
>
> "These questions are repeatedly asked by French students in schools,
> institutes and kindergartens during the first two days of `Eid Al-Adha,"
> IslamOnline.net Correspondent says.
>
> The Muslim minority in France, along with other Muslims worldwide, has
> celebrated `Eid Al-Adha Tuesday, January 10.
>
> France has an estimated Muslim minority of six million, the largest Muslim
> minority in Europe.
>
> Festival
>
> Many young students ask their teachers about reasons that make Muslim
> students dump classes during the `Eid festival.
>
> "We attempt to explain to French young children that `Eid Al-Adha is an
> important festival for Muslims, during which all family members should
meet
> together," Beatrice Mlaire, a kindergarten teacher told IOL Friday,
January
> 13.
>
> "We also give a short definition on `Eid and the Muslim ritual of
> sacrificing sheep, but without making it a topic of discussion, because it
> is prohibited under French secularism."
>
> A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares six
> others in sacrificing a camel or cow as an act of worship during `Eid
> Al-Adha.
>
> The ritual reminds Muslims of the great act of sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim
and
> his son Isma`eel were willing to make for the sake of God.
>
> "Ghost Places"
>
> Schools which have a heavy attendance of Muslim students seemed like
"ghost
> places" during `Eid due to the absence of the Muslim students.
>
> John Beatrice Omfer, a professor of French literature, said schools which
> have heavy Muslim attendance were turned into "ghost places" during the
> Muslim festival.
>
> "Only eight out of 25 students showed up in classes in the first day of
> `Eid," said Omfer, who teaches French literature in an institute in the
city
> of Montfrin.
>
> "This is understandable, especially in the highly Muslim-populated areas."
>
> Omfer, however, said that some non-Muslim schools took advantage of the
> Muslim occasion and absent themselves from attending schools as well.
>
> Two days before `Eid Al-Adha, the French education ministry urged schools
to
> avoid holding exams during the Muslim `Eid celebrations.
>
> "Parents of Muslims students usually inform school headmasters that their
> sons will be absent from attending classes during `Eid," Muslim activist
> Mahraziya Ma'eza told IOL.
>
> She stressed that the move helps cement ties between the French Muslims
and
> other members of French society.
>
> "In some cases, we get messages from school masters and teachers wishing
> French Muslims happy `Eid celebrations."
>
> Debate
>
> Absence of French Muslim students from attending schools during `Eid has
> sparked a debate over making the Muslim festival an official holiday.
>
> French TV channel LCI hosted a discussion attended by a group French
Muslim
> activists on declaring `Eid Al-Adha a national occasion.
>
> But most of the callers objected to making the Muslim `Eid as a French
> national day.
>
> Late December 2003, French President Jacques Chirac dropped a suggestion
for
> making the Muslim `Eid Al-Adha and the Jewish Yom Kippur as state holidays
> for Muslims and Jewish students respectively in government schools.
>
> http://islamonline.net/English/News/2006-01/13/article05.shtml
>
>


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