By Omar Sacirbey

(UNDATED) Calculus and chemistry are among the pressures awaiting Mesuka Akter, a senior this year at Long Island City High School in New York City.

But unlike past school years, Akter, a Muslim, will not have to choose between missing school and missing the two holiest days on the Islamic calendar.

via www.religionnews.com

Good. Fair is fair and religious liberty is religious liberty.

If we get our holidays (we being Christians and Jews), they should have theirs.

As Christians who love liberty and religious freedom, ours should be the loudest voices speaking up for our Muslim neighbors on this issue. Our voices have certainly been loud enough demanding our own rights.

Here is the rule: Bill of Rights – Amendment I

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Prohibiting the free exercise of religion by demanding attendance in school on a religious holiday sounds like a pretty clear overstepping of bounds to me. Marking a student absent is another form of demanding attendance.

Efforts to remedy the double standard are applauded.