California moves to make Eid al‑Fitr and Eid al‑Adha official state holidays. The change could affect half a million Muslim residents.
Bill Details
Assembly Bill 2017, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D‑San Francisco) and co‑authored by Sen. Aisha Wahab, adds the two Islamic holy days to the state calendar. It lets workers use existing paid leave and gives schools the option to close.
Eid al‑Adha, the “Festival of the Sacrifice,” involves the ritual slaughter of livestock and the distribution of meat through qurbani. Eid al‑Fitr, the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” marks the end of Ramadan.
The bill cleared the Assembly 64‑1 in late May and cleared Senate committee review. It now faces a full Senate vote before the session ends this week.
Haney introduced the measure in March during Ramadan. He said it fixes a legal gap for California’s roughly 500,000 Muslim residents.
“California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country,” Haney said in a press release. “AB 2017 is about making sure Muslim Californians are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state.”
Opposition
The California Family Council opposes the bill, arguing the curriculum provision pushes schools into promoting religion. Greg Burt, the council’s vice president, told Fox News Digital that the legislation amounts to schools “encouraging the celebration of a religious holiday.”
If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the holidays will join Diwali and Lunar New Year among the state’s recognized community-specific observances. Because both Eid dates follow the Islamic lunar calendar, they shift each year on the Western calendar.
