Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha now recognized as an official holiday in California

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill formally recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha under state law.
• The law allows public employees and schools to accommodate the holidays through leave and local school closure agreements.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 2017 into law, formally recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha under state law in a move aimed at making it easier for Muslims to observe the holidays without conflicting with work or school commitments.

The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the legislation, which was introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney and developed with support from CAIR, the California Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, and the Muslim Leadership Council.

The law allows public employees and school employees to use personal or accrued leave to observe Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha without administrative barriers.

It also gives public schools from kindergarten through grade twelve, as well as community colleges, the legal authority to close for the holidays based on local agreements.

Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR's California chapter, said Muslim students and employees had long faced a difficult choice between observing important religious holidays and meeting their academic or professional obligations.

He said the new law removes those barriers and aligns state policy with principles of inclusion, equality and respect for cultural diversity.

Ayloush also praised Newsom for signing the legislation and thanked Haney, former state Sen. Aisha Wahab and other groups involved in developing and supporting the bill.

The legislation comes as CAIR reports a rise in incidents targeting mosques and Islamic centers in the United States.

The organization said attacks and other incidents targeting mosques and Islamic centers increased by 183 percent between May and July compared with the same period last year.

The new law is expected to give schools greater flexibility when planning academic calendars around Islamic holidays, including examination periods, while allowing local education authorities to determine whether schools should close on Eid days.