California lawmakers are advancing a new bill that would establish two Muslim holy days as state holidays while authorizing the state to develop a new model curriculum for students to "acknowledge and celebrate" these religious observances in the classroom.The bill, AB 2017, passed the State Assembly with a 64-1 vote and advanced to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.Authored by Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, the bill establishes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha — two major holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world — as official state holidays and allows local public school boards and community colleges the option to shut down their campuses for both holidays. Both holidays are traditionally celebrated over three to four days, but the legislation designates a single day of observance for each on the state calendar.Haney said the legislation is aimed at protecting religious diversity and recognizing the traditions of the state's 500,000 Muslim residents.TEXAS TEEN TELLS CONGRESS HE RECEIVED DEATH THREATS AFTER REVEALING ISLAMIC BOOTH AT HIGH SCHOOLCalifornia Assemblymember Matt Haney, speaks during a press conference at All City Boxing Club in Los Angeles.
(Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/The Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)"California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country, and their traditions deserve recognition and respect," Haney said in a press release. "No student should have to choose between celebrating one of the holiest days of their faith and showing up to school, and no worker should feel they have to sacrifice their religious observance," he continued."AB 2017 is about making sure Muslim Californians are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state."But an under-the-radar provision in the bill's text would bring the celebration of these religious holidays into the classroom and has drawn criticism from a prominent conservative advoc...