Washington considers bills to recognize two Muslim holidays

Washington considers bills to recognize two Muslim holidays

News Story by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero | Washington State Standard

As-salamu alaykum, a greeting among Muslims that translates to peace be upon you, is how Sen. Yasmin Trudeau began recent testimony for her bill that would establish Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state-recognized holidays. 

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Trudeau, D-Tacoma, remembers calling a local radio station and expressing fears about the way people were responding to her faith. This was the first time she remembers people misinterpreting Islam and equating it to violence. 

Trudeau wanted to introduce this bill to increase visibility about the Islamic faith, spark conversations between community members, and dispel damaging beliefs that lead to Islamophobia. 

“I think curiosity is one of the things that we probably are lacking the most right now in political discourse,” Trudeau said.

“We just genuinely are not curious enough about each other, and so having been a kid that felt the impact of that lack of curiosity, it really just became important for me to live openly in all of my truth,” she added. 

The first openly Muslim lawmakers in the Senate and House are teaming up on the Eid legislation, with Trudeau sponsoring Senate Bill 5106, and Rep. Osman Salahuddin, D-Redmond sponsoring a companion, House Bill 1432. 

The bills would add two days to recognize Eid to the state’s list of unpaid holidays.

“No Muslim wants to be in a position where we have to defend ourselves and our ability to practice our faith, it feels really bad,” Trudeau said. 

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by more than 100,000 Muslims statewide, 3 million Muslims nationwide, and almost 2 billion Muslims worldwide. 

Ramadan is considered the most sacred month in the Islamic calendar and is a time for spiritual reflection and prayer. During this month, Muslims fast between dawn and sunset. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan. 

Eid Al-Adha follows the completion of the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is known as the celebration of sacrifice and commemorates the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son at the request of God.

Both holidays are celebrated similarly. Growing up, Salahuddin remembers thousands of Muslims gathering at the Seattle Convention Center to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. These celebrations are times when Muslims can gather with their friends and family and eat traditional foods.

Unlike the standard 12-month calendar that has fixed dates, Islam uses the lunar calendar – which is based on the cycles of the moon. This means dates for Ramadan and Eid al-Adha change by around 10 days every year. 

Both the House and Senate bills have strong support, with almost 40 cosponsors combined in both chambers. More than 300 people signed up to testify in favor of the House bill, and there were more than 1,000 signatures in support. 

The Legislature has taken steps to expand state holidays and help people celebrate religious and cultural holidays. 

Just last year, the Legislature recognized Lunar New Year as an unpaid holiday. 

In 2014, the Legislature passed a law that allowed employees to take off two unpaid holidays per year for a reason of faith. In 2019, another law was passed that required postsecondary institutions to accommodate student absences and reschedule exams or school activities “for reasons of faith or conscience.” 

For Trudeau, the Eid bill should be a bipartisan and unifying message that Washington state recognizes and respects religious liberty, no matter whose religion. 

“​​We’re here, we exist, we work alongside you, we play alongside you and our kids hang out and like we’re just not scary, we’re painfully normal and obnoxiously average,” Trudeau said. 

“We truly want peace to be upon every person no matter what faith they practice,” she added.