On January 10, 2006, New York State Department of Education scheduled the first day of statewide assessment tests for elementary school pupils. Because of this, many Muslim families were prevented from being together on Eid-ul-Adha (Celebration of Sacrifice). Many parents and city officials have criticized the state education department for testing on such an important Islamic holiday.

Omar Mohammedi, president of the Council on American Islamic Relations in New York and the New York City Human Rights Commissioner, wrote a letter to the chancellor of education stating that, “Mandating these children to take state testing during this important holiday is at a minimum insensitive, if not discriminatory.”

On January 17, Councilmember Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) joined with families and leaders of the American Muslim Alliance, along with Councilmembers Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan) and David Weprin (D-Queens), to denounce the Department of Education’s decision to schedule the beginning of statewide tests for third, fourth and fifth-graders on the Islamic holiday of Eid-ul-Adha.

Monserrate wrote a letter to New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein and State Education Commissioner Richard P. Mills, calling for both the city and state testing policies to refrain from testing during religious holidays.

“I am shocked by the state and city’s insensitivity to schedule a mandatory, statewide test on a day of religious importance to any community,” said Monserrate, co-chair of the Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus. “As the most diverse city in the world, we hold ourselves up as a role model for inclusion. Yet when it comes to our school children, we have put Muslim children in the position of being singled out.”

The New York State Department of Education schedules a time period for the administration of the statewide assessment tests. The time period for administration of this year’s English Language Arts assessment for grades three to five was set for January 9 to 13.