Muslim Holiday Could Shift Day of Knowledge Celebrations in Some Russian Schools
Messages about possible cancellations of the first day of school, which is officially celebrated as the Day of Knowledge in Russia, first appeared on social media. Reports concerned several schools in a central Moscow district, where one of Europe’s largest mosques, the Cathedral Mosque, is located.
This year, the celebration of a Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, known as Kurban Bayram in Russia, also falls on September 1. Tens of thousands of worshipers often come to the mosque to celebrate the Feast of Sacrifice Islamic holiday, with many roads in the surrounding area being closed and cordoned off to make way for large crowds of Muslim worshipers.
For the large numbers of worshipers and students not to disturb each other, Moscow’s education department has suggested postponing the beginning of school year celebrations, a spokeswoman for the Council of Muftis of Russia, Gulnur Gazieva, told RBC.
RBC also quoted Moscow's deputy mayor on regional security and information policy, Aleksandr Gorbenko, as saying that the decision has been made for both the schoolchildren and their parents, and for Muslim worshipers’ convenience.
The head of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Albir Kurganov, said a decision to shift the start of school year to September 4, which will be Monday, has been made in Moscow and other Russian cities, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday. The news agency also quoted municipal officials of the city of Ufa as saying that "the majority of citizens" have appealed to the authorities, asking them to postpone the start of the school year coinciding with the Muslim holiday.
Source: Russia Today
