Lewiston’s Rep. Mana Abdi (D) has introduced a bill to allow state workers to get the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha off from work, requiring the closure of all non-essential state offices on those days — which fall on different dates each year.
[RELATED: Maine Department of Corrections to Pilot Prison Rehab Program Tailored to Muslim Inmates…]
“For Muslims living in Maine, these holidays hold the same significance as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Yet, unlike these widely recognized holidays, Muslim Mainers often face the dilemma of choosing between their faith and work or school obligations,” explained Rep. Abdi in her testimony for the public hearing on Monday.
“This bill is also a matter of equity. Holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving are built into the existing system, allowing employees time off without using personal leave. Muslim employees, however, often have to use their earned time to observe Eid, creating an unfair disparity in workplace policies,” said Abdi.
The bill, LD 724, drew co-sponsorships from eight Democratic representatives and is now being considered by the Committee on State and Local Government.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha coincides with the Haj, or annual pilgrimage made by Muslims to Mecca. Both holidays, like Thanksgiving or Easter, fall on different days every year and would require Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) and her successors to designate the dates of the holidays at the outset of the year.
In her testimony, Abdi, born in Kenya, focused on her struggles and those of other Muslims who without such a law might have to work on the holidays. She stated that the holidays would boost the state’s economy because more Muslims would be purchasing things for celebrations.
A number of everyday Mainers testified on the bill, with the majority of those showing support and a few opposing the new holidays.
Portland City Councillor Pious Ali testified in favor of the bill.
“Recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as public holidays is not just an acknowledgment of the Muslim community—it is a reaffirmation of the very values that make Maine home to so many,” said Ali.
“This decision would not only reflect the diversity of our state but would also reaffirm Maine’s reputation as a place of coexistence, mutual respect, and shared humanity,” he added.
Despite the outpouring of support, a handful of Mainer’s testified against the change.
“This is not a Muslim country and, while we welcome them to our country, I don’t feel that we need to change or alter our founding Christian values to cater to these ceremonies and make them a state holiday,” said Diane Vernesoni of Topsham.
“As the granddaughter of an immigrant, I have nothing against immigration. I
just think they should assimilate, not change our country to be like where they left,” she added.
If the bill passes, the state will recognize more Muslim holidays than Christian holidays or those of any other religious group. Only one Christian holiday, Christmas, is recognized as a state holiday in Maine, and no other religions have any holidays on the state schedule.
One supporter of the legislation, Kiernan Majerus-Collins of Auburn, requested that the bill be amended to also include the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
“Just as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the most important holidays in Islam, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most important holidays in Judaism. All the strong arguments in favor of recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as new state holidays also apply to recognizing the High Holy Days,” he said.
The bill does not include a fiscal note, although it would require taxpayers to fund two additional days of paid leave for all non-essential state employees.
Out of the three pieces of legislation sponsored by Abdi in the current session, two have been aimed at furthering the interests of Muslims in Maine.
She also submitted a resolution, HP 499, to formally recognize the start of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, and to express respect for Muslims across the state.
The State Senate approved the resolution on Tuesday.
The legislature has not issued any resolution formally recognizing and honoring the start of the Christian period of fasting, known as Lent.
These Fu*king Somalis need to go back to where they came from .
Maine DOES NOT NEED TO celebrate any Muslim holidays !
Get the Fu*k outta here !
What’s next in Lewiston, call to prayer so they get those f’n prayer bell reminders five time a day? That’s where they’re going next folks….. leave it to the Democrats to help sponsor this nonsense. Of course, none of us will ever see a referendum on this legislation.
Lewiston’s Rep. Mana Abdi (D) should perhaps be worrying about the increasing crime among the Somalis that the police, politicians and news media pretend not to see.
Might as well make Festivus a holiday too if this goes through
State workers already have too many holidays and the state offices close every time a snowflake lands. How about assimilate to the locals values and don’t push your own?
Exactly when is goat impregnation day?
If they lived elsewhere then this problem would magically disappear.
When is Bacha Bazi Boy (pedo sodomy) Day?
Next they will want to ban the sale of Pork products .
Give these people a place to sleep and they will take over your country .
We need Muslims in Maine like a rock in your shoe .
Shut this nonsense down before it gets any worse .
These are the same people that dragged American bodies through the streets in Mogadishu. Several of them were Mainers and NH guys.
Assimilate or go home.
It’s one thing to show respect for another person’s religious beliefs, but quite another to thrust a state wide holiday upon the 99% who do not observe it. And where does this end? There are multiple religions, just as the article mentions the Jewish High Holidays, are they any less deserving if there are recognized Muslim Holidays? The state can easily afford those employees with a “floating holiday” so they can observe their personal religious holidays, be respectful of that person’s religious beliefs, but the people’s business goes on uninterrupted. And a question not asked or answered is: how many Muslim state employees are there? One would have to think a very small percentage of the total number of employees.
F#* the 7th Century Desert Pirate Pedophiles … look at Europe the Muzzy Scum is over running the Continent . better get your Area assessment done before the Congo Cannibals get here ..
The 2 Delta snipers that were striped and dragged through the streets of Mogadishu were MSG Gary Gordon of Lincoln , Maine and the other SFC was from PA. MSG Gordon received the MOH for his actions
Muammar Gaddafi once said that America will be taken over not by bullets , but one Muslim at the time.
get this piece of crap out of our country, enough is enough
A confused uneducated public is easier to control. This should be the Maine motto.
Europe was am ezpeeiment by the camel jockeys. They’ve taken over Britian without firing a shot. They are here in the US breeding us in to the minority and the demon rats are forcing us to assimilate. Mother always said: you don’t shit where you eat. Why are ww importing muzzies to the USA when their “holy book” tells them if they can’t concert us they have to kill us.?
Was wondering if Mana Abdi and everyone else got the day off with pay when she was working in Kenya?
This is not a Muslim country. Full stop.
Inch by inch we are appeasing Muslims who will NEVER assimilate. We are appeasing Islamic law, Sharia. As in the UK/Europe Muslims will want more & more and will only be satisfied when the entire planet is one huge Islamic State (Ummah) and under the thumb of Allah’s law – Sharia. This is also playing out in other areas of the US. People are so ignorant or delusional of Islamic doctrine, history, its 1400 yr history of Jihad & conquest.
Islam calls itself a “DEEN,” a complete socio-political system, not a “religion.” If people, our own government, realized this they would see how Islam/Sharia is in direct conflict with the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 13th, and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution. Majority of Muslims prefer Sharia (Allah’s Law) over man-made secular law (US Constitution).
Islam is a “DEEN” not a religion. 👉🏻https://youtu.be/2CaH2LJWk8U?si=LOBjJxpZAsYFru8_
Celebrating a murder cult dedicated to converting or murdering all those that won’t believe as they do seems like a bad idea .
DEI is Dead!
I’m not famous, not a democrat, not anything special, but May 17 is my birthday and I’ll be 69 this year, I demand, due to every thing being equal, that May 17 be an official national holiday! Now get on with it!
Let’s get this strait! These people come to our country under asylum from persecution of their country of origin? Maine and other Democratic States have given these people’s everything they have and a way of life that they are now accustomed to. Now, these same people’s want more? They have audacity to require the residents of the State that have given them safety, freedom and their entire way of life to honor their countries rituals that they escaped from?
These people need to learn that this is the United States of America. We are a nation of immigrants that have come to this country for a better life. Immigrants over the last century have come to the US to build a better life for themselves. We as a country need to stop this insanity of immigration is free everything to these people! This is the gratitude that we taxpayers receive for our elected officials (not the majority of tax paying citizens) giving these people’s everything!
Time we start deporting the people who want to change America to the country they came from! Wake up and stop electing these immigrants into political offices that they clearly should not be in! What next, make Arabic the official language of Maine? I have never been raciest and a believer of giving my fellow man a hand up, but not a hand out. But, my views have drastically changed due to our government immigrant sponsored give away programs. What about helping our own citizens that need assistance? Our government lets these people go homeless while giving these immigrants a life of luxury!
Go back to where you came from!
What a crock of bs this is not the culture that Maine has grown up in. I’ll be damed if I want it turned into to some camel jockeys holiday that was never a part of American culture.
If these people want there own holiday go back home and have at it but don’t try to bring it here and say that we need to observe this crap!!
Assimilation means learn our language and our customs not the other way around.
Better yet they should hook up with the dude from across the pond who had came here and pretty much admits to working before he became a naturalized citizen.
Hey they could share their cultural customs with one another roasted camel nuts and spotted dick over a spot of tea! Most of these people started trickling in by Obama anyways and most likely lied about why they want to come here.
We must fight the Islamization of Maine. It happens creep by creep. A western civilization can not survive with Muslim beliefs. This is how it starts. Halal meat…a barbaric practice, being introduced in the schools. Muslims elected to positions of influence. Assimilate or go home.
Boy that’s a real shocker a Muslim democrats holiday!!
Who are the legislators who vote for this? They must be removed.
“A Muslim charity with links to Hamas was awarded more than $7.2 million in taxpayer cash, which has now disappeared, according to a watchdog group.
An “immediate investigation” needs to be launched into The Council on American-Muslim Relations’ (CAIR) California chapter’s use of funds, according to the watchdog, who sent a complaint to the Department of Justice Thursday.
Is not CRIR in Maine?
As I type this,there is a Muslim genocide happening in Syria. Muslims are killing other Muslims, Christians and anyone not of their sect.Muslims ,like our guests in Maine ,will demand accommodation every chance they get. From halal food to prayer rooms and holidays.DEI at it’s best.When will d3emand that women cover their hair and their faces. We have admitted an horrible evil into our country and will rue the day we started.
How long before the MSEA throws in their support?
How about there are no shut downs of any section of government for any of the religious holidays, and all State workers are given 3 days to observe religious holidays of their choice.
One Nation Under God
It’s been dubbed “creeping sharia.”
I agree that they need to assimilate to our customs. They surely get paid days off they can use. The Ds just adore spending money and wasting time that should be spent on PRIORITIES, like reducing the astronomical COST of LIVING!!
NO!!! These Somalis can just leave and go back where they came from. We did not ask them to come here and don’t want them. I wish Tom Homan would get here and round these ILLEGAL ALIENS up and send them back.
The evil democrats are always screaming “separation of church and state”. Shouldn’t that mean state employees get NO holidays?
More proof. The inbred mass murdering j ew s are losing the PR war.
Isn’t there a law against Muslims in America?
Next thing you know the Indians are going to want us to celebrate all their holidays and the Blacks all theirs and the Swedes up in Aroostook,then the Acadians , and on and on. This is the kind of scenario that Democrats salivate about! Wow how many new special interest groups with all this involve?
Dont forget Scottish holidays!! How about my ancesters???
Good Friday and Easter are not holidays. Let’s pass on adding Muslim holidays to our Christian calendar; after all they want to kill us.