American - Muslim association announces gains for Muslim community

The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced major gains achieved in schools for Muslims living in the United States of America.

CAIR says public schools in Georgia, Virginia and Texas will grant religious accommodation to Muslim students and teachers, while a teacher was finally allowed to attend the Friday prayers.

In a Virginia school, the principal of a high school apologized after threatening to send a Muslim student to detention each day she wore hijab (veil) to school. Another student was excused from attending music class, for religious reasons, and authorized to go to the library instead.

CAIR also says thanks to a complaint it lodged at a high school in Cedar Park, Texas, a female student was re-admitted in the track team after the coach initially told her she would be barred unless she wore shorts. The school's principal agreed to let the student wear a loose tracksuit.

CAIR civil rights coordinator, Eric Shakir, says "The resolution of these incidents marks a pattern of increasing respect for religious beliefs and practices in the public arena,."

CAIR also publishes two booklets, titled "An Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices" and "An Employer's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," designed to prevent these types of incidents.