religion | Reston Now

Fairfax County’s lone Muslim school board member reflects on uproar over Israel criticism

Published June 11, 2021 at 2:00PM | Updated June 11, 2021 at 5:29PM

Fairfax County School Board Member-at-Large Abrar Omeish comments on the reaction to her tweet criticizing Israel at the board's May 20 meeting (photo via FCPS/YouTube)

(Updated at 5:30 p.m.) Abrar Omeish doesn’t regret taking a stand on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, but if she could go back, she might have expressed her opinion a little differently.

The at-large Fairfax County School Board member sparked a heated local debate about one of the most contentious subjects in global politics last month when she recognized Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that concludes a month of fasting, with a tweet decrying Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as “apartheid and colonization.”

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FCPS to recognize religious holidays — without a day off

By Fatimah Waseem

Published March 22, 2021 at 9:30AM

In a divisive decision, the Fairfax County School Board voted late last week to recognize some religious holidays in the next school year, but fell short of giving students a day off on those days.

Next year’s academic year will not give students a day off on 15 religious observances, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Eid, and Diwali. In what proponents described as a middle-ground option, the holidays would be recognized as special days during which tests, quizzes, field trips, and other events would not be scheduled.

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School Board Directs FCPS to Draft New Calendar Ahead of Vote

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 4, 2021 at 9:39AM

Inundated with messages from staff and community members on proposed changes to the 2021-22 calendar, Fairfax County School Board members directed Superintendent Scott Brabrand to redraft it.

During a work session on Tuesday (Mar. 2), the board told staff to consider ways to add flexibility through floating holidays. They said the calendar should take into account legal considerations, instruction, student wellness and pay for support staff, as well as survey preferences, absenteeism data, transparency and equity.

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School Board to Debate Adding New Religious Holidays to Calendar

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 2, 2021 at 11:00AM

Approving a new calendar for the coming school year is typically one of the more routine duties administered by the Fairfax County School Board, but this time, it has become another decision complicated by competing priorities and added stakes.

The board will hold a work session at 11 a.m. today (Tuesday) to discuss proposals for the 2021-2022 school year calendar that would add four religious observance holidays not included in the current school calendar: Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 7, 2021), Yom Kippur (Sept. 16, 2021), Diwali (Nov. 4, 2021), and Eid al Fitr (May 3, 2022).

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How People Can Celebrate Upcoming Religious Holidays at Home

By Ashley Hopko

Published April 8, 2020 at 10:45AM

With Passover and Easter quickly approaching, religious organizations and state officials are encouraging people to find alternatives to large group celebrations.

Easter Sunday falls on April 12 and Passover begins on Thursday (April 9) and ends on April 16 this year — around when statisticians hypothesize COVID-19 will peak in the D.C. area.

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Where to Find ‘Digital Religion’ Around Reston, Herndon

By Ashley Hopko

Published March 19, 2020 at 1:15PM

During the COVID-19 outbreak, places of worship around Reston and Herndon are going digital for people who are self-isolating or quarantined.

Many pastors, priests and religious leaders are taking on leadership roles to help guide their following through stress and uncertainty associated with the outbreak.

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Priest Admits to Sexual Contact with a Minor at Reston Church

By Fatimah Waseem

Published October 21, 2019 at 9:45AM | Updated October 21, 2019 at 11:31AM

A Clifton-based priest has admitted to sexual abuse of a minor at Reston church.

According to a release by the Arlington Diocese, Father Christopher Mould told the Bishop of Arlington, Michael Burbridge that he had sexual contact with a minor between 1992 and 1995 at Saint Thomas à Becket Catholic Church in Reston. Mould was a parochial vicar at the time.

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Local Muslims Set Sights on New Mosque Near RTC

By Fatimah Waseem

Published April 18, 2019 at 9:45AM | Updated April 18, 2019 at 1:27PM

A group of Muslims who live and work in Reston hope to open a permanent prayer space before Ramadan, the month of fasting, begins in early May. It will be located on the second floor of an existing building.

Organizers behind the Reston Islamic Center said the mosque serves a critical need: the closest mosque in the area is roughly 20 minutes away. For several years, the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (1441 Wiehle Avenue) has served as a satellite location for Friday prayers. The site is one of several set up by the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (46903 Sugarland Road) in Sterling — which will continue operating and is a separate initiative from the new mosque. Currently, there is no dedicated space in the area to offer the five daily prayers that are central to the religion.

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Social Justice Conference Aims To Advance Peace, Inclusion in Society

By Dave Emke

Published March 16, 2017 at 2:45PM

The Social Justice & Peace Conference, hosted by United Christian Parish (11508 North Shore Drive), will include workshops on how people from different religious backgrounds can support immigrants, the trans community, environmental justice and more.

The event’s keynote speaker will be Dr. B. Chris Dorsey, president of Higher Education & Leadership Ministries. He will speak on “A Social Justice Paradigm for Building and Sustaining Authentic Community.”