Call for Universities to allow students to celebrate Eid
Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has called on higher education institutions to reschedule examinations for all Muslim students.
This comes as the Muslim community celebrates the Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday morning.
Makaneta has written to the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, asking him to allow Muslim students time off during the celebrations.
"The Minister's personal assistant Lucky Masuku confirmed receipt of the request and indicated that the Department was doing everything to address the matter," he says.
Eid-al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar which is the first day after Ramadan and Makaneta says students should not be penalised for taking part in religious celebrations.
"We hold the Islamic Festival of Eid-ul-Fitr in very high esteem. No Muslim student should be victimized by universities for missing their exams," Makaneta says.
He says he remains firmly behind the religious rights of the Muslim community to take part in Eid salaat.