"Read! For your Lord is most Generous.
(It is He) who taught by means of the pen;
taught man that which he knew not."
The Quran, Chapter 96, Verses 3-5
CAIR
The Council on American-Islamic Relations
is a non-profit, membership organization dedicated
to presenting an Islamic perspective on issues
of importance to the American public.
First Published in 1997
@ Copyright 2005
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Glossary of Muslim Terms
Eid
Halal
Hija b
Jum'ah
Kufi
Qur'an
Ramadan
A holiday.
Permissible by Islamic law.
Clothing Muslim women wear
in public. It is generally loose-
fitting and includes a head-
covering. Also called Khimar.
Friday prayer.
A cap worn by some Muslim
men.
Islam's revealed scripture.
The month of fasting.
CAIR Research Center
CAIR Research Center conducts research
on the American Muslim experience. Dr.
Mohamed Nimer is the research and
author of CAIR guides to Islamic religious
practices.
Demographers say that Islam is one
of the fastest growing religions in
the United States and around the
world. American Muslims are found in all
sectors of society. This presence is perhaps
most evident in the public school system,
where Muslim students of various racial
and ethnic backgrounds make up an
increasing percentage of the school popu-
lation.
Recent studies show that most Muslim
children are enrolled in public schools.
This growing demographic segment adds
a new dimension to be considered as edu-
cators work with issues of diversity. The
information contained in this booklet is
designed to assist teachers, principals and
other educators in formulating and imple-
menting policies and programs that will
help to create a culturally-sensitive aca-
demic environment. It will also serve as a
guide for the accommodation of religious-
ly-mandated practices of Muslim students.
U.S. Legal Protection of Religious
Rights
Prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, religious
celebrations, as well as dietary and cloth-
ing requirements are practices of the
Muslim faith. Such religious expressions
are protected by the