Ocracoke School to Host Islamic Religious Rites
In honor of the Islamic holiday Mawlid al-Nabi (birthday of the prophet Muhammed), Ocracoke School has invited the world renown Imam Muhammed Akbar Mustaffah to lead the children in a celebration of this sacred event. The actual date of the holiday is difficult to pinpoint in the Gregorian calendar in general use in the western world because the Islamic calendar is strictly lunar. However, Islamic scholars at Beaufort County Community College have determined that this year, the holiday falls somewhere between January 12 and November 14 – conveniently coinciding with Spring Break.
During the celebration in the school gym on April 10, the students will be issued prayer rugs, directed toward Mecca, and taught to recite the Allahu Akbar. The entire event will be televised on the Eastern NC Al Jazeera Network and will be broadcast locally on WOVV.
An Ocracoke school staff member instrumental in recruiting Imam Mustaffah said of him, “Man, he’s one awesome mullah!”
While a few concerned parents whose religious views differ from those of Imam Mustaffah have expressed concern that this event might represent a violation of the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state, they were assured by school authorities that, “Here in Hyde County that’s not really an issue.”
In fact, Hyde County is so blasé about the First Amendment that Imam Mustaffah has announced his intention to stick around and kick-off the next meeting of the Hyde County Board of Commissioners with a prayer.
