I commend the Lewiston School Committee and Superintendent Jake Langlais for their decision to add two holidays to the school calendar to mark the Muslim holiday known as Eid. 

If we are going to honor religious holidays for Christians and Jews, we should for Muslims. 

Back when serving as mayor, I was invited to attend and speak at an Eid celebration at the Lewiston Armory. I was welcomed with open arms.  

It was wonderful to see families dressed up in what I call “our Sunday best” for the celebration. Later that day, I saw children at play and with candy they had received from their families. 

When I ran for mayor the fourth time, I lost, primarily because of my ongoing support of our new Somali population. I continue to be welcoming to not only our refugees, but also our asylum seekers. They are helping to sustain us. Some who were born in Lewiston are now attending college.  

I have written letters of recommendation for various reasons such as school and employment, and I have been pleased to do so. I wrote one for a Somali young lady to enter medical school in Virginia. She is now an emergency physician. 

I’ve never regretted my support for our Somali community. We must learn to live together for the good of all. Our country needs to do the same. We honor the same God, whether we call him/her God or Allah. 

Larry Gilbert, Lewiston