Maryland Just Voted To Wipe Out Its Christian Legacy
The Maryland Senate advanced a bill Tuesday establishing Jewish and Muslim heritage months, while rejecting an amendment to add a Christian heritage month.
The amendment sought to make April “American Christian Heritage Month,” but it was rejected by a vote of 19 to 26, according to the Maryland General Assembly. (RELATED: Islamic Civilization Professor Says We Must ‘Overcome’ Rape Gang Crisis)
If passed, House Bill 661 would officially establish January as Muslim American Heritage Month and May as Jewish American Heritage Month in the official state calendar. The bill requires the governor to proclaim the months each year, so the proclamations would “direct certain organizations to observe the months with certain programs and activities” related to the heritage of the two religions.
The bill says there are approximately 350,000 Muslim Marylanders and 250,000 Jewish Marylanders residing in the state who have “helped enrich the artistic, business, academic, and public service communities, thereby greatly increasing the vibrancy” of the state.
However, 58% of Maryland’s 6 million residents residents identify as Christians, according to Pew Research.
405408 02: St. Edward Roman Catholic Church sits on a corner lot on May 15, 2002 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alex Dorgan-Ross/Getty Images)
The Commonwealth of Maryland was established in the 1600s as a refuge for English Catholics to escape persecution before they were outnumbered by Protestant settlers, according to the Bill of Rights Institute.
Democratic Sen. Dalya Attar, the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve in the state Senate, claimed that Muslims and Jews are disproportionately targeted in hate crimes across the country, according to News From the States.
Democratic Sen. Ben Kramer said the bill aims to ensure “fairness and visibility.”
“The goal here is to provide, in my opinion, a little bit of fairness and visibility to these cultures that, again, have been very subject to prejudice and hatred, which we are experiencing at a significantly higher level in our country right now,” Kramer said, according to the outlet.
Maryland already recognizes 20 memorial days, seven months and one week — but the proposed heritage months would be the first examples to include a religious aspect, News From the States reported.
During yesterday’s session, my colleague and colleague from the MD Legislative Muslim Caucus, Delegate Sarah Wolek and Delegate Jared Solomon’s HB 661 General Provisions – Memorial Months – Muslim American Heritage Month and American Jewish Heritage Month moved in favor. pic.twitter.com/JoVUK0fJTn
– Delegate Sean A. Stinnett (@Stinnett_41st) March 22, 2026
The rejection of the Christian heritage amendment comes as the bill moves through both chambers and nears the final review process before being sent to the governor, and comes as the end of the legislative session nears.
Democratic state Sen. Antonio Hayes said he prayed about how to respond to the bill before ultimately choosing to vote against the amendment, according to News From the States.
“I understand the symbolism behind it. I understand the people behind it, but I just have a serious problem with the process, because we’re in the final days of this legislative session, spending so much time and energy on something that I think creates even more division,” Hayes said, saying “it’s making people move away.” (RELATED: California’s Most Degenerate Lawmaker Listens Impassively as Man Describes Horrors of Minor Trans Procedures)
Six Democrats joined all 13 Senate Republicans in voting in favor of the rejected amendment, with the bill possibly up for a final vote in the Senate on Wednesday, News From the States reported.
