Accommodation or surrender?

"New York City’s iconic Empire State Building is to be lit up green beginning on Friday, in honor of the Muslim holiday of Eid, the biggest festival in the Muslim calendar," city officials said. "This is the first time that the Empire State Building will be illuminated for Eid, and the lighting will become an annual event in the same tradition of the yearly lightings for Christmas and Hannukah,” according to a statement.

Well, not sure why the Empire State Building needs to be lit for Christmas (see below for explication) or Hannukah (see below for explication), either. But this is silly.

Technically, it's Id al-Fitr or Eid al-Fitr. It's the festival that ends the fast of Ramadan. [In Arabic, ‘Īd al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast) from ‘īd (feast, from the Aramaic ‘ed, day of assembly, from ‘ad, to fix a time) + al- (the) + fitr (breaking the fast, from fatara, to split, break, break the fast).]

The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by Muhammad with his companions and relatives after winning the Battle of Badr. (see below for explication)

It is the celebration of the end of Ramadan, on the first day of the 10th month of the Muslim lunar calendar. After praying the first normal everyday prayer, Muslims are required to eat a small quantity (typically dates), symbolizing the end of Ramadan. They then attend special congregational prayers held only for this occasion in mosques, in large open areas, stadiums or arenas, wearing their newest clothes. There is a special 'Eid prayer that is performed in unison. The prayer consists of two rak'at, followed by a khutba (sermon). Afterwards, families visit each other and exchange good wishes. Children sometimes receive gifts, candy, or money. Some Muslims send 'Eid ul-Fitr cards to friends and relatives. Worshippers greet and embrace each other in a spirit of peace and love after the congregational prayer. After the special prayers, festivities and merriment are commonly observed with visits to the homes of relatives and friends to thank God for all blessings.

For Muslims, Eid ul-Fitr is a joyous occasion with important religious significance, celebrating of the achievement of enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory, peace of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims celebrate not only the end of fasting, but also thank God for the help and strength that they believe he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control. It is a time of giving and sharing, and many Muslims dress in holiday clothing.

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Christmas, as every child in America knows, is when you get presents to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem in the Year One.
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is one of the most joyous times of the Jewish year. The reason for the celebration is twofold (both dating back to c. 165 BCE): the miraculous military victory of the small, ill-equipped Jewish army over the ruling Greek Syrians, who had banned the Jewish religion and desecrated the Temple, along with the miracle of the small amount of consecrated oil, which burned for eight days in the Temple's menorah, not for just one.

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Okay, so far we have one miraculous virgin birth, a victory over the Syrians, and a 'key battle in the early days of Islam' (see below for explication).
Ain't history fun?
But why are we lighting up the Empire State Building, at a cost of who knows how much in taxpayer money, to celebrate a fictional sex act and two obscure battles in the Middle East?

Rico says because we're fucking clueless, that's why.

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The Battle of Badr (Arabic: غزوة بدر), fought March 17, 624 CE (17 Ramadan 2 AH in the Islamic calendar) in the Hejaz of western Arabia (present-day Saudi Arabia), was a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca. The battle has been passed down in Islamic history as a decisive victory attributable to divine intervention or the genius of Muhammad. Although it is one of the few battles specifically mentioned in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'ān, virtually all contemporary knowledge of the battle at Badr comes from traditional Islamic accounts, both hadiths and biographies of Muhammad, written decades after the battle.
Prior to the battle, the Muslims and Meccans had fought several smaller skirmishes in late 623 and early 624, as the Muslim ghazawāt had become more frequent. Badr, however was the first large-scale engagement between the two forces. Muhammad was leading a raiding party against a Quraish caravan when he was surprised by a much larger Quraishi army. Advancing to a strong defensive position, Muhammad's well-disciplined men managed to shatter the Meccan lines, killing several important Quraishi leaders, including Muhammad's chief antagonist, 'Amr ibn Hishām. For the early Muslims, the battle was extremely significant, because it was the first sign that they might eventually defeat their enemies in Mecca. Mecca at this time was one of the richest and most powerful pagan cities in Arabia, which fielded an army three times larger than that of the Muslims. The Muslim victory also signalled other tribes that a new power had arisen in Arabia, and strengthened Muhammad’s authority as leader of the often fractious community in Medina. Local Arab tribes began to convert to Islam and ally themselves with the Muslims of Medina. Thus, the expansion of Islam began.