Microsoft Terminates 2 for Hosting Gaza Vigil – Details Inside!

Updated on Sunday, October 27, to include comments from Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Washington state chapter.

Microsoft dismissed two employees shortly after they organized a vigil at the company’s Redmond, Washington headquarters to commemorate the Palestinian lives lost in Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza.

The company deemed the vigil “unauthorized,” as reported by The Associated Press, although the employees argued that their lunchtime event on Thursday was akin to other company-sanctioned fundraisers.

“Numerous community members within Microsoft have been personally affected, losing family and friends,” said Abdo Mohamed, one of the dismissed employees, to the AP. “Microsoft failed to provide a space for us to collectively mourn and honor those who can no longer speak for themselves.”

“Our work is currently being harnessed by the Israeli state to inflict extreme damage on Palestinian lives.”

The Israeli offensive in Gaza, described by many experts as genocidal, has reportedly resulted in nearly 43,000 deaths, though actual figures could be higher.

Mohamed, originally from Egypt, was working at Microsoft on a work visa as a researcher and data scientist. He mentioned the need to secure new employment within two months to maintain his visa status and residence in the US.

The other terminated employee, Hossam Nasr, also Egyptian, is involved with Harvard Alumni for Palestine.

Nasr disclosed that he had been previously investigated and disciplined by Microsoft for making pro-Palestinian statements on the company’s internal social media network.

Microsoft confirmed to the AP on Friday that it “terminated the employment of certain individuals in line with company policy.”

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Both Mohamed and Nasr belong to a group named No Azure for Apartheid, part of the broader No Tech for Apartheid movement, which criticizes the use of Microsoft’s Azure and other technologies in supporting Israel’s military actions in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank.

Microsoft has a historical business relationship with Israel, as outlined by No Azure for Apartheid in May. Although Amazon and Google secured the contract to supply exclusive cloud services to the Israeli government and military through Project Nimbus, some departments continue to utilize Azure during the transition. Azure also supports the Israeli military company Elbit Systems with new military simulation software, and provides consulting services to the Israeli Prison Service.

“Our work is being used by the Israeli state to inflict severe destruction on Palestinian lives,” stated No Azure for Apartheid. “As creators of potent technologies often misused by unethical governmental entities, we have a distinct obligation to ensure our technologies promote good.”

Various anti-war and Palestinian solidarity groups and activists have condemned the firings.

“Microsoft is aiding a genocide and punishing those who advocate for humanity,” declared CODEPINK on social media on Saturday.

Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, commented: “Microsoft not only supplies technology that enables genocide and apartheid but also fires employees for mourning slain relatives.”

University of Chicago professor and In These Times columnist Eman Abdelhadi linked the firings to several recent retaliations against Palestinian solidarity efforts at universities and corporations.

“From Harvard Library suspending faculty for a silent study-in to Microsoft firing workers for a Gaza vigil, and from U Chicago evicting a protesting student to Universal canceling a TV show because the creator opposes genocide… all these occurred just last week,” Abdelhadi noted on social media.

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These actions by Microsoft come six months after Google dismissed 28 employees for protesting against Project Nimbus.

On Sunday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Washington state chapter demanded Microsoft reinstate the dismissed employees.

“This represents another instance where employees advocating for a critical human rights issue are silenced in the corporate environment,” stated CAIR-WA executive director Imraan Siddiqi.

CAIR National executive director Nihad Awad added: “We often see the ‘except for Palestine’ exception applied whenever someone champions the human rights, humanity, and dignity of the Palestinian people. In any other scenario, a corporation would praise its employees for standing against human rights abuses and genocide—’except for Palestine.’

“This hypocritical double standard must end,” urged Awad. “Microsoft should reinstate these principled workers and apologize for its actions, which seem to endorse Israel’s genocidal acts and deny Palestinian humanity.”

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