The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today endorsed a Gaza ceasefire resolution proposed by the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) and urged community members to act swiftly to help pass the measure by signing and sharing a click and send letter to the MCEA board.
CAIR also condemned attempts by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) to block the resolution.
SEE: JCRC Pressures MCEA, County Council on Gaza Ceasefire Resolution
ACT NOW: Urge Montgomery County Teachers’ Association to VOTE FOR CEASEFIRE
“MCEA’s ceasefire resolution is important precisely because all students in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) deserve to thrive – including Palestinian-American children whose loved ones have been killed or forcibly displaced in the relentless carpet-bombing of Gaza funded by billions of our tax dollars,” said CAIR’s Maryland director Zainab Chaudry. “MCPS educators also deserve to thrive, including those who’ve been unjustly reprimanded for simply advocating for their basic human rights. The educational system in Gaza has been decimated. Children there have not attended school since October. Advocating for all students is an important part of being an educator. The tax dollars our government spends to prolong this deadly violence are put to better use investing in our own schools and towns. Anyone who fails to understand this is out of touch with humanity.”
Last month, the civil rights group filed a lawsuit against MCPS for violating three teachers’ free speech rights by placing them on suspension over basic advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
SEE: CAIR files free speech lawsuit against MCPS after 3 ‘pro-Palestinian’ teachers suspended
CAIR alleges Montgomery County public schools violated teachers’ First Amendment rights
In December, CAIR welcomed a letter by MCEA calling on MCPS to “cease and desist blatantly violating unit members’ rights to due process by issuing letters to school communities regarding personnel matters when an MCEA unit member is placed on administrative leave, prior to an investigation having taken place.”
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Maryland Union’s Support for Teachers Punished for Pro-Palestine Views
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
-END-
CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062