The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today urged the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to adopt the proposed Ethical Investment Policy, which is scheduled for consideration and a vote at a Special Meeting on Friday, Oct. 3.
In a Sept. 29 letter to the Board of Supervisors, CAIR-SFBA expressed strong support for the measure, emphasizing the urgent need for public funds to align with community values of justice, human rights, and dignity. The proposed policy would ensure that Alameda County no longer invests in corporations complicit in human rights abuses.
SEE: CAIR-SFBA SUPPORT FOR ETHICAL INVESTMENT POLICY
Specifically, CAIR-SFBA highlighted the dangers of investing in companies that:
- Profit from the destruction of Palestinian homes, schools, and hospitals using Caterpillar equipment.
- Enable the surveillance and criminalization of immigrant communities through technologies contracted by ICE.
- Contribute to the dispossession and displacement of unhoused neighbors in Alameda County.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq said:
“These harms are deeply interconnected. The same corporations that enable Israel’s apartheid abroad also profit from incarceration, border militarization, and displacement at home. Alameda County must not allow taxpayer dollars to subsidize these industries of violence and repression.”
CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo added:
“By passing the Ethical Investment Policy, Alameda County can lead the nation in divesting from unethical practices and demonstrate that our public resources should be a tool for advancing human rights, not undermining them. This is a historic opportunity for Alameda County to act with courage and integrity.”
If adopted, Alameda County would become the first county in the nation to implement such a policy, setting a powerful precedent for local governments across the country.
CAIR-SFBA urges a YES vote at the Oct. 3 Special Meeting andstands ready to partner with county leadership and community stakeholders to ensure Alameda County’s investments reflect residents’ values.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com