The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today joined over 30 Maryland mosques and Muslim community organizations as part of the Islamic Maryland Action Network (IMAN Network) in urging the public to ask the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMDSOM) to rescind its invitation to a representative of the Israeli government, Brig. Gen. Elon Glassberg, to present during Grand Rounds at the school on October 9, 2025, amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
TAKE ACTION: ACT NOW: Demand UMD School of Medicine Drop Israeli Military Rep. as Grand Rounds Speaker
This event is scheduled at a time when both the United Nations and international and Israeli human rights organizations including Amnesty International and B’Tselem have declared that Israel is actively committing genocide in Gaza.
SEE: Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds
B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel: Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip
Israeli organizations conclude Israel committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in another milestone for accountability efforts
World Health Organization Public Health Situation Analysis -September 2025
According to the World Health Organization, Israel has deliberately targeted and bombed at least 33 of the 36 hospitals in Gaza and has for months blocked all foreign healthcare workers seeking to serve medical missions in the Strip. The United Nations has reported finding mass graves evidencing war crimes at the sites of several hospitals including the largest in Gaza, Al-Shifa Hospital.
This invitation is an affront to the principles of medical ethics, human rights, and the sanctity of healthcare spaces. CAIR joins the IMAN Network in calling on UMDSOM leadership to address mounting concerns from faculty, staff, students and the broader community and revoke it immediately. Inviting a representative of a military body of a government actively engaged in genocide and responsible for grave atrocities against civilians and medical professionals—contradicts the mission of saving lives and advancing care.
The Islamic Maryland Action Network (IMAN) is a statewide crisis response working group that represents over 350,000 Muslims in the state. Members include over two dozen mosques and Muslim organizations.
SEE: IMAN Network
The IMAN Network’s mission is to foster a coordinated, compassionate, and effective response to crises, uniting diverse Muslim communities across the state.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com