The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced that it has joined over 30 Maryland mosques and Muslim community organizations that are part of the IMAN Network in urging the public to act now to call on the State of Maryland to end public funding for the Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC) over Israel’s Gaza genocide. More than 11,000 letters have been sent so far through the letter campaign.
Why This Matters
The Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC) serves as the broker to bring Israeli companies into Maryland, many of which are weapons manufacturers. The State of Maryland’s budget allocates $300,000 in funding for MIDC and provides the organization with grants and special privileges.
Two of the “companies” (Elta North America and Rafael) are part of the Israeli military itself. To learn more, watch this video from Peace Action Montgomery.
Maryland’s Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson, a board member of the organization, has not responded to IMAN Network’s request for a meeting to discuss these concerns.
Amnesty International, an international human rights NGO with over 10 million members, recently disclosing the finding of their report, declaring Israel is in fact committing genocide.
JOIN CAIR in calling on the State of Maryland to end public funding for MIDC.
Maryland must ensure that no public funds support institutions or entities tied to Israel’s military-industrial complex, such as the MIDC. Maryland taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize a regime that is committing atrocities against infants, patients, medical workers, civilians, journalists, and aid workers, especially when the state if facing a substantial budget deficit.
The State of Maryland and all of its agencies and counties should end all grants and privileges provided to the MIDC and ensure that leadership demonstrates and reflects values of justice, human dignity, and equality.
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.
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.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, 410-971-6062, zchaudry@cair.com; CAIR Maryland Outreach Coordinator Kim Syuardi, ksyuardi@cair.com, 202-850-9293