The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Howard County Council to restore public testimony at an upcoming hearing for County Resolution CR-22 2024 calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and to acknowledge the tremendous support for this measure by passing the resolution.
SEE: CR22-2024 (Howard County Council)
The resolution was introduced by Councilmember Liz Walsh following a packed Howard County Human Rights Commission hearing earlier this month, attended by community members and constituents demanding the county to join the nearly 70 percent of Americans in supporting an end to Israel’s genocidal military campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 30,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, and decimated the region.
CAIR was alerted yesterday that the resolution, which is scheduled to be introduced on Monday, February 5, will be closed to public testimonies and a vote is expected on the same day.
“By blocking public comment in the consideration of this resolution, the county council is not only stripping constituents of their right to a fair, transparent and democratic process, they are also unjustly perpetuating the silence and erasure of voices advocating for basic Palestinian human rights,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “The topic of protecting and saving innocent lives should never be contentious and controversial.”
CAIR is calling on Councilmembers to restore public testimonies and allow community members an opportunity to articulate their positions.
Hundreds more calls and letters to councilmembers in the last week have gained widespread attention following the introduction of a statewide ceasefire resolution cosponsored by eight state lawmakers in the Maryland General Assembly in mid-January.
Nearly 30,000 letters have been sent by Marylanders to state lawmakers through an action alert sponsored by CAIR urging the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee to pass HJ0002 Ceasefire Resolution out of committee and onto the House floor for a vote.
SEE: Action Alert: Help PASS Ceasefire Resolution in Maryland General Assembly
House Joint Resolution 0002
Introduced by Delegate Gabriel Acevero, and co-sponsored by Delegates Ashanti Martinez, Caylin Young, Tiffany Alston, Sheree Sample-Hughes, Kent Roberson, Veronica Turner and Diana Fennel, HJ0002 Supporting a Long-Term Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine acknowledges the humanity of Palestinians and Israelis, and aims to protect innocent lives and increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza which is experiencing one of the most dire humanitarian crises in modern history under the relentless assault by the genocidal Israeli military.
The past 116 days of bombing and attacks have led to at least 30,000 Palestinians killed – both Muslims and Christians and led to the forced displacement of nearly 2 million people from their homes in Gaza.
Recently, CAIR welcomed a ruling by the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest court, that declared South Africa’s charge of genocide against the Israeli government plausible, allowed the case to proceed, and ordered the Israeli government to take various measures to prevent genocidal acts and report back to the ICJ in one month.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes UN Court Ruling on Gaza Genocide Charge Against Israel
CAIR recently welcomed U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen’s (D-Md.) call for a ceasefire.
Last Friday, the civil rights group joined IMAN Network, families from Gaza and state lawmakers at a news conference on Lawyers’ Mall to urge support for HJ0002.
Since Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza began on Oct. 7, it has destroyed entire residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure. Human rights organizations and advocates from all over the world have stated that Israel is depriving Gazans of food, water, electricity, and medicine while also indiscriminately dropping bombs on homes, hospitals, bakeries, schools, mosques, churches, and even refugee camps in Gaza, which amount to war crimes.
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, 410-971-6062, zchaudry@cair.com