Over 50,000 letters sent through CAIR, IMAN Action Network campaigns calling on county, state officials to end taxpayer support for MIDC
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations today joined the Islamic Maryland Action Network in welcoming confirmation from officials that Montgomery County has struck funding from its budget for the Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC) following long-term, sustained advocacy by advocates, interfaith leaders, civil rights groups, and community organizations.
IMAN Action Network and CAIR action alerts combined have delivered over 50,000 letters to public officials urging Maryland and its counties to end taxpayer support for MIDC.
Action Alert: Urge Montgomery County Council to Vote No to Public Funding for Maryland Israel Development Center
“Montgomery County’s decision to end funding for MIDC is a meaningful victory for every Marylander who believes our public dollars should reflect principled values,” said IMAN Steering Committee Member and CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “Scrutiny is growing because Marylanders do not want our tax dollars used to underwrite organizations connected to apartheid, illegal occupation, weapons manufacturing, surveillance, or genocide. We thank the allies, public officials, advocates, faith leaders, and students who listened, organized, and acted.”
“This campaign was never only about one budget line item,” said IMAN Steering Committee Member and Justice for All DC Outreach Director Hena Zuberi. “It is about whether Maryland will choose justice, human dignity, and moral consistency over business as usual. Montgomery County has taken an important step, and now the State of Maryland and every county that has supported MIDC must follow. This decision sends a clear message that local and state governments must be accountable to the communities they serve, and must carefully scrutinize public funding for any organization tied to human rights abuses abroad.”
“This news belongs to the people who refused to be silent,” said IMAN Steering Committee Member and Islamic Center of Maryland Executive Director Nadeem Ahmad. “It belongs to every person who sent a letter, attended a hearing, contacted an elected official, shared an alert, or spoke up for Palestinian life. This is what organized conscience can achieve.”
BACKGROUNDER:
IMAN member organizations have submitted oral and written testimony and statements before lawmakers in the Appropriations Committee in the Maryland General Assembly and county council hearings opposing public funding for MIDC.
Community advocates and leaders repeatedly raised concerns that public dollars should not be used to subsidize an entity tied to Israel’s military-industrial ecosystem, especially amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and mounting public concern over weapons manufacturers, surveillance companies, and other entities connected to state violence.
MIDC, which describes itself as a nonprofit “public-private partnership” created to promote bilateral trade and economic development between Maryland and Israel, has drawn growing scrutiny from Maryland residents and advocacy groups because of its role in facilitating the expansion of Israeli companies into Maryland, including companies connected to weapons, military technology, surveillance, and other industries that raise urgent human rights concerns.
In Montgomery County, the IMAN Network specifically opposed a proposed allocation of $45,831 in county funds to MIDC and called on county leaders to ensure that public resources are not used to support entities linked to Israel’s military apparatus.
IMAN is redoubling its calls on the State of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Commerce, and all Maryland counties to permanently end grants, subsidies, special privileges, and public partnerships benefiting MIDC or any similar entity connected to Israel’s military-industrial complex.
The Islamic Maryland Action Network (IMAN) is a statewide crisis response working group that represents over 350,000 Muslims in the state.
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.
END
CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, [email protected], 410-971-6062