Microsoft has recently terminated two employees who organized an unauthorized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza during the Israel and Hamas war.
Notably, the vigil was organized at the company’s headquarters. The employees said that they were fired by a phone call made late in the night. The employees organized a lunchtime event at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington.
The two employees, Abdelrahman Mohamed and Hossam Nasr were part of a group called “No Azure for Apartheid.” They opposed Microsoft’s sale of its cloud-computing technology to the Israeli government. However, the employees argued that the Thursday event was just like other Microsoft-sanctioned employee-giving campaigns to help people in need.
“We have so many community members within Microsoft who have lost their family, friends, and loved ones. But Microsoft failed to have the space for us to come together and share our grief and honor the memories of people who can no longer speak for themselves”, said Abdo Mohamad, who was a researcher and data scientist at the company.
Meanwhile, the company announced that it has ended the term of some employees under internal policy. But declined to provide details.
Employees on Termination
Mohamed, a researcher and Data scientist from Egypt expressed his disappointment in the company’s failure to provide space for them to come together and grieve the loss of those who lost their lives. He said he is now facing a challenge to find a new job within two months and avoid deportation due to his visa status.
Another employee, Nasr, who is also Egyptian-raised and a 2021 graduate from Harvard University, was also a co-organizer of Harvard Alumni for Palestine. He said the purpose of the vigil was to honor victims during the Palestinian Genocide in Gaza and called for the company’s attention for its compliance with the Genocide. Microsoft’s technology was used by the Israeli military.
Additionally, Nasr’s firing was also made online by the watchdog group, Stop Antisemitism, before he received the official call from Microsoft.
Israel and Hamas Conflict
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has significantly impacted Gaza. As of now over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed as per the health ministry reported. The war erupted on October 7, 2023, and caused widespread destruction and significant loss of life.
Recently, Hamas has confirmed that its leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Israel has continued to target Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon for the past weeks. This war has destroyed Gaza and displaced 90% of its population. About 2.3 million people have been left struggling to find food, water, medicine, and fuel.
Kanishka Malhotra is a seasoned journalist with a deep passion for reporting and uncovering the truth. With a specialization in research and investigative Journalism, she has covered wide range of topics related to social issues, travel, lifestyle, technology, Entertainment and much more. She believes to express and share her creativity to the world through words. With relentless pursuit of knowing and uncovering the truth, Kanishka continues to leave a mark in the world of journalism.
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