Two Microsoft employees who were fired last week after organizing a vigil for murdered Palestinians in Gaza claim they were retaliated against by the company for their pro-Palestinian activities.
Abd Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist, and Hossam Nasr, a software engineer, organized the event on October 24th in front of Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. They were fired later that night.
“Microsoft really collapsed under internal and external pressure to retaliate by firing me and shutting down events. It wasn’t because of any policy violations, but simply because we were daring to humanize Palestinians. , simply because we dared to say that Microsoft should not be complicit with a military suspected of genocide,” Nasr said. Mr. Nasr has been criticized on social media and in Microsoft internal communications groups over his support for Palestine.
Both employees were members of No Azure for Apartheid, a group of Microsoft employees protesting the sale of the company’s cloud computing technology to Israel.
The group calls on Microsoft to sever all Azure contracts and partnerships with the Israeli military and government, disclose all relationships with Israel, and demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. , requires that employees’ freedom of speech be protected and maintained.
Microsoft denied that the two Egyptians were fired for their activism. “We remain committed to maintaining a professional and respectful work environment and provide many avenues for all voices to be heard. But importantly, this does not disrupt our business operations and our “We want this to be done in a way that is consistent with policy and behavioral expectations,” the spokesperson said.
“Our company does not allow employees to use equipment such as bullhorns or speakers in public areas to disrupt the work of colleagues. We clarify our policy with event organizers in advance and We have directed this gathering to take place in a public place. Organizers have chosen to ignore this guidance and it has been terminated.”
However, Mohamed and Nasr deny claims that the vigil was disruptive and maintain that it followed Microsoft policy. They said the event was aimed at raising funds for humanitarian efforts in Gaza and followed the same procedures as other employee charity events held regularly by other employee groups. The vigil was held at lunchtime outside the Microsoft headquarters campus, with microphones for speakers and chairs and signage for attendees.
No Azure for Apartheid said more than 200 employees attended the vigil in person or virtually.
Both Mr. Nasr and Mr. Mohamed claimed to have been in contact with Microsoft in advance and addressed any concerns raised before the lunchtime event, which was aimed at honoring Palestinian lives lost in the conflict. , stated that the purpose was to draw attention to Microsoft’s relationship with Palestine. Israel. Police were called to the event, but only to observe it, and only used microphones for speakers.
“They never said at any point that dismissal was being considered or that disciplinary action was being considered,” Nasr told the Guardian.
Both men questioned why Nasr’s dismissal was made public by the anti-Semitic group Stop Antisemitism before they were informed that they had been fired. Nasr provided call records showing he received a call from Microsoft at 9 p.m. on Oct. 24, but the group announced on social media an hour and a half earlier that Nasr had “no longer worked for Microsoft.” Posted on.
Mr. Nasr also alleges double standards at the company, saying that comments he posted about Gaza in an internal Microsoft employee group were subject to repeated internal investigations and disciplinary action, while others were flagged internally for racism and personal attacks. The post that made the claim that no results were obtained. Any disciplinary action.
He pointed to posts that implied he and another employee were “members or mere supporters of Hamas.” As far as he knows, these have never led to disciplinary action. He also investigated a post he wrote: “Palestinians, with or without sympathy, will get the dignity, freedom, respect and liberation they deserve everywhere from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.” said that it had started. ” However, he reported that the company took no action when another employee wrote, “From the river to the sea Israel is forever.”
A Microsoft representative declined to comment on specific examples.
The group No Azure for Apartheid characterized the shooting as retaliation and accused Microsoft of intimidation of Palestinian voices. The group disputes Microsoft’s claims of policy violations by employees and is seeking reinstatement and an explanation for why the terminations were leaked before the employees themselves were notified.
A Palestinian employee at Microsoft, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, told the Guardian that Microsoft’s internal message boards have been flooded with messages expressing anger over the firings in recent days. They also accused Microsoft of double standards in enforcing its policies regarding harassment and conduct against Palestinian voices.
Another Palestinian employee at Microsoft, who requested anonymity, said: “This was unfair and very much a deliberate message to the community to silence the loudest voices within the community.”
A Microsoft spokesperson did not comment on the “Apartheid We Don’t Need Azure” campaign, its demands, or the allegations of bias.
The spokesperson added that the company is investigating allegations that social media posts about the layoffs were published by Stop Antisemitism before employees were notified.
According to a report by +972 Magazine, an Israeli-Palestinian media outlet, the Israeli military has increased its purchase of services from Microsoft Azure since October 2023, adding that Microsoft Azure has been Israel’s main cloud service provider for many years. It is said that. The company also funds several Israeli startups that serve the military.
“Microsoft is refusing to listen to the demands of its employees,” Mohamed said. “This is what’s happening within Microsoft. People are calling them out and refusing to even engage or consider the serious concerns that come with the use of these technologies.”
U.S. tech companies doing business with Israel have faced growing internal unrest over the past year. Google fired more than 50 employees in April in response to protests over the company’s military ties with the country.
