Yesterday, Microsoft selected to totally and utterly discriminate towards a whole nation, a whole individuals, and a whole group by blocking all staff from sending any outbound electronic mail containing the phrases “Palestine”, “Gaza”, “genocide”, or “apartheid”. Microsoft leaders justified this blatant censorship by saying it was to forestall you from receiving emails like the e-mail that you’re studying proper now. Though Microsoft SLT are conscious that this “brief time period answer” is definitely bypassable, as this electronic mail clearly proves, Microsoft nonetheless doubled down, insisted on not rolling again the coverage, and determined to proceed concentrating on and repressing their Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and allied staff. They refused to revoke this censorship tactic, regardless of its potential illegality, dozens of staff expressing how racist of a call it was, and even leaders admitting they see how it may be perceived as discriminatory and focused. This additional proves how little Microsoft values Palestinian lives and Palestinian struggling.
As a Palestinian employee, I’m fed up with the way in which our individuals have been handled by this firm. I’m sending this electronic mail as a message to Microsoft leaders: the price of making an attempt to silence all voices that dare to humanize Palestinians is way larger than merely listening to the considerations of your staff. Had this ineffective and discriminatory coverage been revoked, as I attempted to request quite a few occasions by way of so-called “correct channels”[1][2], I’d not be sending you all this electronic mail.
Regardless of claiming to have “heard considerations from our staff and the general public concerning Microsoft applied sciences utilized by the Israeli navy to focus on civilians or trigger hurt within the battle in Gaza” in an announcement riddled with lies, admissions, and absurd justifications, Microsoft has proven that they’re totally bored with listening to what we now have to say.
Microsoft claims that they “present many avenues for all voices to be heard”. Nonetheless, at any time when we attempt to talk about something substantial about divesting from genocide within the “accepted channels”, staff are retaliated towards, doxxed, or silenced. Microsoft has deleted related worker questions in AMAs with executives and shut down Viva Have interaction posts in devoted channels for asking SLT questions. Managers have warned outspoken directs to remain quiet and have even overtly retaliated towards them. When my group tries to flag points and considerations to HR/GER/WIT, we now have been met with racist outcomes with double requirements. All through all this, Microsoft has despatched a transparent message to their staff: There are not any correct channels at Microsoft to precise your considerations, disagreements, and even questions on how Microsoft is utilizing your labor to kill Palestinian infants.
Over this previous week, Microsoft has proven their true face, brutalizing, detaining, firing, pepper spraying, threatening and insulting staff and former staff protesting at Microsoft Construct. This electronic mail censorship is just the smartphone instance in an extended listing of latest excessive and outrageous escalations by Microsoft towards my group. Sufficient is sufficient.
It has grow to be clear that Microsoft is not going to take heed to us out of the goodness of their hearts.
Microsoft is not going to change their stance simply because it’s the ethical and even authorized factor to do. Microsoft will solely divest from genocide as soon as it turns into dearer for them to kill Palestinians than not. Proper now, Microsoft makes some huge cash from genocide-profiteering, so we should make help for genocide much more costly.
The state of affairs in Palestine is extra pressing by the minute. An increasing number of Palestinians are being killed of hunger beneath the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)‘s bombing marketing campaign, invasion, and siege that has martyred an estimated 400,000 Palestinians. The IOF have kidnapped over 16,000 Palestinians and positioned them in torture and rape camps. 1.93 million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced, and over 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced within the West Financial institution.
Whereas a hostile work setting is tough, it can not evaluate to the horrors going down in Palestine – horrors that we as Microsoft staff are complicit in. These futile makes an attempt to silence our group, whereas painful at occasions, are proof that the stress we’re making use of is working. This isn’t the time for child steps or gradual progress. Ravenous infants can not wait any longer. We, as an organization of over 200,000 staff, are offering the technological spine for Israel’s genocidal struggle machine in Palestinian. We, as staff of this firm, have a accountability to finish our employer’s complicity on this AI-assisted genocide! Now could be the time to escalate towards Microsoft and finish this Microsoft-powered genocide!
I’m calling on each worker of conscience to:
Signal No Azure for Apartheid’s petition calling for a termination of all Microsoft contracts with the Israeli navy and authorities: https://noaa.cc/petition
Strongly contemplate whether or not you need to keep within the firm and combat for change from inside, or if you wish to depart and cease contributing labor to genocide.
In case you select to go away Microsoft to not be complicit in genocide, don’t go quietly. The No Azure for Apartheid marketing campaign is prepared that will help you make an impression in your manner out for Palestine, and we will even do our greatest to offer you help earlier than leaving. Attain out to us expressing your curiosity to go away right here.
In case you select to remain, proceed to combat from the within to finish Microsoft’s, and your personal, complicity in struggle crimes, be part of the No Azure for Apartheid marketing campaign. In case you are apprehensive about being public along with your affiliation, relaxation assured that as a worker-led grassroots motion, we now have members with all ranges of anonymity and danger degree. A few of our members are publicly seen and can even publicly confront our war-criminal executives, similar to Satya Nadella, Mustafa Suleyman, and Jay Parikh at main Microsoft occasions just like the fiftieth Anniversary celebration and Microsoft Construct. Different members select to remain utterly nameless and nonetheless contribute to the vital work of the marketing campaign. There’s room for everybody: https://noaa.cc/join
Whereas I do perceive that as Microsoft staff, we can not absolutely boycott Microsoft, most of us can deal with the precedence targets set by the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) motion, which lately set Microsoft as a precedence goal. The principle goal of the boycott is Microsoft Gaming, particularly X-Field. We are able to additionally encourage our family and friends to boycott Microsoft the place doable.
To Microsoft Senior Management workforce particularly:You can not silence Palestine.You can not silence Gaza.You can not cover your involvement in genocide and apartheid.
Fre e PalestineNisreen Jaradat