Muslims, Arabs fear revenge, marred careers for speaking up: Altman

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Jan 2024 12:29

Against the backdrop of the genocide in Gaza, the CEO says Muslim colleagues in the tech community feel uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman participates in a discussion during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit, Nov. 16, 2023 (AP)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed concerns on Thursday regarding the discomfort felt by members of the Muslim and Arab communities within the tech industry when discussing their recent experiences, seemingly alluding to the impact of the ongoing war on Gaza.

"Muslim and Arab (especially Palestinian) colleagues in the tech community I've spoken with feel uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, often out of fear of retaliation and damaged career prospects," Altman said in a post on X.

muslim and arab (especially palestinian) colleagues in the tech community i've spoken with feel uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, often out of fear of retaliation and damaged career prospects.

our industry should be united in our support of these colleagues;…
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 5, 2024

The prominent figure, whose company is backed by Microsoft (MSFT.O), urged the tech industry to approach members of these communities with empathy.

Responding to a user's inquiry about his views on the experiences of the Jewish community, Altman, who identifies as Jewish, expressed his belief in the significant and growing problem of antisemitism worldwide. He noted the support he receives within the industry and highlighted the comparatively limited advocacy for Muslims.

Israeli efforts at silencing pro-Palestinian voices in US ongoing

According to The Guardian, many attempts to suppress pro-Palestinian views have been taking place in the US after the initiation of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.

Major conferences were canceled, workers who expressed sympathy for Palestinians were fired, and intimidation efforts targeting Arab American voices critical of Israeli policy were launched.

A Jewish organization in the United States forced the cancelation of a major Palestinian campaign organization's national conference early this week, claiming it was a front for Hamas.

According to Palestinian American activists, following a campaign of "listener complaints", NPR and the BBC dropped advertisements for a critically acclaimed new book about the war on Palestine.

Hilton Hotels were pressured into canceling the Campaign for Palestinian Rights event in Houston at the end of October by The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. Rashida Tlaib was scheduled to be the main speaker at the event.

Duvi Honig, the chamber’s founder and CEO, claimed that the conference was for “Hamas supporters” and accused Tlaib and other speakers of being “notoriously proud Jew-haters."

Ahmad Abuznaid, director of the USCPR, a coalition of more than 300 groups opposed to the occupation, disclosed that when contacted by Hilton, the group was told it had to pay $100,000 for security within 48 hours. Hilton also told them they were receiving calls to cancel the event.