Appointment of Muslim judge in tiny Mississippi town brings social media attacks
- Assma Ali was appointed last week as municipal judge for Benoit, a town of fewer than 400 people in Mississippi's Bolivar County.
- Her appointment drew online backlash from some social media users and a few Mississippi politicians, with posts targeting her because she is Muslim.
- Ali is a U.S. citizen of Yemeni descent, has nearly 10 years of immigration law experience, and runs a private practice in Ridgeland.
- Ali said she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law and later posted her signed oath of office and the appointment agenda for transparency.
- Legal experts and an attorney who knows Ali said there is no basis for excluding her from office because of her religion.
Assma Ali, a Muslim attorney of Yemeni descent, was appointed as municipal judge in Benoit, Mississippi, a small town in the Delta with fewer than 400 residents. The appointment quickly became the target of social media attacks, including accusations from some users and politicians that she held radical views or would impose Islamic law.
Ali has nearly a decade of experience in immigration law, maintains a private practice in Ridgeland, and graduated from Mississippi College School of Law in 2017. She said she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law, and later posted her signed oath of office and the town's meeting agenda to confirm the appointment.
People familiar with her work, including a law professor who has known her for years, described her as qualified and active in mentoring younger lawyers. They said the criticism was aimed at her religion rather than her record.
The report also noted that Mississippi municipal judges are appointed by city governments and handle local ordinance, traffic, misdemeanor, and some initial criminal matters. In cities under 20,000 people, a municipal judge is not required to live in the area they serve.
密西西比州小镇任命穆斯林法官引发社交媒体攻击
阿斯玛·阿里是一名有也门裔背景的穆斯林律师，近日被任命为密西西比州小镇贝努瓦特的市政法官。贝努瓦特位于该州三角洲地区，人口不足400人，她的任命很快在社交媒体上引发攻击，一些用户和政界人士指称她持有极端观点，甚至会推行伊斯兰教法。
报道显示，阿里有近10年移民法执业经验，在里奇兰经营自己的私人律所，并于2017年从密西西比学院法学院毕业。她表示自己将遵守美国宪法和密西西比州法律，随后还在网上公布了签署的就职誓言和镇政府会议议程，以确认任命情况。
熟悉她工作的人，包括一名与她相识多年的法学教授，都称她资历合格，并积极帮助年轻律师成长。他们认为，针对她的批评主要是冲着她的宗教身份而来，而不是她的履历。
报道还提到，密西西比州的市政法官由城市政府任命，负责处理地方条例、交通、轻罪以及部分初步刑事程序。在人口少于2万人的城市，市政法官无需居住在任职地区。