Appointment of Muslim judge in tiny Mississippi town draws 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.
- Ali, a U.S. citizen of Yemeni descent, is an immigration lawyer with nearly 10 years of experience who runs a private practice in Ridgeland.
- Her appointment drew backlash online from some social media users and a few Mississippi politicians, with posts attacking her religion and falsely claiming she would impose Islamic law.
- Supporters, including law professor Frank Rosenblatt, said Ali is qualified and that religion cannot legally be used to disqualify someone from public office.
- Ali said she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law and shared documentation of her oath and appointment for transparency.
Assma Ali, a U.S.-born attorney of Yemeni descent, was appointed municipal judge in Benoit, Mississippi, a small town in the Delta region. She has practiced immigration law for nearly a decade and operates a private practice in Ridgeland.
Her appointment prompted online attacks from some social media users and a few Mississippi politicians. The criticism focused on her being Muslim, and some posts falsely claimed she would bring Islamic law to Mississippi or questioned whether the appointment was real.
People who know Ali, including Mississippi Christian University School of Law professor Frank Rosenblatt, described her as qualified and respected. Rosenblatt said religion cannot be used to bar someone from public office under the U.S. and Mississippi constitutions.
Ali said in a social media statement that she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law. She later posted her oath of office and Benoit meeting materials showing the appointment. The issue is a local political and social controversy and does not have a clear direct market impact.
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·阿里是一名在美国出生、具有也门裔背景的律师，最近被任命为密西西比州密西西比三角洲地区小镇贝努瓦特的市政法官。她从事移民法业务近10年，并在里奇兰经营自己的律师事务所。
她的任命引发了部分社交媒体用户和少数密西西比州政界人士的网络攻击。批评主要集中在她的穆斯林身份，一些帖子还错误声称她会把伊斯兰法带到密西西比州，或质疑这项任命是否真实。
认识她的人，包括密西西比基督教大学法学院教授弗兰克·罗森布拉特，都称她有资格且在业内口碑良好。罗森布拉特表示，根据美国宪法和密西西比州宪法，不能因为宗教而剥夺一个人的公职资格。
阿里在社交媒体声明中表示，她将遵守美国宪法和密西西比州法律。随后她又发布了就职誓言和贝努瓦特会议材料，以证明任命的存在。此事属于地方政治和社会争议，对市场没有明显的直接影响。