Appointment of Muslim judge in tiny Mississippi town draws social media attacks
- A municipal judge appointment in Benoit, Mississippi, has drawn online backlash because the appointee, Assma Ali, is Muslim.
- Ali was appointed last week as the municipal judge for Benoit, a town of fewer than 400 people in Bolivar County.
- Ali is a U.S. citizen of Yemeni descent, practices immigration law in Ridgeland, and has nearly 10 years of legal experience.
- She said she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law and shared her oath of office and appointment agenda online for transparency.
- Supporters, including a law professor who knows her, said she is qualified and that religion cannot legally be used to disqualify her from public office.
A municipal judge appointment in Benoit, Mississippi, has triggered social media attacks and criticism from some Mississippi politicians after the appointee, Assma Ali, was targeted over her Muslim faith. Online posts accused her, without evidence, of holding radical beliefs, fabricating the appointment, or intending to impose Islamic law.
Ali was appointed last week as municipal judge for Benoit, a small town of fewer than 400 people in Bolivar County. She is an American citizen of Yemeni descent, runs a private immigration-law practice in Ridgeland, and has nearly a decade of legal experience. She earned her law degree from Mississippi College School of Law in 2017 and joined the state bar that same year.
In a statement posted on social media, Ali said she is committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law. She later posted her signed oath of office and the town meeting agenda showing the appointment, saying she did so for clarity and transparency.
Supporters, including Mississippi Christian University School of Law professor Frank Rosenblatt, described Ali as qualified and respected in the state’s legal community. Rosenblatt said attacks on her are based on her religion, and noted that the U.S. and Mississippi constitutions bar disqualifying someone from public office because of faith.
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·阿里被任命为密西西比州贝努瓦市政法官后，因其穆斯林身份而在社交媒体上遭到攻击，一些密西西比州政界人士也加入了批评。网上一些说法在没有证据的情况下指责她持有极端观点、伪造任命，或意图在当地实施伊斯兰法。
阿里上周获任贝努瓦市政法官。贝努瓦是博尔瓦尔县一个人口不到400人的小镇。她是美国公民，具有也门裔背景，在里奇兰德经营移民法律业务，拥有近十年的执业经验。她于2017年在密西西比学院法学院取得法学学位，并在同年获得律师资格。
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。她随后公布了签署的宣誓就职文件以及显示任命事项的镇会议议程，称这是为了清晰和透明。
支持者，包括密西西比基督教大学法学院教授弗兰克·罗森布拉特，称阿里资历合格，在该州法律界也受到尊重。罗森布拉特说，对她的攻击针对的是宗教身份，并指出美国和密西西比州宪法都禁止因宗教而取消公职资格。