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 and wears a hijab.
- Ali, a U.S. citizen of Yemeni descent, was appointed last week as municipal judge for Benoit, a town of fewer than 400 people.
- Critics on social media and some Mississippi politicians falsely claimed she fabricated the appointment and would impose Islamic law.
- Supporters, including a law professor who knows Ali, said she is qualified, well regarded, and committed to the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law.
- Ali said she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law and shared her oath of office and meeting agenda for transparency.
- The municipal judges in Mississippi are appointed by city governments and handle local ordinance violations, traffic cases, misdemeanors, and some initial appearances.
The appointment of Assma Ali as municipal judge in Benoit, a small Mississippi Delta town, has prompted online attacks from trolls and some state politicians who objected to her being Muslim. False claims circulating on social media said she had fabricated the appointment or would bring Islamic law into the courtroom.
Ali is a U.S. citizen of Yemeni descent and an immigration lawyer with nearly 10 years of experience. She runs a private practice in Ridgeland, earned her law degree from Mississippi College School of Law in 2017, and was admitted to the state bar that same year.
People who know Ali, including a law professor, described her as qualified and respected in Mississippi’s legal community. Ali said in a social media statement that she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law, and later posted her signed oath of office and the Benoit meeting agenda for transparency.
Mississippi municipal judges are appointed by city governments, not the state, and their authority is limited to their own city. In towns under 20,000 residents, judges are not required to live locally, and some municipal judges serve part time while continuing private practice.
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镇的市政法官后，网上出现针对她的攻击，一些州政界人士和网络用户因为她是穆斯林而表示反对。社交媒体上还流传了错误说法，称她伪造了任命，或会把伊斯兰教法带入法庭。
阿里是美国公民，具有也门裔背景，从事移民法律工作近10年。她在里奇兰经营自己的私人执业，2017年从密西西比学院法学院毕业并获得律师资格。
认识她的人，包括一位法学教授，都称她资历合格、在密西西比法律界口碑良好。阿里在社交媒体声明中说，她会遵守美国宪法和密西西比州法律，随后又公开了自己的宣誓文件和贝努瓦镇会议议程，以示透明。
密西西比州的市政法官由城市政府任命，权限仅限于所在城市。人口少于2万的城镇，法官不必住在当地，部分市政法官还是兼职，并可继续从事私人执业。