Muslim judge appointment in small Mississippi town draws social media attacks
- Assma Ali was appointed last week as municipal judge for Benoit, Mississippi, a town of fewer than 400 people.
- Her appointment prompted online backlash from trolls and some Mississippi politicians because she is Muslim and wears a hijab.
- Critics falsely claimed she had made up the appointment, misidentified the town, and speculated without evidence that she would impose Sharia law.
- Ali said she is an American citizen, will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law, and shared her oath of office for transparency.
- Supporters, including a law professor who knows her, said she is qualified, experienced, and active in Mississippi's legal community.
Assma Ali's appointment as municipal judge in Benoit, Mississippi, has triggered online attacks from social media users and some state politicians who targeted her because she is Muslim. Some posts falsely questioned whether the appointment was real and incorrectly identified the town where she would serve.
Ali is an immigration lawyer with nearly 10 years of experience. She is a U.S. citizen of Yemeni descent, runs a private practice in Ridgeland, earned her law degree from Mississippi College School of Law in 2017, and was admitted to the Mississippi bar the same year.
In a statement, Ali said she is committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve Benoit. She later posted her signed oath of office and the town meeting agenda showing her appointment.
Supporters, including attorney and law professor Frank Rosenblatt, said the backlash is based on her religion rather than her qualifications. Rosenblatt and other legal experts noted that the U.S. and Mississippi constitutions bar disqualifying someone from public office because of religion.
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市政法官后，遭到社交媒体用户和一些州政界人士的网络攻击，攻击焦点集中在她的穆斯林身份。部分帖子还虚假质疑任命是否属实，并错误指认了她将任职的城镇。
阿里是一名移民律师，拥有近10年执业经验。她是美国公民，祖籍也门，在里奇兰经营私人律师事务所，2017年获得密西西比学院法学院学位，并于同年取得密西西比州律师资格。
阿里在声明中表示，她将遵守美国宪法和密西西比州法律，并感谢有机会为贝努瓦服务。之后，她还公开了自己签署的就职誓言以及显示其任命的镇会议议程，以示透明。
支持者，包括律师兼法学教授弗兰克·罗森布拉特，表示这轮反弹针对的是她的宗教信仰，而不是她的资历。罗森布拉特和其他法律人士指出，美国宪法和密西西比州宪法都禁止因宗教原因取消一个人的公职资格。