Newly appointed Muslim judge in small Mississippi town draws social media attacks
Mississippi Municipal Judge Assma Ali has been attacked online by people, including some Mississippi politicians, for what they claim are radical beliefs. (Photo courtesy of the Law Offices of Ali & Associates)
A Muslim woman appointed to serve as municipal judge in a small Mississippi Delta town has drawn social media backlash from internet trolls and a few Mississippi politicians.
Mississippi Municipal Judge Assma Ali has been attacked online by people, including some Mississippi politicians, for what they claimed are radical beliefs—without any substantiation, Mississippi Today reports.
They accused her of fabricating her judicial appointment and speculated that she would institute Islamic law.
“We have people from out of state who just see a woman in a hijab, and they say action must be taken. These attacks against Ms. Ali are about her religion,” Frank Rosenblatt, an attorney and a professor at the Mississippi Christian University School of Law, told Mississippi Today.
Rosenblatt has known Ali for years and spoke highly of her willingness to mentor young lawyers.
Ali, an immigration lawyer with nearly 10 years of experience, was appointed last week as the municipal judge for Benoit, Mississippi, a town of fewer than 400 people in Bolivar County, Mississippi. She’s an American citizen of Yemeni descent and is in private practice.
In a statement on social media, Ali said she will uphold the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law.
“I was born in the United States, and as both an attorney and a judge, I am committed to upholding the United States Constitution and the laws of the state of Mississippi.”
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