Key facts
- Assma Ali, a Muslim immigration lawyer of Yemeni descent, was appointed municipal judge for Benoit, Mississippi.
- The appointment has led to social media attacks and criticism from some politicians, who falsely claim Ali will impose Islamic law.
- Ali, a U.S. native and law school graduate, stated her commitment to upholding the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law.
- Supporters and legal experts defended Ali's qualifications and noted that religious discrimination is unconstitutional.
- Mississippi has a law banning the enforcement of foreign law, passed in 2015.
Assma Ali, an American citizen of Yemeni descent and an immigration lawyer with nearly a decade of experience, has been appointed as the municipal judge for Benoit, Mississippi, a town with fewer than 400 residents. Her appointment has ignited a firestorm on social media, with some users and a few Mississippi politicians launching attacks based on her Muslim faith. These critics have baselessly accused her of fabricating the appointment and speculated that she would implement Islamic law.
Supporters, including law professor Frank Rosenblatt, have defended Ali, highlighting her qualifications and her decade of experience in Mississippi's legal community. Rosenblatt stated that the attacks are religiously motivated and that Ali is a respected member of the community. Ali herself issued a statement affirming her commitment to upholding the U.S. Constitution and Mississippi law, and shared her oath of office and the town's meeting agenda to provide clarity and transparency.
Legal scholars like Sahar Aziz have countered the Sharia law accusations, explaining that it is a complex legal system with diverse interpretations, not a singular, imposed code. They have drawn parallels to other religious or ethnic backgrounds, questioning the relevance of such accusations in the U.S. legal system. Mississippi has a law, passed in 2015, that bans the enforcement of foreign laws, which was then framed as an anti-Sharia measure.
Municipal judges in Mississippi are appointed by the city's governing body and have jurisdiction over local ordinance and traffic violations. For towns with populations under 20,000, judges are not required to reside in the area, and they can maintain private practices.