Mississippi Municipal Judge Assma Ali Faces Threats After Benoit Appointment

Overview

• Assma Ali says she was sworn in as municipal court judge for the town of Benoit on August 5 and provided an oath of office signed by the mayor to confirm the appointment.
• False social posts misattributed her appointment to Ridgeland and Lumberton, and both cities publicly denied she was appointed to their municipal courts.
• Online posts accusing Ali of intending to impose Sharia law were reviewed by local reporters and found to have no supporting evidence.
• Republican state Sen. Michael McLendon publicly urged Benoit officials to take steps to remove Ali and used anti-Muslim language, prompting legal scholars to say such actions would violate constitutional bans on religious tests for office.
• Ali has received harassment and threats tied to her faith and is reported to be in hiding, which raises concerns about the safety of local officials and the chilling effect on Muslim public servants.