ABSTRACT

Assma Ali, an American immigration attorney of Yemeni descent with nearly 10 years of legal experience, was appointed last week as municipal judge for Benoit, a Bolivar County town of fewer than 400 people, drawing social media attacks from internet users and some Mississippi politicians who questioned her appointment and alleged, without substantiation, that she would institute Islamic law.

Associated Press

Muslim attorney appointed municipal judge in small Mississippi town faces online attacks over religion

Aug 12, 2026, 1:23 PM

Context

Ali earned her law degree from Mississippi College School of Law, now Mississippi Christian University, in 2017 and was admitted to the state bar the same year. She runs a private practice in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

Social media posts falsely identified the location of her appointment, with some claiming she had been appointed in Ridgeland or Lumberton. Amy Mekelburg, of New York, founder and editor-in-chief of the Rise Align Ignite Reclaim Foundation, posted on X describing Ali as 'Mississippi appoints first Yemeni Sharia Hijabi judge' and questioned whether the appointment was 'an Islamic scam' or evidence that 'Mississippi officials being dishonest.'

In response, Ali posted her signed oath of office and Benoit's meeting agenda documenting her appointment, stating she did so 'for clarity and transparency.' In a social media statement, she wrote: '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.'

Mississippi has more than 200 municipal judges, who are appointed by the city's governing body rather than the state and hold jurisdiction only over that city. Their caseload covers city ordinance violations, traffic violations, misdemeanor crimes, and some initial appearances, according to the Mississippi State Judiciary's website. In cities with populations below 20,000, a municipal judge is not required to live in the area of appointment, according to an attorney general's opinion, and some seats are part-time, allowing judges to continue private practice.

In 2015, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law banning any foreign law from being enforced in the state, described at the time as an anti-Sharia law measure. Several previous attempts to pass similar legislation had failed, with opponents characterizing the effort as 'a solution in search of a problem.'

In 2024, Ali posted approvingly about a proclamation from Republican Gov. Tate Reeves celebrating Arab American Heritage Month, writing: 'This means the world to the Arab community, my children, and future generations. This is why I love this state!'

All Perspectives

Assma Ali: Ali stated on social media: '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. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Benoit and will approach this responsibility with fairness, integrity, impartiality, and respect for the law.' She also shared documentation of her appointment for 'clarity and transparency.'

Frank Rosenblatt, attorney and law professor: Rosenblatt, who has known Ali for years, said: '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.' He described her as 'a very well liked and popular member of our community' and praised her willingness to mentor young lawyers. He added: 'I think some of the things we've seen from some state officials are incredibly disrespectful to Ms. Ali, and they are in direct contradiction of the U.S. Constitution and the Mississippi Constitution,' noting that both constitutions expressly prohibit disqualifying someone from public office on religious grounds.

Amy Mekelburg, social media commentator: Mekelburg, founder and editor-in-chief of the Rise Align Ignite Reclaim Foundation, posted on X describing the appointment as 'Mississippi appoints first Yemeni Sharia Hijabi judge' and questioned whether Ali had fabricated the appointment, writing: 'In Mississippi – is it an Islamic scam, or are Mississippi officials being dishonest?'

Sahar Aziz, Rutgers University law professor: Aziz said there is no single Sharia law, calling it 'a very complicated and multi-jurisprudential legal system' subject to multiple interpretations across time, countries, and cultures, comparing it to differences of opinion within the Catholic church. She said of the accusations: 'They're saying that simply because you are a Muslim we just presume that you are going to violate the separation between church and state.' She added the accusation was 'not relevant at all to the United States,' drawing a parallel to asking whether an Orthodox Jewish or orthodox Catholic judge would impose religious law, and noted similar accusations have been leveled against other public officials across the U.S.

Position not represented in the source reporting: Mississippi politicians who criticized Ali — named as a group in the source but not individually quoted or identified, leaving their stated rationale unrepresented.

Gaps & Unknowns

The source does not name or quote the specific Mississippi politicians who attacked Ali online.
The source does not provide direct statements from any official body in Benoit regarding the appointment or the controversy.
The source does not specify what actions, if any, Mississippi state officials have taken or proposed in response to the appointment.
The nature and extent of the social media backlash from Mississippi politicians, as distinct from out-of-state commentators, is not detailed.

Sources & Further Reading

Associated Press — original

Read the original at Associated Press

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