Assma Ali has become the first Muslim woman to serve as a municipal judge in Mississippi after being sworn in on August 5 in the small Delta town of Benoit.
The daughter of Yemeni immigrants, Ali has worked as an attorney in Mississippi for nearly a decade. She earned her law degree from Mississippi Christian University, formerly Mississippi College, in 2017, and interned in Rankin and Madison counties while studying law.
“I hope that I’m given a chance to serve,” Ali told the Mississippi Free Press on Monday.
Ali’s appointment, however, was followed by misinformation, harassment and threats after news of her position spread on social media.
Much of the criticism directed at Ali has focused on her being Muslim and wearing a hijab.
“I was born in the US,” Ali told the Mississippi Free Press.
She added, “I went to school in the US. I have all the accreditations to be a judge. I’m not anti-Christ. I went to a Christian Law School—as a matter of fact, I have a study room at a Christian law school that I pay for.”