Posted on 12/06/23
| News Source: WBAL
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown on Wednesday announced that he has reinstated Zainab Chaudry to the state’s Hate Crimes Commission.
Chaudry was temporarily suspended in November for social media comments criticizing Israel.
In a statement, Brown said that he does not have the authority to remove her in the middle of her four-year term.
“Once the guidelines are finalized, all Commission members will be expected to comply with them and I fully anticipate that they will,” Brown said in a statement. “I believe the Commissioners recognize the commitment required to eradicate hate crimes and bias incidents in Maryland, including the rising tide of antisemitism and Islamophobia. We must all put aside our differences, no matter how stark they may seem, and find common ground on ways to respond to and prevent hate crimes in our state.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations also released a statement on Wednesday following the reinstatement.
“We welcome Attorney General Anthony Brown’s decision to reinstate the appointment. We also appreciate the productive conversations we have held with Attorney General Brown and his staff over the past few weeks. We agree that it is important for the commission to collaboratively develop additional guidelines and we look forward to upholding those guidelines, which must apply consistently to all commissioners.
“We thank the thousands of community members, leaders, students and allies who contacted Attorney General Brown urging him to reverse this decision. CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry looks forward to continuing the critical work of representing the state’s Muslim communities and addressing hate bias, including both Islamophobia and antisemitism, while also advocating justice for all communities here and abroad.
“The anti-Muslim threats and other harassment directed at Dr. Chaudry last month were defamatory, dangerous, and, sadly, a very small taste of what many other American Muslims have experienced in recent months. From the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian Muslim boy in Chicago to the shooting of three Palestinian students in Vermont to threats, doxxing and harassment aimed at Muslims and Palestinians here in Maryland, anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Palestinian racism are spinning out of control.”
“It is more important than ever for the State of Maryland to counter Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism and other forms of hate that threaten Maryland communities.”
Brown did say he is drafting guidelines for commission members that he said will balance First Amendment rights.