In the Mississippi Delta, Assma Ali took the municipal bench in Benoit on Aug. 5, making history as Mississippi’s first Muslim woman judge—and quickly becoming the target of online harassment and threats.

Ali, the daughter of Yemeni immigrants, has practiced law in Mississippi for nearly a decade. She earned her law degree from Mississippi Christian University (formerly Mississippi College) in 2017 and was sworn in as municipal judge for the town of fewer than 400 residents last week.

“I hope that I’m given a chance to serve,” Ali told the Mississippi Free Press on Monday.

News of her appointment spread quickly on social media, along with false claims that she had been appointed municipal judge in Ridgeland, nearly 130 miles away. Ali said the confusion likely stemmed from the fact that her law office is in Ridgeland.

“I never mentioned the word Ridgeland at all,” Ali said. “My office is in Ridgeland, so I think that’s kind of where it started.”

The City of Ridgeland also issued a statement Monday saying its two municipal judges were appointed in 2001 and that there are no new appointments or vacancies.

But the misinformation was accompanied by attacks on Ali’s religion. Ali is Muslim and wears a hijab.

“I was born in the US. I went to school in the US. I have all the accreditations to be a judge,” she said. “I’m not anti-Christ. I went to a Christian Law School.”

Mississippi Sen. Michael McLendon, R-Hernando, called for Ali’s removal and wrote on Facebook, “I believe in God we trust not Mohamed.”

Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, a Republican candidate for governor, separately vowed to ban Sharia law if elected, though he did not mention Ali by name.

“I only represent…one law, and that’s the US Constitution,” Ali said. “There is no other law that I’m going to enforce.”

“It’s really bad and it’s really sad because, as an American, I never thought I would face this,” she said.