Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has taken swift action against a member of the state's hate crime task force.
The member in question, Zainab Chaudry, who also serves as the director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Maryland office, faced suspension following the emergence of a series of antisemitic posts on her social media accounts, as per Fox News.
Maryland AG Swiftly Acts on Antisemitic Posts
Chaudry's controversial statements came in the aftermath of the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, where over 1,200 people lost their lives, including children and infants. The posts included a shocking claim by Chaudry that the Israeli infants killed in the attack were "fake," sparking outrage and condemnation.
In a press release, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown expressed his concern over the personal social media posts of Zainab Chaudry, a member of the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention. Brown took decisive action, temporarily suspending Chaudry from the state's hate crimes commission.
Chaudry, the executive director of the Maryland branch of CAIR, was appointed to the hate crimes commission earlier this year, as specified by the panel's enabling legislation that mandates the inclusion of CAIR-MD and over 20 other organizations as members.
"I will never be able to understand how the world summoned up rage for 40 fake Israeli babies while completely turning a blind eye to 3,000 real Palestinian babies," Chaudry wrote on her personal Facebook account on Oct. 26. Her posts, laden with phrases such as "apartheid Israel" and references to "Israelis celebrating genocide," drew attention and condemnation.
Among her posts was a graphic stating, "It all started in 1948," with the words "on Oct. 7" crossed out, accompanied by the caption "Inconvenient facts."
Additionally, she shared a meme comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, using images of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate from 1936 and a 2023 photo displaying Israel's flag on the same gate, according to The Washington Times.
AG Brown Firm on Hate Crimes Commission Amid Controversy
Attorney General Brown emphasized the importance of the hate crimes commission serving as a model for the state in responding to incidents of hate and bias. "The commission is facing its first test. How we respond has deep implications. I take this very seriously, and I will do everything possible to bring people together to move forward the critical work of this commission," Brown stated.
In response to her suspension, Chaudry defended her criticisms of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, stating that they did not violate any known commission standards. She asserted that there is no legal basis for suspending the participation of her civil rights organization, as mandated by state law.
In addition to suspending Chaudry, Attorney General Brown's office announced the development of a draft values statement about personal communications by members of the hate crimes panel.
The statement stressed the need for commission members to exercise great care in their communications and conduct, particularly regarding personal postings that could be reasonably perceived as hate speech.
While Chaudry's posts continue to generate controversy, the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention faces the challenge of maintaining its focus on addressing hate and bias incidents in the state amid this internal turmoil, Mail Online reported.
