The leader of the Maryland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has been reinstated to the state’s hate crime response commission after she was temporarily suspended over posts she made on social media critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Attorney General Anthony Brown deemed the posts Zainab Chaudry, executive director of CAIR, made on social media were “disruptive to the work and mission of the Commission,” according to the statement. She was suspended on Nov. 21.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that the attorney general — the chair of the commission — does not have the authority to remove or suspend a commissioner from the newly formed group without permission from both the general assembly and Gov. Wes Moore in the form of a statute.
The statement went on to say that at the commission’s next meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13, Brown will distribute guidelines on how commissioners will be able to conduct themselves and how to balance their freedom of speech with the role.
“In accepting these positions, appointees assume an obligation to put their own interests aside when coming to the table to serve as advisors on matters of such great public importance,” the statement read.
Brown hopes all the commissioners will comply with the new guidelines.
“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,” he wrote.
