US city appoints first Muslim municipal judge

Edison township located in Middlesex County in the US state of New Jersey has appointed Asma Warsi as the judge of the Edison Municipal Court. The town’s Mayor, Sam Joshi, announced the appointment in a statement on Wednesday, saying the Edison Township Council unanimously approved Warsi’s nomination. Warsi is the township’s first-ever Muslim municipal judge. […]

Edison township located in Middlesex County in the US state of New Jersey has appointed Asma Warsi as the judge of the Edison Municipal Court.

The town’s Mayor, Sam Joshi, announced the appointment in a statement on Wednesday, saying the Edison Township Council unanimously approved Warsi’s nomination.

Warsi is the township’s first-ever Muslim municipal judge.

“This is a historic moment that highlights our commitment to diversity and inclusion in our justice system,” Joshi said.

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“Judge Warsi brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and integrity to the bench, and I am confident that she will serve our community with fairness and impartiality.”

Warsi, an immigrant from Pakistan and a Rutgers Law School graduate, began her career as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx. She is currently the immigration services programme director for Catholic Charities of Metuchen, and has operated her own law practice since 2009.

Warsi’s new judicial position parallels similar developments in the New Jersey Superior Court, where Governor Phil Murphy’s administration has been intent on increasing diversity.

Murphy has nominated a number of Asian American judges in the past several years, including two – Nadia Kahf Alqudah and Dalya Youssef – who are seemingly the first two Superior Court judges in New Jersey history to wear hijab on the bench. (New Jersey Globe)