MD Hate Crimes Commission Member Suspended For Anti-Israeli Posts

BALTIMORE, MD — Attorney General Anthony Brown has temporarily suspended a member of the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention over anti-Israeli posts she made on social media.

In a news release, Brown said his office learned last week about social media posts made by Zainab Chaudry, who is also executive director of the Maryland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"Ms. Chaudry’s posts on her social media since October 7, in these very early days of the commission, have challenged the commission’s ability to do its work," Brown said in a statement.

According to a review of Chaudry's social media posts by the Baltimore Banner, an Oct. 26 post read: "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."

Another post on Oct. 17 compared the actions of Israel to Nazi Germany, according to the Banner.

The Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention was established after legislation was passed and signed into law earlier this year.

According to Brown, the commission is charged with developing strategies to prevent and respond to hate crime activity and evaluating state laws and policies relating to hate crimes.

The commission is made up of more than 20 organizations, including CAIR, Brown said.

"The commission must serve as a model for the entire state on how to respond to incidents of hate and bias. The commission is facing its first test," Brown said. "How we respond has deep implications."

The war between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh week, was triggered by a wide-ranging Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which the militants killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and captured some 240 men, women and children.

Israel responded with a weekslong air campaign and a ground invasion of northern Gaza, vowing to remove Hamas from power and crush its military capabilities.

More than 11,200 Palestinians have been killed, two-thirds of them women and minors, according to Palestinian health authorities. Another 2,700 have been reported missing, with most believed to be buried under the rubble. The official count does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths, and Israel says it has killed thousands of militants.

In an interview with WTOP, Chaudry called her suspension "deeply troubling" and claimed the decision infringed on her First Amendment rights.

“These comments were made in my own personal capacity. And they were in no shape, way or form designed to invite hate,” she said.

In a statement released Tuesday, CAIR called on Brown to reverse Chaudry's suspension, calling it a "blatant act of censorship."

"Zainab's suspension is... a betrayal of the very values that the Hate Crimes Commission is supposed to uphold," the statement read. "Her outspoken criticism of the Israeli government's human rights abuses and her unwavering support for Palestinian rights have made her a target for anti-Muslim extremists, but they should not be allowed to silence her."

Meanwhile, Brown said he tasked commission members to draft a "values statement" about personal communications and urged them to "carefully balance their right to free speech with their role as a commission member."

He also encouraged commission members to exercise "great care" when communicating.

"For example, personal postings that could be reasonably perceived as hate speech may disrupt the ability of the Commission to accomplish its important work," Brown said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.