Overview

• Zainab Chaudry, a member of Maryland’s Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention and director of the Maryland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has been temporarily suspended by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown for her social media posts criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza.
• Chaudry's posts, which included images of Palestinian victims and claims that Israel is committing war crimes, have been perceived by some as extreme and divisive, and have drawn ire from state officials.
• In response to the controversy, Brown has assigned staff to draft a values statement about personal communications, and has urged other commission members to exercise care in their communications to avoid statements that could be perceived as hate speech.
• Chaudry has defended her posts, stating that she is using her personal social media account to express support for Palestinians suffering through a growing humanitarian crisis.
• The incident has raised questions about the balance of free speech and the responsibilities of commission members, and has been described by Brown as the commission's first test.