Muslim activist calls for Stokes to resign after hijab remarks

A Muslim human rights activist in Jackson, Mississippi, called on City Councilman Kenneth Stokes to resign on Wednesday after he made derogatory remarks about protesters' hijabs during a Tuesday council meeting, WLBT reported on November 4.

Candace Abdul-Tawwab told the station that Stokes had told her and other Muslim protesters to take the "rags" off their heads and said they were not Muslim. She described the remarks as offensive and said the group had attended the meeting to oppose a proposal to lift the city's 183-day moratorium on data-center construction.

Stokes defended his position on exploring data-center projects at a Wednesday news conference and again questioned Abdul-Tawwab's Muslim identity, WLBT reported. He also said a separate remark during the meeting meant he would curse at a protester, not physically harm her. Abdul-Tawwab said that earlier exchange involved another protester.

Council President Vernon Hartley told WLBT he was considering asking colleagues to take disciplinary action against Stokes. Council Vice President Kevin Parkinson said in his newsletter that he left the room because he could not sit through the conduct as if it were acceptable, then returned to vote for recesses.