New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on July 26 stoutly defended his decision

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on July 26 stoutly defended his decision to nominate Sohail Mohammed, who happens to be Muslim, as the first Indian American Superior Court judge in New Jersey.

When Christie nominated him this January, some groups were vociferous in their opposition, claiming Mohammed had defended alleged terrorism suspects.

This July, the New Jersey State Senate confirmed Mohammed and at a press conference for the formal ceremony at the Passaic County Courthouse in Patterson, N.J., Christie personally attended and denounced detractors.

At a press conference in Newark on the swearing-in, the Governor called critics of his decision “ignorant.”

“Sohail Mohammed is an extraordinary American who is an outstanding lawyer,” Christie said, according to the video posted on www.nj.com. “And [he] played an integral role in the post Sept. 11 period in building bridges between the Muslim-American community in this state and law enforcement.”

“Returning to the same court where I took my naturalization oath at the time I became a U.S. citizen and now taking the oath to become a judge was phenomenal,” Mohammed told Desi Talk.

“To have Governor Christie, U.S. Attorney (for the district of New Jersey) Paul Fishman, FBI Director Mike Ward and numerous senators, my family and friends at the ceremony was a gift of a lifetime and I truly feel I am blessed. It was such a moving experience that I almost cried,” Mohammed added.

By Ela Dutt, News India Times, 2 August 2011.