Muslim Candidate Arkia Wade Responds to Anti-Muslim Post in Baltimore County
BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — A social media post urging people not to vote for Baltimore County Council candidate Arkia Wade because she is Muslim has drawn condemnation from a Maryland state senator and a measured response from Wade herself, who said she will not let "hateful social media posts" distract from the issues facing her community.
Wade is a candidate for the county's District 9 council seat. According to East County Times, a local resident posted a message telling people not to vote for her, adding: "She is Muslim. We don't need Muslims taking over our district." The post urged readers to share it widely.
A state senator responds
State Sen. Carl Jackson, who represents Maryland's 8th District, condemned the post in a social media statement.
"I strongly condemn this disgusting attempt to use Arkia Wade for Baltimore County Council, District 9 religious beliefs as a weapon against her. In our community, people of every faith and those who practice no faith, deserve dignity, respect, and the freedom to worship without fear of discrimination." — State Sen. Carl Jackson
"We can disagree on policies, politics, and ideas without attacking someone for their religious identity," Jackson added. "Faith should never be used to divide our communities or question someone's worth."
Wade: "Both names are part of my family's story"
In a statement to East County Times on Tuesday, Wade said: "My focus is on the issues that matter to the residents of District 9, and I won't allow hateful social media posts to distract from the conversations we should be having about our community and its future."
She also spoke about her surname and family history. "Jamaludeen is the name I was born with and the name many people have known me by throughout my life," she said. "My father's birth name was William C. Wade Jr. He became Muslim in his twenties and changed his last name to Jamaludeen. In 2020, I chose to return to Wade to honor my grandparents, who moved to Dundalk in the 1940s. Both names are part of my family's story."
"There is a long and complex history of Black Americans changing their names as an expression of identity, faith, and heritage," Wade said. "That history deserves to be understood rather than met with assumptions based on a surname."
Her family's roots in the area run deep. BmoreNews reported that her grandfather, Dr. William C. Wade Sr., served the Turner Station and Dundalk community as a physician for more than four decades.
Religious freedom and civic life
Wade framed her response around constitutional principles. "As an American, I believe in the constitutional principles of religious freedom, individual liberty, and equal treatment," she said. "The beauty of our country is that people of different faiths and backgrounds can participate fully in civic life."
"My commitment is to serve all District 9 residents, regardless of their religion, background, or political affiliation," she added. "This campaign should be about our community's future, not divisive rhetoric."
SMF responds
"No American should be told they are unfit to serve their neighbors because of their faith," said Rahat Husain, Executive Director of the Shia Muslim Foundation. "Muslims in Maryland are doctors, teachers, first responders and public servants, and we're grateful to Sen. Jackson and the local leaders who spoke up quickly. Religious bigotry has no place in our communities, and we stand with anyone targeted for how they worship."
Why it matters
Muslim Americans in Maryland and across the country serve their communities as public servants, volunteers and neighbors. Singling out anyone for their faith, whether a candidate, a student or a worshipper, runs against the religious freedom guaranteed to every American. The Shia Muslim Foundation does not endorse candidates; we share this story because a person's faith should never be treated as a reason to exclude them from public life, and because the swift response from local leaders shows how communities can stand together against religious bigotry.
Sources: East County Times (Oct. 14, 2026); BmoreNews (Oct. 8, 2026).
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