When Heba Mohammad, a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, emailed Alderman Chris Wery to ask if transportation would be provided for midterm elections in two weeks, Wery immediately called her religious and political affiliations into question—assuming she might have ties to Islamic extremist groups. Because, you know, that's totally normal for an elected official to do.

In response to Mohammad's inquiry, Wery wrote:

Thank you for your email. You pose an interesting question that deserves some further research.

UWGB is my alma mater. I am just curious, you are the founder of the Muslim Student Organization at UWGB?

Across the country there seem to be some problems here and there with some MSA's.

I just want to be assured that your group in no way promotes or defends militant Islamic ideology or Sharia law. Do you and the MSA condemn both of those as well as terrorist groups such as Hamas?

Mohammed, who is 22, was taken aback, and responded in kind, writing:

To be clear, I am offended that our conversation has taken this direction... I certainly hope that we can get back to the issue I originally emailed you about, especially because there are a number of people who agree that free transportation is a must for Election Day.

She later said the veteran alderman's "instant suspicion" was most likely due to her name.

After posting the email exchange to her Facebook account, Wery apologized to Mohammed, telling the Green Bay Press-Gazette, "I phrased it wrong. It was the wrong setting."

So, question, what's the right phrasing and setting for asking someone if they're linked to a terrorist organization?

Here's an idea, residents of Green Bay: Maybe don't re-elect a man to City Council who shields his bigotry with feigned contrition.

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