Rashad Hussain confirmed as first Muslim US non secular freedom ambassador
(RNS) — Rashad Hussain has been confirmed because the U.S. ambassador-at-large for worldwide non secular freedom, making him the primary Muslim American within the position.
Hussain was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday (Dec. 16) by an amazing vote of 85 to five.
The U.S. Fee on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom hailed the choice on Hussain, who has been director for partnerships and international engagement on the Nationwide Safety Council.
“Along with his years of data and expertise, Ambassador Hussain is nicely positioned to advance the U.S. authorities’s promotion of worldwide non secular freedom,” stated USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza in a press release.
Hussain, 42, beforehand served as a White Home counsel throughout the Obama administration, as particular envoy to the Group of Islamic Cooperation and as U.S. particular envoy for the Heart for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications.
When President Joe Biden introduced his nomination of Hussain in July, the White Home famous his work on countering antisemitism and defending non secular minorities in nations with Muslim majorities. Hussain, who has served as a judicial clerk within the sixth U.S. Circuit Court docket of Appeals and because the editor of the Yale Legislation Journal, speaks Spanish, Arabic and Urdu. He is also a hafiz, or somebody who has memorized your entire Quran in Arabic.
“(A)s a Muslim American, I’ve seen the impression of bigotry and guilt by affiliation ways used towards minority communities, together with the message it sends and risks it poses to younger folks,” Hussain said in his ready remarks throughout the October affirmation listening to.
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The Muslim Public Affairs Council welcomed Hussain’s new position.
“Rashad has served our group and nation on the highest degree of integrity and intelligence,” said MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati. “Above all, he has served as a mentor and position mannequin to Individuals of all backgrounds, sharing with them the significance of public service and serving our nation.”
Sam Brownback, who served as non secular freedom ambassador throughout the Trump administration, had cheered the latest motion of the affirmation course of for Hussain and applauded its consequence.
“Spiritual persecution is rampant world wide, and the worldwide group seems to america for management that may make a distinction,” Brownback, now a senior fellow at worldwide persecution watchdog Open Doorways USA, stated in a press release. “That’s why I’m glad Rashad Hussain has been confirmed by a bipartisan Senate majority.”
An earlier non secular freedom ambassador, Rabbi David Saperstein, joined Princeton College professor Robert P. George in supporting Hussain on the time of his affirmation listening to. The 2 males, who famous in a Faith Information Service commentary that they’ve vastly totally different political views, stated Hussain was dedicated to defending Christian rights and had garnered deep respect within the Muslim group.
“Hussain has monumental credibility throughout a broad vary of religion teams, constructed on years of management in efforts for non secular freedom,” they wrote. “His nomination has introduced enthusiastic reward from teams starting from the Southern Baptist Conference’s Ethics and Spiritual Liberty Fee and the Baptist World Alliance to the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League and the Union for Reform Judaism, in addition to widespread commendations from the Muslim group.”
The Secular Coalition for America additionally joined in congratulating Hussain on the affirmation vote.
“The Ambassador has the potential to be a robust voice for the rights of nontheists & apostates who face persecution overseas,” tweeted the group, which represents atheist, humanist and freethinking teams. “SCA seems ahead to working with him.”
The White Home’s nominee for antisemitism envoy, Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt, has but to have a affirmation listening to after she was nominated in July on the identical day as Hussain.
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