Joe Biden appoints Indo-American first Muslim religious freedom ambassador



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NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden on Friday appointed Indo-American Rashad Hussain Goodwill Ambassador for International Religious Freedom. Hussain is the first Muslim to be appointed head of US diplomacy for the promotion of religious freedoms.
“Today’s announcement underscores the president’s commitment to building an administration that resembles America and reflects people of all faiths,” the White House said in a press release.
Hussain is Director of Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council. He was previously a senior lawyer in the National Security Division of the Ministry of Justice.
“Rashad has also led efforts to combat anti-Semitism and protect religious minorities in majority Muslim countries,” the White House added.
Hussain also served as the United States’ Special Envoy to the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, and Deputy Assistant White House adviser during the Obama administration.
“In his roles as envoy, Hussain has worked with multilateral organizations such as the OIC and the UN, foreign governments and civil society organizations to expand partnerships in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, health, international security, science and technology, and other fields, ”White said. said House.
Prior to joining the Obama administration, he served as legal assistant to Damon Keith at the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and was also associate attorney with the Obama-Biden Transition Project.
Hussain holds a law degree from Yale Law School and an MA in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Harvard University.
According to the US State Department, “The Office of International Religious Freedom promotes universal respect for freedom of religion or belief for all as a central objective of United States foreign policy. We monitor religious abuse, harassment and discrimination around the world, and recommend, develop, and implement policies and programs to address these concerns. ”



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