An Indian-American Muslim who is a product of the liberal, syncretic cultures of India and the United States has been appointed Washington’s special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), much to the delight of Indian-Muslims who see this as vindication of their plural and moderate ethos by the Obama administration.
The White House on Friday named Rashad Hussain, an Obama acolyte who is son of Indian immigrants from Bihar, as the US envoy to the 57”“member OIC, following up appointments of several Indian-Americans, including at least two other Indian-American Muslims, to high level posts.
One of the appointees, Srinagar-born Farah Pandit, who is the State Department’s Special Representative to Muslim communities, arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a visit aimed at furthering Washington’s engagement with Muslims around the world. Obama has also named Dr Islam Siddiqui, an immigrant from Uttar Pradesh, as the Washington’s chief agricultural negotiator, although the nomination is currently held up in the Senate.
White House officials said that as Special Envoy to the OIC, Hussain will “deepen and expand the partnerships that the US has pursued with Muslims around the world” since Obama’s speech in Cairo last June in which he reached out to the Islamic world.
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Obama names Indian-American Muslim as Special Envoy to Islamic world
An Indian-American Muslim who is a product of the liberal, syncretic cultures of India and the United States has been appointed Washington’s special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), much to the delight of Indian-Muslims who see this as vindication of their plural and moderate ethos by the Obama administration.
The White House on Friday named Rashad Hussain, an Obama acolyte who is son of Indian immigrants from Bihar, as the US envoy to the 57”“member OIC, following up appointments of several Indian-Americans, including at least two other Indian-American Muslims, to high level posts.
One of the appointees, Srinagar-born Farah Pandit, who is the State Department’s Special Representative to Muslim communities, arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a visit aimed at furthering Washington’s engagement with Muslims around the world. Obama has also named Dr Islam Siddiqui, an immigrant from Uttar Pradesh, as the Washington’s chief agricultural negotiator, although the nomination is currently held up in the Senate.
White House officials said that as Special Envoy to the OIC, Hussain will “deepen and expand the partnerships that the US has pursued with Muslims around the world” since Obama’s speech in Cairo last June in which he reached out to the Islamic world.
Read it all.