Rashad Hussain, USA's new religious freedom envoy, has roots in Bihar

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden has nominated Rashad Hussain, an Indian-American attorney, as the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the White House said on Friday (30).

If the appointment is approved by the Senate, the upper chamber of the US Congress, the 41-year-old Hussain will be the first Muslim to head America’s diplomacy for advancing religious liberties.

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“Today's announcement underscores the President's commitment to build an Administration that looks like America and reflects people of all faiths. Hussain is the first Muslim to be nominated to serve as the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom,” the White House said in a statement.

Hussain is the director for Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council. He has in the past served as a senior counsel at the US justice department’s National Security Division, the White House said in a statement.

Former US president Barack Obama (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for CARE)

In the presidency of Barack Obama, Rashad had worked as a special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications. Prior to that, he was the deputy associate counsel to the Obama White House.

Hussain has roots in Bihar, India

Hussain, who was born to Indian-American migrants in Wyoming and raised in Plano, Texas, has roots in India. His father was a mining engineer who moved from the eastern Indian state of Bihar to the US in the late 1960s. His father had married Hussain’s mother when he visited India later. She is now a doctor in the US, along with Hussain’s siblings.

Hussain graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and enrolled at Harvard University for a master’s degree in Arabic and Islamic studies. After earning the degree, Hussain worked on the US’ House Judiciary Committee where he served during the 9/11 terror attacks.

“Rashad also spearheaded efforts on countering antisemitism and protecting religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries," the White House said.

In 2009, Rashad was named among the world’s 500 most influential Muslims as he was the first Indian-American to become the deputy associate counsel to then president Obama.

He is known for outlining a strategy for countering terrorist propaganda emphasizing a shift to non-governmental messaging and helped in developing messaging centres in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. He also played a key role in setting up the framework for the US Global Engagement Center.