Rashad Hussain: Difference between revisions
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"The case that Laila just reminded us of is truly a sad commentary on our legal system. It is a travesty of justice, not just from the perspective of the allegations that are made against Dr. Al-Arian. Without passing any comment on those specific allegations or the statements [that] have been made against him, the process that has been used has been atrocious,” Hussain said, according to the recording."<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=February 22, 2010 |url= http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33210.html|title= Islam envoy retreats on terror talk |date=February 19, 2010|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|publisher=[[The Politico]]}}</ref> |
"The case that Laila just reminded us of is truly a sad commentary on our legal system. It is a travesty of justice, not just from the perspective of the allegations that are made against Dr. Al-Arian. Without passing any comment on those specific allegations or the statements [that] have been made against him, the process that has been used has been atrocious,” Hussain said, according to the recording."<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=February 22, 2010 |url= http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33210.html|title= Islam envoy retreats on terror talk |date=February 19, 2010|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|publisher=[[The Politico]]}}</ref> |
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On February 16, 2010, [[Fox News]] reported that [[The White House]] attributed the quotes to Laila al-Arian.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=February 22, 2010 |url= http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/16/obamas-islamic-envoy-disputes-report-quoting-defending-terror-convict/|title= Obama's Islamic Envoy Quoted Defending Man Charged With Aiding Terrorists |
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|date=February16, 2010|last=Bream|first=Shannon|publisher=[[Fox News]]}}</ref> |
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On February 22, 2010, Politico reported that, "The White House is expressing its confidence in Hussain, despite his concession last week that he made ill-considered statements in 2004 about Bush-era terrorism prosecutions ."<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=February 22, 2010 |url= http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0210/WH_affirms_confidence_in_Islam_envoy_Hussain.html|title= W.H. affirms confidence in Islam envoy|date=February 22, 2010|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|publisher=[[The Politico]]}}</ref> |
On February 22, 2010, Politico reported that, "The White House is expressing its confidence in Hussain, despite his concession last week that he made ill-considered statements in 2004 about Bush-era terrorism prosecutions ."<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=February 22, 2010 |url= http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0210/WH_affirms_confidence_in_Islam_envoy_Hussain.html|title= W.H. affirms confidence in Islam envoy|date=February 22, 2010|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|publisher=[[The Politico]]}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 03:47, 4 March 2010
Rashad Hussain (1978-) is the United States special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference.[1]
Background
Born in Wyoming, Hussain is the son of Indian-born US citizens, and was raised in Plano, Texas, where his parents still live. His father, Mohammad Hussain, is a retired mining engineer from Bihar, while his mother Ruqaiya is a medical doctor. His older sister, Lubna, is also a physician, while his younger brother, Saad, is a medical student. [2]
Hussain is a graduate of Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas. While at Greenhill, Hussain was a member of the school's nationally recognized policy-debate team, partnering with Josh Goldberg to win the Texas state debate championship.[3]
Hussain completed a bachelor’s degree in two years, in both philosophy and political science, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. His philosophy thesis was titled, Assessing the Theistic Implications of Big Bang Cosmological Theory."[4] He holds a Masters degree in Arabic & Islamic Studies from Harvard University, and his J.D. from Yale Law School. At Yale, he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.[5]
Between Harvard and Yale, he worked as a legislative aide on the House Judiciary Committee , where he reviewed the USA Patriot Act and other bills. [6] He was a 2003 Fellow of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.[7]
While law clerk for Damon J. Keith on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in August 2008, Hussain co-authored "Reformulating the Battle of Ideas: Understanding the Role of Islam in Counterterrorism Policy" for the Brookings Institution, a paper that advocates the use of Islam in countering terrorist ideology. [8]
Deputy Associate Counsel
In January of 2009, Hussain was named deputy associate counsel to President Barack Obama. Previously, he has served as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.[9]
The Wasgington Post reported that, "After the 2008 election, Hussain was recruited to the White House Counsel's office by Cassandra Butts, a fellow Tar Heel and Obama's former Harvard Law classmate. He has worked there on national security and new media issues, and helped inform the administration's Muslim outreach efforts. Ben Rhodes, Obama's chief foreign policy speechwriter, sought Hussain's counsel last year as he drafted the president's Cairo address."[10]
Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference
On February 13, 2010, President Obama appointed Hussain, an Indian-American Muslim,[11] as the United States special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference.[12] After the appointment, President Obama stated, "Rashad has played a key role in developing the partnerships I called for in Cairo. And as a Hafiz of the Quran, he is a respected member of the American Muslim community, and I thank him for carrying forward this important work." [13][14]
The first official US envoy to the OIC, Sada Cumber, was appointed by President George W. Bush in February, 2008.[15] Cumber has stated that Hussain, "will face the twin challenges of showing the Muslims that Obama’s Cairo speech was more than flowery rhetoric while also demonstrating to the American public that the current administration’s emphasis on soft power is paying concrete dividends.”"[16]
Comments on Sami Al-Arian
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In 2004, during a panel discussion on civil rights at a Muslim Students Association conference in Chicago, Rashad made critical statements about a U.S. terror prosecution against professor Sami Al-Arian, as well as other Muslim terrorism suspects, as "politically motivated persecutions." Al-Arian later pled guilty to aiding terrorists.[17]
"The case that Laila just reminded us of is truly a sad commentary on our legal system. It is a travesty of justice, not just from the perspective of the allegations that are made against Dr. Al-Arian. Without passing any comment on those specific allegations or the statements [that] have been made against him, the process that has been used has been atrocious,” Hussain said, according to the recording."[18]
On February 22, 2010, Politico reported that, "The White House is expressing its confidence in Hussain, despite his concession last week that he made ill-considered statements in 2004 about Bush-era terrorism prosecutions ."[19]
References
- ^ "U.S. Envoy is to Be Link to Muslims". New York Times. February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Another Indian-American appointed to Obama's legal team". Rediff. January 31, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Rashad Hussain, a Muslim and new U.S. envoy, is bridge between two worlds". Washington Post. February 28, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Profile: Rashad Hussain Appointed Deputy Associate". Muslim Media Network. February 5, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "President Obama Announces Key Additions to the Office of the White House Counsel". The White House. January 28, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Profile: Rashad Hussain Appointed Deputy Associate". Muslim Media Network. February 5, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Spring 2003 Fellows: Rashad Hussain". Retrieved February 14, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|1=,|2=, and|3=(help) - ^ "Reformulating the Battle of Ideas: Understanding the Role of Islam in Counterterrorism Policy". Brookings Institution. February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Obama names U.S. envoy to Muslim world body". Reuters. February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Rashad Hussain, a Muslim and new U.S. envoy, is bridge between two worlds". Washington Post. February 28, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Obama picks special envoy to world Muslim group". CNN. February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Obama Taps Envoy to Islamic Group to Improve Ties (Update2)". Business Week. February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "President Obama Addresses the U.S.-Islamic World Forum". The White House Blog. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Obama picks special envoy to world Muslim group". CNN. February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Obama names new US envoy to global Islamic body". BBC News. February 13, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ Goodenough, Patrick (February 26, 2010). "First U.S. Envoy to the OIC Says the Position Does Have Value". Cybercast News Service. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ Gerstein, Josh (February 19, 2010). "Islam envoy retreats on terror talk". The Politico. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ^ Gerstein, Josh (February 19, 2010). "Islam envoy retreats on terror talk". The Politico. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ^ Gerstein, Josh (February 22, 2010). "W.H. affirms confidence in Islam envoy". The Politico. Retrieved February 22, 2010.