(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/3/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the White House’s appointment of civil rights attorney Mazen Basrawi to the position of liaison to American Muslim community. Basrawi will also continue in his current position of Director of Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council (NSC).
During his presidential campaign, Joe Biden pledged to the American Muslim community that he would fill the “position of Muslim-American Liaison in the White House Office of Public Engagement,” which had been removed by the previous Trump administration.
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We welcome President Biden’s appointment of Mazen Basrawi to the position of White House liaison to American Muslim communities.
“Mr. Basrawi is one of our nation’s mostly accomplished and admired Muslim public servants, and his appointment is a positive step toward fulfilling President Biden’s pledge to building stronger relationships with the American Muslim community.
“We look forward to working with Mr. Basrawi to address issues of concern to the American Muslim community, including institutional Islamophobia within federal law enforcement programs, the threat of hate crimes, and protecting religious freedom.”
Background on Mazen Basrawi Compiled by American :
Basrawi previously served as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. He successfully defended the right of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in Tennessee to open their mosque in the case of U.S. v. Rutherford County, Tennessee.
After joining the 2008 Obama presidential campaign and inaugural committee, Basrawi was appointed as a special counsel to then-Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez at the civil rights division.
Basrawi, who is visually impaired, was appointed by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to the Virginia Board for the Blind and Vision Impaired, where he has served as chairman since June 2020.
Before working in the federal government from 2004 to 2006, Basrawi was an Equal Justice Works Fellow for Disability Rights Advocates.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com