(CNN)President Joe Biden announced Friday that he was appointing Khizr Khan, a Gold Star father who drew then-candidate Donald Trump’s ire when he spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
The White House on Friday recognized Khan, a founder of the Constitution Literacy and National Unity Project, as “an advocate for religious freedom as a core element of human dignity.” The announcement said that Khan “devotes a substantial amount of his time to providing legal services to veterans, men and women serving in uniform, and their families.”
It continued: “Today’s announcement underscores the President’s commitment to build an Administration that looks like America and reflects people of all faiths.”
In addition to Khan, the White House nominated Rashad Hussain to serve as the first Muslim Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and Deborah Lipstadt to serve as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.
The Ambassador-at-Large position, which derives from the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), is the principal Executive Branch official on IRF matters. The incumbent also serves as an ex officio USCIRF Commissioner. In January 2021, the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism was elevated to an ambassador-level position, highlighting the importance of the fight against antisemitism as a U.S. foreign policy priority.
Source
Image Source