President Obama on Tuesday nominated a Muslim American for the first time to serve as a federal judge.



ADVERTISEMENT

Obama said in a statement released by the White House that he is confident Abid Riaz Qureshi “will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”Numerous Muslim American groups applauded Obama's historic nomination of Quershi as a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia."The nomination of Abid Qureshi to fill a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sends a message of inclusion that is welcomed by the American Muslim community and by all Americans who value diversity and mutual respect at a time when some seek division and discord," said the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad.

Muslim Advocates, a civil rights organization, called for a "prompt hearing and full and fair consideration of this sterling nominee by the U.S. Senate."