Renowned Pakistani-American Dr. Asif Mahmood Appointed as New Commissioner to US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Dr. Mahmood, a distinguished physician and philanthropist, has been appointed to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) by US House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, as confirmed by the Commission’s website. Dr. Mahmood previously served as a Delegate for the Democratic National Convention from 2008 to 2016 and has held various roles in presidential campaigns.
He currently serves as Chair of the Organization for Social Media Safety and is a board member of Hope the Mission, one of California’s largest homeless shelters. Prior to his appointment, Gold Star father Khizr Khan also served on the Commission from August 2021 to May 2022. The Commission, an independent bipartisan government agency, issues policy recommendations and serves as a watchdog for international religious freedom.
Earlier, President Biden has inducted Pakistani Americans Salman Ahmed and Ali Zaidi to his team. Mr. Ahmed, former head of strategic planning in the Obama National Security Council, was appointed as Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department. Ali Zaidi joined the Biden administration as Deputy National Climate Adviser. Mr. Ahmed previously served as Chief of Staff of the US Mission to the United Nations and Senior Policy Adviser to the US Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
