By Special Correspondent
Washington, DC: The US President Joseph R. Biden announced on August 10, 2022, the appointment of Imam Mohamed Hag Magid to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
USCIRF welcomes Mohamed Magid and looks forward to his valuable expertise and insight that his years of experience working on international religious freedom bring to the Commission.
Mohamed Magid is the Executive Religious Director of All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling, Virginia. He is the Chairman of International Interfaith Peace Corps, serves as a member of the Muslim Jewish Council, and is a Co-President of Religions for Peace. He was part of the Marrakesh Declaration initiative that aims to protect religious minorities in majority Muslim countries. Magid is also the Co-Founder of the Multi-faith Neighbors Network, which focuses on building bridges between Muslim, Evangelical Christian, and Jewish communities.
He is the former President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He is also the Chairman of Muflehun, a think tank which focuses on confronting violent extremist thought through research-driven preventative programs within a religious paradigm.
lmam Magid has a long history of commitment to public service through organizations, such as The Peaceful Families Project. Imam Magid has co-authored three books: Before You Tie the Knot: A Guide for Couples, Reflections on the Qur’an, and Change from Within. He has helped in organizing training and workshops for Imams and religious leaders, domestically and internationally, on the issue of violence against women.
Imam Magid is also leading an initiative to protect religious minorities in Muslim majority countries through seminars and Imam training workshops.
He has written for the Washington Post and Huffington Post, and has been profiled in Time Magazine and Wall Street Journal. He is the recipient for the Washingtonian of the Year 2009 and the Human Rights Award 2005 from Fairfax County.
For years, Magid has focused on promoting freedom of religion or belief, preventing violence against women, and preventing violence and hate in our societies. Magid works with the United Nations Development Programme in training imams to deal with violence and extremism against religious minorities in East and West Africa.
It is to be mentioned that USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and leadership of both political parties in the Senate and House of Representatives. With Commissioner Magid’s appointment, USCIRF now has a full complement of nine Commissioners.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIR.