Rashad Hussain is an American attorney, diplomat, and professor, who served as the
, Associate White House Counsel, and as
U.S. Special Envoy of President Barack Obama to the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC; ; ), formerly the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1969. It consists of Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, 57 member s ...
(OIC).
He was also
U.S. Special Envoy for strategic counterterrorism communications
and served on the
United States National Security Council
The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the national security council used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and Foreign relations of the United States, foreign policy matter ...
and in the
Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
as a trial attorney and a criminal and national security prosecutor.
Early life and education
Hussain was born in
Wyoming
Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
and raised in
Plano,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, the son of
Indian-American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from India. The terms Asian Indian and East Indian are used to avoid confusion with Native Americans in the United States, who are also referred to as "Indians" or "Am ...
immigrants. Hussain is a graduate of
Greenhill School in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
. While at Greenhill, Hussain was a member of the school's nationally recognized policy-debate team, partnering with Josh Goldberg to win the Texas state debate championship and a number of national tournament championships.
Hussain completed a bachelor's degree in two years, in both philosophy and
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
, from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
, where he was elected to
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
. His philosophy thesis was titled "Assessing the Theistic Implications of Big Bang Cosmological Theory." He subsequently obtained an
MPA
MPA or mPa may refer to:
Academia
Academic degrees
* Master of Performing Arts
* Master of Professional Accountancy
* Master of Public Administration
* Master of Public Affairs
Schools
* Mesa Preparatory Academy
* Morgan Park Academy
* M ...
from the
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...
and a
Master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
and
Islamic Studies
Islamic studies is the academic study of Islam, which is analogous to related fields such as Jewish studies and Quranic studies. Islamic studies seeks to understand the past and the potential future of the Islamic world. In this multidiscipli ...
, both from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
. After Harvard, he worked as a legislative aide for the
House Judiciary Committee
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, f ...
, where he served during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and reviewed the
Patriot Act and other bills.
He then earned a J.D. from
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
where he served as an
editor
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
of the ''
Yale Law Journal
''The Yale Law Journal'' (YLJ) is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School. The journal is one ...
''.
Following law school, Hussain served as a law clerk for civil rights icon
Damon J. Keith of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* Eastern District of Kentucky
* Western District of K ...
.
Career
Office of White House Counsel
In January 2009, Hussain was named deputy associate counsel to President Barack Obama. Previously, he served as a
trial attorney at the
U.S. Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...
and as Associate Counsel to the Obama Presidential Transition Team.
''The Washington Post'' reported that, "After the 2008 election, Hussain was recruited to the White House Counsel's office by
Greg Craig and
Cassandra Butts, a fellow Tar Heel and Obama's former Harvard Law classmate. He has worked there on national security and new media issues, and helped inform the administration's Muslim outreach efforts.
Hussain also "began advising the president on issues related to Islam after joining the White House counsel’s office in January 2009."
Ben Rhodes, Obama's chief foreign policy speechwriter and Deputy National Security Advisor, sought Hussain's counsel as he drafted the president's Cairo address and other speeches to Muslim audiences.
Hussain also joined the President and the staff that traveled to Egypt for the
speech at Cairo University in 2009.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
On February 13, 2010, President Obama appointed the 31-year old Hussain as the United States Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Upon appointing the 31-year old White House attorney as one of the youngest posted American ambassadors and highest ranking Muslim American officials Obama stated: "as an accomplished lawyer and a close and trusted member of my White House staff, Rashad has played a key role in developing the partnerships I called for in Cairo, and as a ''
Hafiz'' of the
Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
, he is a respected member of the American Muslim community, and I thank him for carrying forward this important work." The Washington Post stated in addition to his personal background, "Muslims abroad are ... likely to take note of his White House credentials, and access to the Oval Office, as he seeks partnerships in education, health, science and technology."
It also noted that Hussain "briefed Obama before his first interview as president--with
Al Arabiya
Arabiya (, transliterated: '; meaning "The Arabic One" or "The Arab One") is a Saudi state-owned international Arabic news television channel. It is based in Riyadh and is a subsidiary of MBC Group.
The channel is a flagship of the media c ...
, contributed to Obama's two major speeches to Muslims--in Ankara, Turkey and Cairo, traveled to the Middle East with Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
, and, closer to home, helped organize a
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
dinner at the White House that replaced the usual crowd of ambassadors with young American Muslims."
He also helped put on a 2010 Presidential
Global Entrepreneurship Summit hosted by President Obama.

In his role as Envoy to the OIC,
the second largest intergovernmental body after the UN,
Hussain traveled to numerous countries and international gatherings, served as a foreign policy advisor, and met with foreign leaders
and
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
communities around the world.
His position, "a kind of ambassador at large to Muslim countries was created by President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
," and the
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
described Hussain as member of the President Obama's "spiritual cabinet."

During his travel to OIC member countries, Hussain has held meetings with a number of leaders,
including President
Karzai of Afghanistan, President
Gul of Turkey,
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to as SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired Indonesian Army, army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014 and the second president of Ind ...
of Indonesia, Prime Minister
Najib of Malaysia, President
Zardari of Pakistan, Prime Minister Aziz of Mauritania, President
Sall of Senegal, President
Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerians, Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to ...
of Nigeria, and OIC Secretary General
Ihsanoglu.
[Special Envoy Hussain’s Meetings at the OIC Heads of State Summit in Mecca](_blank)
U.S. Department of State announcement, August 15, 2012. Hussain also attended the OIC Heads of State Summit in Egypt and in Mecca, Saudi Arabia is 2012, where he met with a number of leaders, including a pre-dawn
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
meal with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and held other meetings with President Gul of Turkey and President Karzai of Afghanistan. They discussed a number of issues, including Syria, the democratic transitions in the Middle East and North Africa, and U.S. engagement with Muslim communities around the world. Hussain also led an international peacemaking delegation to the
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...
in 2014 to meet with President
Samba-Panza and civil society leaders.
While Hussain served as Special Envoy, the U.S. and OIC increased cooperation in health and development, including OIC-
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance.
Established in 19 ...
cooperation on humanitarian aid, and have expanded partnerships in entrepreneurship, and science and technology.
The OIC has been increasingly active in condemning
violent extremism
Violent extremism is a form of extremism that condones and enacts violence with Ideology, ideological or deliberate intent, such as Religious violence, religious or political violence. Violent extremist views often conflate with Religious violen ...
, including attacks on religious minorities, and the kidnapping of school girls by
Boko Haram
Boko Haram, officially known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad (), is a self-proclaimed jihadist militant group based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali. In 2016, the group spli ...
in Nigeria. The U.S. worked with the OIC to eliminate the OIC's previous heavily criticized "
defamation of religion" resolution at the UN and replace it with a resolution that removes the "defamation" concept and seeks to counter intolerance without restricting speech in a manner inconsistent with U.S. law. The OIC has also taken a larger role in international affairs - it was among the first to call for a no-fly zone in Libya and has been heavily critical of
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator
Sources characterising Assad as a dictator:
who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...
's regime, removing Syria from the OIC in 2012.
Work to Protect Human Rights and Religious Minorities
Hussain has worked on efforts to improve the protection of Christians, Jews, and other religious minorities living in Muslim-majority countries. He has also sought to combat anti-Semitism by denouncing
Holocaust denial
Historical negationism, Denial of the Holocaust is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that asserts that the genocide of Jews by the Nazi Party, Nazis is a fabrication or exaggeration. It includes making one or more of the following false claims:
...
and the publication of anti-Semitic materials in the Muslim world. In an op-ed on addressing
anti-Semitism in the Muslim world, he condemned the broadcast of an anti-Semitic film aired in some Muslim-majority countries, arguing that Jews and Christians face discrimination and violence in these countries and that "Efforts must be made to ensure that textbooks and television programming in the Muslim world are free from the types of dehumanizing ideas and images that breed intolerance and hate." Speaking to Foreign Ministers of Muslim countries at the OIC Ministerial in Guinea in 2013, he also criticized "restrictions on places of worship, including churches and synagogues" as "unacceptable."
He has also condemned
blasphemy law
A blasphemy law is a law prohibiting blasphemy, which is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of Reverence (attitude), reverence to a deity, or sacred objects, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable. According to Pew Re ...
s on other restrictions on speech that are used to persecute religious minorities, including
Coptic Christians
Copts (; ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptian population, descended from the ancient Egyptians. Copts p ...
in Egypt, where he visited with an American Coptic leader in 2012.
Hussain has also traveled to a number of countries to address persecution of Muslim communities, including the Central African Republic,
Uighur Muslims in
Xinjiang
Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
, China, India, the
Rohingya
The Rohingya people (; ; ) are a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who predominantly follow Islam from Rakhine State, Myanmar. Before the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when over 740,000 fled to Bangladesh, an estimated 1.4 million Ro ...
population from Myanmar, and a number of European nations.
In May 2013, Hussain and the U.S.
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism traveled with
imam
Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...
s from around the world to Holocaust sites in
Auschwitz-Birkenau
Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...
as part of Hussain's "efforts to combat
Holocaust denial
Historical negationism, Denial of the Holocaust is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that asserts that the genocide of Jews by the Nazi Party, Nazis is a fabrication or exaggeration. It includes making one or more of the following false claims:
...
and to address discrimination against religious minorities." He also took a similar trip with American imams to Holocaust sites in 2010. Hussain has been outspoken against anti-Semitism during his other travels, including his rebuttal of anti-Semitic tirade during a trip to India in 2010.
ADL President
Abraham Foxman noted that Hussain's condemnation of "anti-Semitism in the Muslim and Arab world is significant" and that "influential figures, particularly political and religious leaders in the Muslim and Arab world, should emulate Ambassador Hussain's example." In January 2013, Mr. Hussain received the
Distinguished Honor Award from Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
, which is given for "exceptionally outstanding service to the agencies of the U.S. Government resulting in achievements of marked national or international significance."
U.S. Special Envoy for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications

Hussain has also been actively involved in international religious freedom and counterterrorism efforts, and his appointment as Special Envoy for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications
was announced by President Obama at a White House Summit in 2015. Hussain, who has been named one of the world's 500 most influential Muslims, outlined a strategy for countering terrorist propaganda emphasizing a shift to non-governmental messaging,
helped develop messaging centers in the UAE, Nigeria, Malaysia, and in Saudi Arabia.
In 2015, ''The Washington Post'' reported that Hussain was appointed to shift US messaging efforts by building partnerships with international NGOs and other governments to counter terrorist propaganda.
Hussain outlined an approach
for "supporting NGOs who are countering
ISIL
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...
’s narrative and helping other countries to establish their own counter-ISIL messaging centers"
and highlighting ISIS's damage to local populations, "emphasizing accounts of
SISdefectors, and documenting its losses on the battlefield — without recirculating its gruesome images or matching its snide tone."
Hussain called for messaging to highlight terrorists' damage to Muslim and other populations, the stories of "defectors," ISIS's battlefield losses, and living conditions in ISIS territories.
He also called for "Muslim-hosted and run messaging initiatives to take a leading role" in expanding "counter-messaging and positive narratives."
In 2015, Hussain worked with international organizations in leading an international defectors messaging campaign to highlight the stories of those who left terrorist organizations.
Hussain co-authored a paper, "Reformulating the Battle of Ideas: Understanding the Role of Islam in Counterterrorism Policy" for the
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global econo ...
. It sharply rejects those who commit terrorist acts in the name of religion, including those who seek to use Islamic justifications for such actions.
In a speech to a meeting of Foreign Ministers from 56 Muslim-majority countries, Hussain stated, "It is our duty to eradicate this ideology completely and blaming the foreign policy of any country is not the answer. No policy grievance justifies the slaughter of innocent people." He has also held discussions on the topic of violent extremism with government and civil society in trips to countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen.
In addressing extremism, Hussain has also argued that Muslim communities must improve secular and religious education for boys and girls, increase access to opportunity through job creation, address the sense of political disenfranchisement in Muslim communities, and improve
deradicalization
Deradicalization refers to a process of encouraging a person with extreme political, social or religious views to adopt more moderate positions on the issues.
Measures and projects
Google's think tank Jigsaw has been developing a new program ...
programming. In a panel hosted by Peter Bergen on online radicalization in 2013, Hussain described the extremists' online approach as combining a message of religious obligation to defend Muslim causes with emotional international images in a way that attempts to provide a sense of purpose to disaffected youth. He encouraged Muslim communities to create online media content that acknowledges perceived grievances, but uses imagery and religious content to make clear that terrorists are actually killing Muslims, damaging Muslim causes, and violating Islam, not defending it.
Ambassador at-large for international religious freedom
On July 30, 2021, President
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
nominated Hussain to be the U.S. Ambassador at-large for International Religious Freedom.
Hearings on his nomination were held before the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign a ...
on October 26, 2021. The committee favorably reported his nomination on December 15, 2021. On December 16, 2021, the Senate voted 85–5 to confirm Hussain's nomination as
.
Personal life
Hussain speaks
English,
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
,
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
, and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
.
Who followed him in the office that Obama appointed him to?
Works
"Protecting the Rights of Christians and Religious Minorities in the Muslim World"* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111005215543/http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2008/08_counterterrorism_hussain/08_counterterrorism_hussain.pdf "Reformulating the Battle of Ideas: The Role of Islam in Counterterrorism Policy"] Brookings Institution (2008)
"Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorist Recruiting in the Digital Age""Why the United States Cannot Agree to Disagree on Blasphemy laws"; Boston University International Law Journal (2014)
"Security with Transparency: Judicial Review in "Special Interest" Immigration Proceedings Yale Law Journal113 Yale L.J. 1333 (2004)
"Costs of Post-9/11 National Security Strategy, The""Countering anti-Semitism in the Month of Ramadan"
References
External links
Rashad Hussain, Office of White House Counsel WhiteHouse.Gov.
President Obama Announces Rashad Hussain as Special Envoy WhiteHouse.Gov.
Introducing Rashad Hussain WhiteHouse.Gov.
Appearance on Charlie Rose Show 2011*
NPR Interview*
Appearance on Rachel Maddow Show 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hussain, Rashad
Ambassadors of the United States
American politicians of Indian descent
Living people
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation officials
United States presidential advisors
United States special envoys
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
Yale Law School alumni
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Greenhill School alumni
Muslims from Texas
Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows
People from Plano, Texas
People from Wyoming
Brookings Institution people
Biden administration personnel
Associate White House counsels
1979 births