APPAC hails President Biden’s historic appointment of Judge Zahid Quraishi

The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) on Wednesday hailed President Joe Biden’s decision nominating Judge Zahid Quraishi for federal judge.

On Tuesday, President Biden released his first slate of 11 federal judicial nominations including nine women of diverse backgrounds. These included several Black candidates and an Asian American. No Black woman has yet served on the nine-justice high court.

The list also included Quraishi, a New Jersey magistrate judge, who if confirmed would be US's first Muslim American to serve on a federal district court.

Praising the decision, the APPAC Chairman Dr. Ijaz Ahmad said, “The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee congratulates Judge Zahid Quraishi on his historic appointment.”

“We are proud to have played an instrumental role in making this appointment happen and thank President Biden, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Bob Menendez, Senator Charles Schumer and many other elected officials for hearing our calls about the need for a Muslim American Federal Judge. APPAC’s mission is to elevate Pakistani and Muslim Americans in the U.S. government so this appointment is a significant achievement for our organization,” he added.

The group played an integral part in the spearheading Judge Quraishi’s candidacy. The group, during its meeting with Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Cory Booker in 2018, recommended including a Muslim judge to the US District Court Bench.

The group vetted dozens of potential candidates and recommended Judge Quraishi based on his stellar record as a jurist, diverse experiences and service to his country and community.

The group chairman continued that over 3.5 million Muslims live in the United States, and up until now, their voices have been underrepresented on the Federal bench.

“Judge Quraishi’s appointment reinforces the notion that fairness and impartiality prevail for all Americans who appear before the court. He brings a wealth of perspectives to the bench and is a strong example of the contributions that Muslim Americans make to this country. This is a proud day. Congratulations to Judge Quraishi on this accomplishment.”

Quraishi is a distinguished jurist, having served as a former prosecutor, private attorney and US Magistrate. He is also a U.S. Army veteran, Former Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a proud Pakistani American.