Pandith will play leading role in engaging Muslims: Clinton

Lalit K Jha
Washington, June 27 (PTI) United States Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton has said Farah Pandith will play a
"leading role" in engaging Muslims across the world in her new
capacity as Special Representative to Muslim Communities.
Pandith, a Muslim woman whose roots can be traced to
India's northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir, was appointed
by Clinton as the US Special Representative to Muslim
Communities early this week. This is part of the Obama
Administration's effort to reach out to the Muslim communities
across the world.
"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Farah
Pandith to serve as Special Representative to Muslim
Communities," Clinton said in a statement, making a formal
announcement in this regard.
"Farah brings years of experience to the job and she will
play a leading role in our efforts to engage Muslims around
the world," Clinton said.
The State Department said Clinton has asked Pandith to
head the new Office of the US Special Representative to Muslim
Communities. Special Representative Pandith and her staff will
be responsible for executing the Administration's efforts to
engage with Muslims around the world on a people-to-people and
organisational level, it said.
Pandith was the senior adviser on Muslim engagement in
European and Eurasian regions at the State Department. The
position was created for the first time in the US history.
Prior to the State Department, Pandith served on the
National Security Council at the White House where she worked
on Muslim engagement and combating extremism.
She worked at the US Agency for International Development
in the early 1990s and again in 2003. She also served in Kabul
in 2004. PTI