On Tuesday President Obama nominated Abid Riaz Qureshi as a potential judge for the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., which makes Qureshi the first Muslim in history to be nominated for the federal judiciary. The president made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday while praising Qureshi’s past accomplishments:
“I am pleased to nominate Mr. Qureshi to serve on the United States District Court bench..I am confident he will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”
It’s a landmark decision, but one unlikely to yield an actual appointment. Qureshi would need to be confirmed by the Senate, and Republicans have essentially ceased all deliberation on the president’s judicial nominees. Congressional members outright refused to consider Merrick Garland‘s candidacy for the Supreme Court earlier this year and insisted a nomination made by a president in his last term would not reflect “the will of the American people.” Still, it’s an undeniably symbolic announcement, particularly during an election in which presidential hopeful Donald Trump theorized a Muslim judge would be incapable of impartiality due to the Republican candidate’s proposed Muslim immigration ban.
There are still glimmers of hope for Qureshi’s appointment. His nomination could advance in a lame duck congress, and it’s possible that Hillary Clinton, if victorious in November, could nominate him again him next year.
(Via The Huffington Post)