Who is Ismail Rayer and Shayakh Hamza Yusuf? Appointments for Donald Trump’s controversial ‘Jihadi’ Religious Liberty Commission
US President Donald Trump on Friday appointed Ismail Rayer and Shayak Hamza Yusuf as the newly formed Advisory Board of Lead Leaders of Level leaders of the White House under the Religious Liberty Commission. The announcement has been made amidst increasing investigation from critics such as conservative commentator Lara Lumor, which alleged that both appointments had extremist ideologies and ‘jihadi’ activities in the past.The official statement of the White House described Rayer as the Director of Islam and the Religious Freedom Action Team at the Institute of Religious Freedom, which highlights his advocacy work and promoting the Interfaith piece. Shayakh Hamza Yusuf is presented as a respected Islamic scholar and co-founder of Zatuna College, who is included as advisors to the Islamic Studies Center of Berkeley, with long-standing educational participation in the United States, with long-standing educational participation.However, his appointments have criticized his alleged previous associations.Who is Ismail Rayer?
- Born Randel Todd Rayer, Ismail Rayer converted to Islam in 1992.
- He studied under traditional Islamic scholars and later engaged with several Muslim advocacy groups.
- However, Rayer’s past includes a dark chapter, in 2004, he convicted
Terrorism charges And was sentenced to 20 years in jail for his role in the so -called “Virginia Jihad Network”. - According to a department of the US Department of Justice, Rayer accepted to support others to attend a Lashkar-e-Taiba (late) training camp in Pakistan, where the recruitments were trained to engage in militant activities.
- He also admitted to helping a co-pattist train in the use of rocket-illiterate grenade in relation to a conspiracy to fight the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir.
- He served 13 years before its release in 2017 and since then publicly removed himself from violent extremism, focused on the work of religious freedom.
Who is Shayakh Hamza Yusuf?
- Hamza Yusuf is widely recognized as a proposer of classical Islamic scholarship in Western Islamic circles and
Interlocutism , - A converted to Islam, he co-established the Zatuna College in California and served in various educational and government advisory roles including the Commission’s Commission on uneven rights during the Trump administration.
- Despite its mainstream appeal, critics such as Lara Lumor have accused Joseph of reducing jihadi ideologies and maintaining indirect relations with organizations such as Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, claiming that they have not addressed directly.
- Supporters, however, consider him as a voice of moderation who have constantly condemned extremism and promoted understanding between religions.
