Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Slain US Army captain's father to head US commission on religious freedom

Slain US Army captain's father to head US commission on religious freedom

PAKISTAN-born American lawyer and slain US Army captain's father Khizr Khan has been appointed commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The Joe Biden administration also nominated Indian-American diplomat Rashad Hussain as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.


In a statement, the White House said Khan is "an advocate for religious freedom as a core element of human dignity".

"Khizr Khan is a Gold Star parent of US Army Captain Humayun Khan. Capt. Humayun Khan was a University of Virginia graduate who was killed while serving in Iraq as he stopped an attack on his camp and saved the lives of scores of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians," the statement said on Friday (30).

Senior Khan had made headlines during the US presidential campaign in 2016 after he slammed Republic nominee and eventual winner Donald Trump for his remarks on Muslims and questioned his knowledge of the American constitution.

Flanked by his wife during his emotional speech at a Democratic National Convention, Khan had recalled his son's martyrdom in 2004 and said Trump "sacrificed nothing and no one”.

He was prominently featured in the then-Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's publicity campaign.

Khan who was born in Gujranwala in Pakistan and migrated to the United States in 1980, graduated from Harvard Law School.

"In his law practice, he devotes a substantial amount of his time to providing legal services to veterans, men and women serving in uniform, and their families", the White House statement said.

Khan, who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, has authored three books - 'An American Family-A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice', 'Founding Documents of the United States of America', and 'This is Our Constitution.

His son was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor.

On the nomination of Hussain, the White House statement said the diplomat "spearheaded efforts on countering antisemitism and protecting religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries".

Hussain is the director for partnerships and global engagement at the US National Security Council. He previously served as a senior counsel at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. During the Obama administration, Rashad served as the US special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

More For You

scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sanger-Tribute

Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami speaking at the memorial.

Bhavan London pays tribute to Joginder Sanger

BHAVAN LONDON held a tribute event on 27 March to honour Joginder Sanger, a British Indian hotelier and philanthropist who passed away at 82 on 28 February.

Sanger, born in Jalandhar, India, established several London hotels, including the Washington Mayfair Hotel, Courthouse Hotels in Soho and Shoreditch, and the Bentley in Kensington.

Keep ReadingShow less
Imran-Khan-Getty

Imran Khan, founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been in jail since August 2023. (Photo: Getty)

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on human rights and democracy.

The nomination was announced by members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA), an advocacy group formed in December, who are also part of the Norwegian political party Partiet Sentrum.

Keep ReadingShow less