Dilawar Syed Makes History as Highest-Ranking Muslim Official in US Government

by Aysha Qamar

After two years of being blocked, Dilawar Syed was confirmed as deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) on Thursday. According to the Associated Press, the Senate’s confirmation makes Syed the highest-ranking Muslim official in the U.S. government. He was confirmed with a 54-42 vote.

Syed currently serves as a special representative for commercial and business affairs at the State Department. He now awaits the swearing-in for his new position, which is ranked as the number two position at the Small Business Administration.

According to Politico, the confirmation was made possible after five Republicans voted with Democrats to move the nomination forward on Wednesday.

Syed was nominated for the position in March 2021, but due to an equal number of Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Small Business Committee, Republicans were able to block voting for two years.

Republicans cited several reasons to block Syed’s nomination, including SBA payouts to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood – a reason unrelated to Syed, according to Politico. The Pakistani-American was also accused of belonging to an “anti-Israel” Muslim American group.

Several interfaith organizations supported Syed and dismissed claims of anti-semitism, including then-president of Interfaith Alliance Rabbi Jack Moline. Moline argued that the blockage was an “excuse for a lot of issues that have nothing to do with suitability for the position.”

Commenting on the long road to Syed’s confirmation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said:

“The SBA has not had a Senate-confirmed deputy for more than five years, and Mr. Syed is exactly the right person for the job. His nomination is backed by more than 200 civic, government, higher education, and business groups and leaders, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Roundtable. Mr. Syed is an American success story… Once confirmed, Mr. Syed will add to the dynamism and diversity of the Biden administration, as the highest-ranking Muslim official in the executive branch.”