Zaki Barzinji Named White House Liaison to American Muslims

posted on: May 28, 2016

BY: Eugene Ferrug/Contributing Writer

As a counterpoint to the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim vitriol witnessed during the 2016 campaign season, on Thursday, the White House appointed Zaki Barzinji as the American Muslim Community Liaison with the Office of Public Engagement. At 27 years old, Barzinji, the former Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs under Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, promises youthful energy and a commitment to innovative approaches to further engage with ethnic and religious communities within the U.S.

For someone so young, Barzinji’s experience in community outreach and counter radicalization is impressive. In 2009, then 20 year old Barzinji appeared in a Washington Post article highlighting the importance of the internet as a tool for counter radicalization and effective engagement with the greater American Muslim community. As extremist groups offered “social connection and acceptance” to isolated youth in America, Barzinji imagined a response that would encompass an inclusive online social community, as well as a digital resource providing a truthful, authoritative, and ultimately counter radical interpretation of faith.

Since then, Barzinji has immersed himself in promoting marginalized minority groups through civic engagement and policy work. His position as the Director of SBC (Small Business Commission) had him representing minority owned businesses in Virginia. Barzinji also spent his early days in the public sector with Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, engaging in campaign outreach to Arab American and Pacific Islander constituents – a position quickly followed by his tenure as liaison to the Virginia Asian Advisory Board in the McAuliffe administration.

Barzinji’s White House appointment comes shortly after Obama’s seminal address at a Baltimore Mosque. The address specifically acknowledged the growing gap between American Muslims and the larger American community, with Obama remarking: “This is a time of concern for American Muslims, when any part of our family starts to feel Second Class or targeted it tears at the very fabric of our nation.” Barzinji’s appointment was directly related to the spirit of this message and the administration’s renewed commitment to promoting religious and ethnic tolerance, while combating hatred.

Now that Barzinji has taken his place in the White House, he will face the need for a strong and sustained commitment to societal inclusion. Since the Paris and San Bernardino terrorist attacks, hate crimes against American Muslims have increased three-fold and an entire facet of society has latched on to the reactionary zealot policies of Donald Trump, who among other policies has promoted the exclusion of an entire group of people from this country based on their religious background. At a time when the U.S. is dealing with bigotry and fear-fueled anger, his appointment is welcomed.

In terms of counter terrorism, Barzinji’s appointment marks a pivotal moment in the U.S. mindset. As recent years have shown, it is precisely this ‘soft power’ approach to the U.S. counter terrorism strategy that has proved especially elusive (see “Run, don’t walk to ISIS land.”) The appointment of Barzinji indicates a commitment to innovative solutions, alongside a higher degree of congruence with American Muslim communities. Civic engagement may prove a better defense against radicalization than travel bans.

But it should be urged that we refrain from interpreting Barzinji’s appointment only through the lens of America’s continued struggle with extremist ideologies. Rather it is a prospect of increased dialogue and cooperation between mainstream American society and its plurality of minority groups. In Barzinji’s own words, “A big part of this role is making sure the national conversation about these communities is not framed through a single lens, but covers the full range of issues that Muslims and other Americans face.”

Just a quick scroll through Zaki Barzinji’s social media feeds provides a glimpse into his commitment to inclusive justice, religious and ethnic plurality, and the basic tenants of community, which Barzinji spells out through powerful quotations from the likes of Dr. King and President Obama. The quotes are followed by ruminations and retweets on the migrant crisis and the conflict in the Middle East. 

Zaki Barzinji will arrive in Washington, DC as it enters into another hot summer and another heated debate over issues of identity and religion surrounding the 2016 election.