Dr. Zuhdi Jasser. Photo: Courtesy Zuhdi Jasser.

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser—head of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), an organization that seeks to fight radical Islamic ideology—on Monday was appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the appointment was “farcical” and distributed a petition “calling on community members and people of conscience” to protest the move. Additionally, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) called the appointment “an affront to all Muslims.”

In an interview with JointMedia News Service last November, Jasser said, “operationally, Islam is not peaceful.” He said “the silent majority of Muslims who believe that Islam is peaceful, that Sharia is a personal decision which should not be part of government, can’t sit back and be in denial.”