Among the 20 Indian-Americans who will serve key positions in the Joe Biden administration in the United States, 13 are women, among whom 3 are Muslims of Indian origin- Uzra Zeya, Aisha Shah and Sameera Fazili. They are set to take the oath of office on Wednesday.
Uzra Zeya, daughter of Indian immigrants from Bihar, has been appointed Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, had quit the US State Department after serving more than 25 years alleging racial and sexist bias in a Trump administration.
Uzra Zeya joined the Foreign Service in 1990 and served in New Delhi, Muscat, Oman, Damascus, Syria, Cairo, and Kingston, Jamaica.
As Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of State from 2011 to 2012, she helped shape the U.S. response to the Arab Spring and deepened U.S. engagement with emerging powers.
A recipient of the Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian honour, Uzra is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
Sameera Fazili, who is currently the Economic Agency lead on the Biden-Harris Transition, has been appointed as Deputy Director, National Economic Council at the White House, the Biden-Harris Transition said Friday.
Sameera Fazili is the second Kashmiri-origin Indian-American appointed to a key position in the incoming Biden administration.
Aisha Shah was named as Partnerships Manager at the White House Office of Digital Strategy.
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Rushda Fathima Khan is the Staff Reporter for The Cognate.
