By In a historic move, the new federal prosecutor of the Eastern District of Michigan from next month will be Saima Mohsin, a Pakistani-Muslim.
Mohsin, 52, is the first ever Muslim woman and Pakistani to be acting United States attorney.
According to the Department of Justice, the Joe Biden administration appointed Mohsin as the acting United States attorney for the district of Michigan and the country, once the current attorney, Matthew Schneider steps down on February 1st.
Mohsin was working as assistant U.S. attorney since 2018, and will replace Schneider on February 2nd.
“She is a career prosecutor, having served in the US Attorney’s Office since 2002, and prior to that as a Deputy New Jersey Attorney General and an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan,” the Department of Justice stated.
Born in Pakistan, Mohsin has a law degree and has been working as a prosecutor since 2002, in the Drug Task Force, Violent and Organised Crime Unit, and the General Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s office.
“I’m extremely pleased to leave this office in the hands of one of the finest federal prosecutors I’ve ever known, Saima Mohsin,” Schneider said. “Saima is a dynamic trial lawyer and a talented manager. And, as the first woman, immigrant, Muslim United States Attorney in American history, her service is truly historic. Saima will be an outstanding representative and defender of our community as the Acting United States Attorney.”
While there have been a few Muslim attorneys working in prosecutor offices in the state of Michigan, such as Fadwa Hammoud, Muhsin is the first Muslim to be working as a top federal prosecutor in the country.
While there have been a few Muslim attorneys working in prosecutor offices in the state of Michigan, such as Fadwa Hammoud, Muhsin is the first Muslim to be working as a top federal prosecutor in the country.
Leaders with the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) told the Detroit Free Press that this was the first they were hearing about a Muslim U.S. attorney or acting U.S. attorney.
“It is a great honour to serve the citizens of the Eastern District of Michigan as Acting United States Attorney,” Mohsin stated. “I am deeply committed to fulfilling our core mission to faithfully enforce the law and seek justice for all.”
The Acting U.S. attorney position is not permanent, and an interim U.S. attorney may be appointed. President Joe Biden could also nominate an attorney and have them approved by the U.S. Senate, as Schneider was in 2019, after his nomination by President Donald Trump in 2018.
This comes as a huge win for both the Muslim and Pakistani communities. Let us pray for her success and for even more Muslim representation in top federal positions.