Historic Challenge

"No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." -- U.S. Constitution.

   President Barack Obama has nominated a Muslim American to be a federal judge, a clear challenge to Republican opposition to anything the Democratic President proposes.
   If confirmed by the Senate, Abid Qureshi, a partner in the Washington law firm of Latham & Watkins, would be the first Muslim to serve on a federal judciary. Obama nominated Qureshi to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
   However, it's not likely that the Senate will even consider the nomination, since it has refused to take up other Obama proposals, including that of filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court.
   But the symbolism of the nomination is not lost on Muslim advocacy groups, who cite the need for a judiciary that reflects "the rich diversity of our nation," said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates.
   There are Muslim judges serving on state courts, but this is the first time a Muslim has been named to a federal post.
   Qureshi was born in Pakistan and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1997. He has been a partner at Latham since 2006. The Obama Administration has been considering him for the judgeship since June. His name was submitted the same day the Senate returned from its summer recess.

   The nomination is sure to stir outrage among those who see terrorism  in every corner of America. But whether they will use Qureshi's religion as a reason he should be rejected is another question. It is, after all, unconstitutional to put a religious test to any nominee to any office or public trust in America.