After a two-year campaign, the Senate finally confirmed Pakistan born, Dilawar Syed, after a 54–42 committee vote
Dilawar Syed becomes the highest-ranking Muslim in the U.S. government as the deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, after being blocked by Senate Republicans for more than two years.
The announcement came from the SBA after President Biden first nominated Syed in March 2021 and again this year after Republicans on the Small Business Committee blocked his nomination due to the agency’s payouts to abortion providers.
Yesterday the head of the SBA, Isabella Casillas Guzman, issued this statement:
“I applaud the United States Senate’s bipartisan confirmation of Dilawar Syed as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Dilawar is an accomplished entrepreneurial leader who will be a part of my team working to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s mission to expand access to capital and services for small businesses across the country.
Dilawar is a living example of the American dream, immigrating to the United States, working in business, scaling companies, and creating jobs. Dilawar has served at the U.S. Department of State, working across the globe to help American companies compete and win in international markets. I am confident that Dilawar’s experience and background will help us fulfill President Biden’s economic agenda by supporting America’s small business owners and creating an economy from the bottom up and middle out.”
The news has been welcomed by Muslim organizations who have been campaigning to have him confirmed. Emgage CEO, Wa’el Alzayat congratulated Syed on his recent appointment.
“It was not an easy road leading to this victory. Despite an Islamophobic disinformation campaign, a coalition of communities from various corners, including Muslim, Jewish, Christian, AAPI, business, and others, came together to advocate for Mr. Syed — and ultimately, his qualifications prevailed,” said Emgage. “His years of experience as an entrepreneur and his extensive engagement with and advocacy for small businesses across the nation make him an ideal candidate for this position.”
Syed has garnered the support of a broad coalition of business, civic, and community organizations with more than 230 national and local groups endorsing his nomination for the SBA leadership, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), also released a statement honoring Mr. Syed’s career accomplishment.
“His experience makes him exceptionally well-qualified for this position. However, opposition to his nomination was not based on his qualifications, rather it was rooted in bigotry and Islamophobia. We are hopeful that Mr. Syed’s confirmation will help the SBA meet the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country and serve as inspiration for the next generation of American Muslim leaders.”
His appointment has been mired by political posturing from rightwing elements in the Republican party. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned his position on Israel and affiliation with Muslim non-profits critical of its treatment of Palestinians.
However, Syed was backed by prominent Jewish groups. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) came to his defense, stating “accusations around Dilawar Syed’s nomination based on his national origin or involvement in a Muslim advocacy organization are so base and unamerican that AJC is compelled to speak out.”
Syed already serves as a Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the United States Department of State. As Special Representative for Commercial & Business Affairs at the State Department, the administration said Syed had been advocating on behalf of U.S. companies to win business deals. In 2022, he’s said to have helped advance deals worth more than $90 billion, helping to create thousands of American jobs.
The success of Syed, who was born in Pakistan, is said to embody the ‘American dream.’ After immigrating to the U.S., he earned his bachelor’s in economics and computer science from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the elite Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
During the Obama administration, he chaired the White House Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders’ Economic Growth Committee.
As a businessman, Syed has made waves in healthcare by reducing costs with his AI healthcare company, Lumirata. He was the president of Freshworks, where he helped scale the software company’s products to thousands of small and medium businesses. He is also the founding chair of the California Entrepreneurship Task Force within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
The SBA plays a critical role in the U.S. economy. During the pandemic, it provided $1.2 trillion of relief to millions of small businesses.
It is the leading federal agency providing support — through capital, counseling, and contracting programs — for the nation’s 33 million small businesses, which collectively employ half the private workforce.
Source: https://medium.com/@americanmuslimtoday/pakistani-american-entrepreneur-becomes-highest-muslim-ranking-official-in-u-s-govt-c8e39f8e3ad6
