US appoints envoy to Muslim world

U.S. State Department Special Representative appointed its first Muslim communities.
Secretary of State said Farah Pandith Hillary Clinton will play a leading role in U.S. efforts to “engage Muslims around the world.
She said Ms. Pandith, who was born in Indian administered Kashmir, will bring years of experience in the role.
The appointment is part of the efforts of President Barack Obama to improve relations with the Muslim world.
Mrs. Clinton said Ms. Pandith “sees her personal experience as an illustration of how Muslim immigrants in the U.S. can successfully integrate themselves into American society.
The State Department said Ms. Pandith, who is a Muslim, will be responsible for assisting U.S. efforts to “engage with Muslims around the world for people-to-people and organizational level.
The statement said Ms Pandith was previously senior advisor to the Muslim commitment to the region of Europe and Eurasia at the State Department and had worked in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In a speech in Cairo earlier this month, Mr. Obama said he had been “years of mistrust” between the West and Islam, but he was demanding “a new beginning” in relations.