US Senate confirms 1st Muslim federal judge

The US Senate has confirmed Zahid Quraishi to become the first Muslim American federal judge in the country's history.

Senators on Thursday voted 81-16 to confirm Quraishi to serve as a district judge for the district court of New Jersey, Xinhua news agency reported.

As many as 32 Republican Senators joined with Democrats to confirm him.

"Quraishi will be the first American Muslim in US history to serve as an Article III federal judge. Third largest religion in the US; and he'll become the first to ever serve as an Article III judge," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said ahead of the vote.

Son of Pakistani immigrants, he has served as a magistrate judge since 2019, and previously worked in the Department of Homeland Security, US attorney's office and served in the military.

Quraishi is the third judicial nominee that Democrats have confirmed since President Joe Biden was sworn into the White House.-IANS