Zahid Quraishi confirmed as 1st Muslim American federal judge in U.S. history

Zahid Quraishi.
(Image credit: Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images)

With a vote of 81-16, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Zahid Quraishi as U.S. district judge for the District of New Jersey. He is the first Muslim federal judge in U.S. history.

Quraishi, 46, is the son of Pakistani immigrants. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, he earned his law degree from Rutgers Law. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, he joined the U.S. Army and attained the rank of captain through the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, NBC News reports. He served two tours in Iraq and received the Bronze Star and a Combat Action Badge.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.