May 19, 2025
On May 16, 2025, the White House announced new appointments to the Religious Liberty Commission Advisory Board, including two deeply controversial figures—Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Ismail Royer. Both men have ties to radical Islamic ideologies that raise significant concerns about national security and the integrity of the vetting process. The inclusion of these individuals begs urgent questions: Who is advising the administration on these choices, and how did such troubling backgrounds escape scrutiny?
Ismail Royer’s criminal history is particularly alarming. Once a communications specialist with CAIR, Royer was convicted in 2004 for aiding terrorist activities and training with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a jihadist group responsible for deadly attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai massacre. He was also linked to the Virginia Jihad Network and associated with other extremist figures advocating violence against U.S. forces. Despite serving 13 years of a 20-year sentence, Royer is now in a position of influence—advising the very government he once sought to harm. Similarly, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, while celebrated in some Islamic circles, has defended individuals convicted of terrorism, made inflammatory anti-American and antisemitic remarks, and supported organizations with ties to Hamas. His rhetoric, often cloaked in academic language, has glorified martyrdom and downplayed acts of jihadist violence—all while casting blame on U.S. policies.
The appointment of Royer and Yusuf to a federal advisory board reveals either a catastrophic breakdown in security vetting or a deeper, more deliberate shift in policy. These decisions, whether driven by oversight or intent, threaten to legitimize extremism under the guise of religious liberty. The American people deserve transparency and accountability. Allowing individuals with histories of jihadist affiliations and radical rhetoric to shape national policy isn’t just a lapse in judgment—it’s a direct threat to the nation's safety and foundational values.
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SOURCE: RAIR Foundation