Sajid Tarar
Pakistani American businessman and activist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sajid Tarar is a Pakistani American and Republican activist based in Baltimore. He is the founder of American Muslims for Trump and became known nationally after delivering a benediction at the 2016 Republican National Convention.[2][3] He is the CEO of non-profit private organization Center for Social Change.[4][5]
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Sajid Tarar | |
|---|---|
Tarar at the 2015 Preakness Stakes | |
| Born | |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | University of Baltimore |
| Employer(s) | CEO, Center for Social Change |
| Organization(s) | American Muslims for Trump National Diversity Coalition for Trump[1] |
| Known for | Delivering Islamic prayer at 2016 Republican National Convention |
Political party | Republican |
| Movement | Trumpism |
| Children | 4 |
Early life and career
Tarar is originally from Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab, Pakistan.[6] He moved from Pakistan to the United States in the mid-1980s to attend law school, became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s, and later settled outside Baltimore.[7][8]
After earning his law degree from the Baltimore School of Law, Tarar worked in the finance committee of governors and has also been the president of investment groups.[9]
Political activity
During the 2016 United States presidential election, Tarar founded the pro-Trump group American Muslims for Trump.[10][11] On July 19, 2016, he delivered the closing prayer on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.[12][13][7]
After Donald Trump won the 2016 election, Pakistani officials had approached Tarar as part of their outreach to the incoming administration.[11] In January 2017, Tarar was scheduled to recite Surah al-Fatiha at the National Prayer Service held as part of Trump's inauguration weekend.[14] His participation in the service became part of a broader debate among Muslim leaders over whether engagement with Trump created an opportunity to represent Islam publicly or instead legitimized anti-Muslim rhetoric from his campaign.[15]
Tarar has remained active in commentary about Pakistani-American political engagement and Pakistan–United States relations.[16] He has been involved in fundraising and outreach for Trump's presidential campaign while commenting on the role of Pakistani-American voters.[17]