The Rumi Forum presented “Obama Administration’s Middle East Policy” with Hon. Gerald E. Connolly, Congressman, 11th District of Virginia
Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly is serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 11th District, which encompasses Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Fairfax City in Northern Virginia. Congressman Connolly serves on the House Budget Committee, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is a member of two Foreign Affairs Subcommittees: Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade; and Mideast and South Asia. On the Government Reform Committee, he serves on: the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia; and the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.
Moderator :
Ambassador M. Osman Siddique served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Fiji Islands with concurrent accreditations to the Kingdom of Tonga, the Republic of Nauru, and the Government of Tuvalu from 1999-2001. Prior to his appointment as the United States Ambassador, he was the Chairman/CEO of a major US Corporation, an entrepreneur and a community leader. Ambassador M. Osman Siddique combines an outstanding professional background with a powerful understanding of both domestic and foreign policy issues. Privileged to be the first American Muslim and the first American of South Asian descent to serve as the United States Ambassador, M. Osman Siddique has exhibited outstanding leadership abilities. As demonstrated in his distinguished business and diplomatic career, Ambassador Siddique is in a unique position to bridge the cross-cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, necessary in dealing with the important issues which the US faces with many Asian and Islamic nations. The current geopolitical reality lends credence to his ability to resolve problems emanating from concerns that border on the fringes of misperception, mistrust and miscommunication.