Zuhdi Jasser

Mohamed Zuhdi Jasser (born November 17, 1967) is an American religious and political commentator and a medical doctor specializing in internal medicine and nuclear cardiology in Phoenix, Arizona. Jasser is a former Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, and in 2004 he was one of the founders of the Center for Islamic Pluralism.

In March 2012, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appointed Jasser to serve a two-year term on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. in the GOP primary.

Views on Islam Jasser describes himself as a devout Muslim who believes that "America in fact provides the best atmosphere for Muslims to practice our faith".

Jasser has also engaged in interfaith activities, serving on the board of the Arizona Interfaith Movement; helping to found an Arizona-based organization called The Children of Abraham, a Jewish-Muslim dialogue group in 2000, and a chapter of Seeds of Peace in 2003.

Testifying at Rep. Peter King's controversial homegrown Islamic terrorism hearings in 2011, Jasser has stated that Muslims are "long overdue for an ideological counter-jihad," claiming that Muslim American leaders, including imams, are contributing to radicalization. He has been described as a part of the counter-jihad movement, having supported Frank Gaffney's work, although he has fallen out with some other members of the movement, whom he has labeled "alt-jihadists".

Views on Israel

Jasser is an outspoken supporter of Israel

Jasser has frequently been in conflict with a number of Muslim advocacy organizations, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Islamic Circle of North America, claiming that they are Islamist, are focused on "victimology" and do not adequately condemn the goals of terrorist groups. The editorial board of The Arizona Republic responded to these protests by describing them as "ad hominem attacks that are made up out of whole cloth, falsely accusing him and Muslim members of his American Islamic Forum for Democracy of being non-practicing Muslims, at best, and Islam-haters at worst".

Professional activities, honors, and awards Jasser practices internal medicine and nuclear cardiology in Phoenix.

In 2007 he formed a statewide Disaster Preparedness Task Force for physicians. He chairs a bioethics committee and teaches nuclear cardiology in Phoenix.

He was honored in October 2007 by Center for Security Policy as a "Defender of the Home Front" for his anti-Islamist activism. In January 2008 he was presented with the 2007 Director's Community Leadership Award by the Phoenix office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.