Jihad Saleh - Sr. Advocacy & Government Affairs Advisor, Islamic Relief USA (September 5, 2020)

Jihad F. Saleh is a humanitarian, anti-poverty activist based in Washington, DC. His activism & organizing focuses on amplifying the voices and building political power of targeted, vulnerable populations in the U.S. who are subjected to poverty, hunger, and social marginalization. He also works to expand the advocacy and community organizing capacity with the Muslim American community, particularly amongh Black Muslim and Shia Muslim networks. In his professional capacity, Jihad is the Senior Advocacy & Government Affairs Advisor for Islamic Relief USA, the nation's largest Muslim humanitarian and advocacy organization. Jihad coordinates IRUSA’s engagement and lobbying with Congress and various Executive Departments. His advocacy focuses on humanitarian issues such as alleviating poverty and hunger in the US, ending gender-based violence, and protecting the funding of social service programs within the annual Congressional budget & appropriations. Currently, Jihad is the Co-Chair of the Interreligious Working Group for Domestic Human Needs (DHN) and a Board member of the Coalition on Human Needs (CHN), two of the leading domestic focused advocacy coalitions in Washington, DC. Previously, Jihad worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Legislative Assistant focused on education and anti-poverty policies. During his time on Capitol Hill, he served as the Programs & Outreach Coordinator for the Congressional Muslim Staff Association (CMSA). Jihad has earned graduate degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Education and Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. In 2005, Jihad was a Summer Fellow with the Muslim Public Service Network (MPSN) in Washington, DC, while he completed his graduate school required internship at the AARP's Office of Diversity & Inclusion. In 2008, he was a recipient of the inaugural American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute (AMCLI) Fellowship at the University of Southern California.