09 October 2001

Muslim-American Named to Texas Task Force on Homeland Security

By Susan Domowitz
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Texas Governor Rick Perry has named Dr. Amanullah Khan, a physician from Dallas, to the newly formed Texas Task Force on Homeland Security. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Task Force was established to examine security measures along the Texas coastline and make recommendations to the governor.

Dr. Khan, a Dallas oncologist, has been active in the American Muslim Council, the Texas Board of Health, the Association of Pakistani Physicians, and the Scientific Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He was tapped for the Task Force to join other prominent Texans, including former FBI Director William Sessions. Dr. Khan's professional expertise in public health matters will contribute significantly to the task force.

In an interview with the Washington File, Dr. Khan said he felt honored to be on the task force. "I'm an American, and have been a practicing physician here for over 30 years. We each contribute a unique perspective," he said. "The mosaic of different cultures is what America is all about, what makes it a great country. On this task force, in addition to my professional skills, I can be a liaison between cultures."

"There are no known credible terrorist threats against Texas but we must be prepared; we must be vigilant," Texas Governor Perry said in a press release. "We cannot risk being complacent."

The Texas Task Force will coordinate efforts with local, state and federal offices, including the federal Office of Homeland Security created by President Bush and headed by former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.

Arab Americans and American Muslims are increasingly active in American public and political life, at local, state and national levels. Governor Perry's appointment of a prominent Muslim American to the Texas Task Force on Homeland Security is one of many examples of Arab American and American Muslim contributions to American life.

However, given the extreme importance assigned to homeland security in the current state of affairs, Dr. Khan's recent appointment assumes an added prominence and, as some would put it, shows how Muslims and others are broadening their integration into the fabric of American society.