A conservative American newspaper has criticized President Barack Obama's choice for U.S. ambassador to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), suggesting that he is a voice of radical Islam. Rashad Hussain, an American of Indian origin who is Deputy Associate Counsel at the White House, was appointed last week to serve as the U.S. envoy to the 57-member OIC, which is headquartered in Jeddah. In an editorial, The Examiner, a free newspaper owned by super-rich businessman Philip Anschutz, said the selection of 30-year-old, Texas-born Rashad Hussain was a matter of concern as he was involved with a radical Islamic body. It also pointed out that Hussain is Hafiz-ul-Quran. The newspaper noted that the OIC's charter makes clear its purpose is to "defend" and "disseminate" the Muslim faith. Whenever human rights collide with Islam, the OIC sides with the latter. "Hussain's Muslim beliefs appear to go quite beyond merely knowing Quranic verses," The Examiner said, noting he has "a long history of participating in activities connected with the Muslim Brotherhood, a major organizational and theological wellspring for radical Jihadists who seek to impose Shariah law on America and the rest of the world". It added, "Among the most disturbing elements of Shariah law are its sanctions for killing apostates (i.e., those who leave the Muslim religion), suppression of speech by individuals and organizations that is critical of Islam, criminalization of adultery and homosexuality (including provision of the death penalty for both), 'nonviolent' wife beating, and lying to advance Muslim interests. Clearly, there is no room in Shariah law for the core principles ingrained in the U.S. Constitution and embodied in the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech, assembly, petition and religion. "So the question for Obama is this: How can Hussain be a forceful advocate to OIC and other international forums on behalf of individual rights that are most brutally and routinely suppressed by Islamic regimes like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran? Or is this no longer a topic American diplomats are allowed to bring up on the world stage?"