Dive Summary:
- University of California-Berkeley student government leader Sadia Saifuddin was approved by the UC Board of Regents Wednesday as the board's first Muslim student regent.
- Saifuddin's nomination did face strong opposition from Jewish and pro-Israel groups due to her co-sponsorship as a student government senator of a controversial student resolution calling for the UC system to divest from companies doing business with the Israeli military—the bill ultimately passed but wasn't acted upon by regents.
- Her approval was nearly unanimous, with only Richard Blum abstaining due to concerns over the divisiveness of her nomination and his lack of knowledge regarding her views, and she will serve as regent-designate with no voting rights for the next year until her term begins in July 2014.
From the article:
... But other regents said they thought Saifuddin would be able to represent students of all backgrounds and ethnicities and that her past activism on the divestment issue should not disqualify her from holding a seat on the university’s governing board.
They pointed to her other activities in seeking to improve student life and financial aid and noted she had the support of many Jewish students. ...