AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Amir Makled, a Lebanese-origin civil rights lawyer in the city of Dearborn, was elected to the University of Michigan Board of Regents in the November 3 elections in the US state of Michigan and entered this board as the first Muslim. Makled, along with Paul Brown, the incumbent member and Democratic Party candidate, won the two contested seats in these elections, and the Republican candidates, Michael Shostak and Lena Epstein, failed to enter the Board of Regents.
Paul Brown with 27.2 percent of the votes and Amir Makled with 25.5 percent of the votes took the first positions. Makled's election is important in that for the first time a Muslim enters the Board of Regents of this university; an issue that had previously been raised in his conversation with the Arab American News newspaper within the framework of the necessity of the presence of Arab Americans and Muslims in the university's decision-making structure.
Makled, who heads the "Hall Makled" law office in Dearborn, works in areas such as civil rights litigation, personal injury, and criminal defense. He received his bachelor's degree in finance in 2009 from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and his law degree in 2012 from Wayne State University. Legal defense of pro-Palestine students is also among the records that played a role in shaping his election campaign. Makled believed that winning legal cases alone is not enough to resolve disputes related to university policies and disciplinary treatment of students, and presence on the Board of Regents provides the possibility of direct participation in decisions related to these issues.
It is worth noting that the members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents are elected by direct vote of the state's people, and their term of office is eight years; in such a way that two seats are put to a vote in alternating election cycles each time. This board plays a role in important university decisions, including setting tuition, approving major contracts, appointing senior managers, and overseeing the "Michigan Medicine" healthcare system. Makled's election has taken place in circumstances where the cost of higher education, freedom of expression, and the accountability of universities are among the topics of discussion in the state of Michigan; therefore, the presence of the first Muslim member on this board can provide the ground for greater participation of a representative from the Muslim community in decisions affecting students, staff, and patients.
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