Sameerah Munshi, the only Muslim woman on the White House Commission on Religious Freedom, has resigned. Munshi made the announcement on social media, saying she was resigning because of the injustices and atrocities of the Donald Trump administration at home and abroad.
In a detailed note, Munshi said two recent events led her to resign. That includes the removal of Carrie Prejean Boller, the former Miss California who was fired from the Justice Department’s Religious Freedom Commission last month for “hijacking” hearings on anti-Semitism to further a “personal and political agenda.”
Munshi also said she was concerned about the “illegal war against Iran, waged by the Trump administration without clear authorization from the Constitution or Congress.”
Appointed by Trump in 2025
Munshi, a prominent Muslim activist, was appointed in 2025 as an adviser to President Donald Trump’s Commission on Religious Freedom at the White House.
She noted that even though members of the commission mocked her for her faith, she hesitantly accepted the appointment in order to remain a voice of reason and stand up for the religious freedom of ordinary Americans.
“Americans are against this war”
Munshi lashed out at the Trump administration over the ongoing war in Iran, accusing the government of unlawfully killing children and civilians at the behest of Israel, which she called a “genocidal state.”
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“Not only does the American public oppose this aggression, but our tax dollars fund the very violence we oppose, both against innocent Palestinians and now against the Iranians. Their actions make it painfully clear that this administration has no regard for constitutional protections of free speech and religious freedom, or for a detailed description of the forces of war,” she said.
Munshi also made it clear that she is not resigning out of fear or intimidation by anyone.
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“I am resigning because I have seen with my own eyes the injustice committed by the members of this commission and I do not want to be associated with it any longer. I have seen this corrupt, dangerous administration’s disrespect for American citizens and innocent lives, and I am not willing to be associated with it any longer. I support America on Israel, and that unfortunately means I cannot support Trump or this administration.”
What the polls say
Meanwhile, the US-Israeli attack on Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury, is in its 14th day. Notably, most polls to date have shown that a majority of Americans oppose military action against Iran.
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Public opinion polls, including polls by the AP, Gallup and others, in the lead-up to the conflict and in the first week of the first week of the military operation, showed that more Americans opposed the war than those who supported it.
Death toll in Iran
According to Iranian authorities, more than 1,300 civilians were killed in US-Israeli bombings in the first two weeks of the conflict. That includes the 165 to 180 female students killed last week in an air raid on a school in Minabu.
Iran’s UN representative said at least 1,348 civilians had been killed in the country.
US and Israeli estimates also put the Iranian military death toll at around 3,000 since the conflict began on 28 February.
Key things
- The resignation reflects deepening divisions over US military actions and foreign policy.
- Public opinion is increasingly against a military conflict in Iran, questioning the legality and morality of such actions.
- The story emphasizes the importance of individual conscience and ethics in political appointments and government actions.
