Who are Ismail Royer and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf? Donald Trump's controversial 'jihadist' appointments to Religious Liberty Commission

US President Donald Trump on Friday appointed Ismail Royer and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf to the White House’s newly formed Advisory Board of Lay Leaders under the Religious Liberty Commission.

The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny from critics like conservative commentator Lara Loomer, who alleges both appointees have had ties to extremist ideologies and ‘jihadist’ activities in the past.

The White House’s official statement describes Royer as director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team at the Religious Freedom Institute, highlighting his advocacy work and promotion of interfaith peace.

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf is presented as a respected Islamic scholar and co-founder of Zaytuna College, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States, with long-standing academic involvement, including as an advisor at Berkeley’s Center for Islamic Studies.

However, their appointments have sparked criticism due to their alleged past associations.

Who is Ismail Royer?

• Born Randall Todd Royer, Ismail Royer converted to Islam in 1992.
  
• He studied under traditional Islamic scholars and later engaged with multiple Muslim advocacy groups.
  
• However, Royer’s past includes a dark chapter, in 2004, he pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the so-called “Virginia Jihad Network.”
  
• According to a US department of justice statement, Royer admitted to aiding others in attending a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) training camp in Pakistan, where recruits were trained to engage in militant activities.
  
• He also acknowledged helping a co-defendant train in rocket-propelled grenade use in connection with a plot to fight the Indian army in Jammu and Kashmir.
  
• He served 13 years before being released in 2017 and has since publicly distanced himself from violent extremism, focusing on religious freedom work.
  

Who is Shaykh Hamza Yusuf?

• Hamza Yusuf is widely recognised in Western Islamic circles as a proponent of classical Islamic scholarship and interfaith dialogue.
  
• A convert to Islam, he co-founded Zaytuna College in California and has served in various academic and governmental advisory roles, including on the state department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights during the Trump administration.
  
• Despite his mainstream appeal, critics like Lara Loomer have accused Yusuf of downplaying jihadist ideologies and maintaining indirect links with organisations like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, claims he has not directly addressed.
  
• Supporters, however, regard him as a voice of moderation who has consistently condemned extremism and promoted understanding across faiths.

• Additional scrutiny has been directed at Yusuf for past remarks and associations. Two days before the 9/11 attacks, he spoke at a fundraiser in support of Jamil al-Amin, who was later convicted of murdering a police officer, alleged Loomer. During the event, Yusuf reportedly described the US as a racist country and suggested al-Amin was being framed.
  
• He has also been criticised for previously defending Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was convicted in a conspiracy to bomb New York landmarks in the 1990s, claiming the cleric had been unjustly tried.
  
• In a 1996 speech at an ICNA convention—an organisation with alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood—Yusuf characterised the US as “a country that has little to be proud of in its past and less to be proud of in the present.”
  
• Following the 9/11 attacks, Yusuf was reportedly questioned by the FBI over past remarks that were seen as sympathetic to jihadist rhetoric.