Shaw to chair Muslim affairs group

State Sen. Larry Shaw will chair the nation's leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy group.

The Fayetteville Democrat was named today as the new chairman of the board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, where he has served as a member for the past three years.

A seven-term state senator, Shaw was the highest-ranking Muslim public official in the United States until 2006. 

In a statement, he said he looked forward to partnering with the Obama administration to promote "pluralistic values." 

"In carrying out our mission of promoting justice and mutual understanding, we honor and will continue to learn from groups who have faced similar challenges, including African-Americans, Asian-Americans and many others," he said.

CAIR has 35 offices and chapters in the United States and Canada.