The Interfaith Alliance board of directors unanimously elected Kile B. Jones and Iqbal Mamdani to the board at its November meeting in Washington, DC. Interfaith Alliance president Rabbi Jack Moline welcomed the new board members and praised their commitment to genuine religious freedom. “As we prepare to stand up for hard-fought rights and freedoms under a new President, I am heartened to have these new board members at my side,” said Moline.

Kile B. Jones has been an atheist and interfaith activist, writer and speaker for the past decade. He holds two Masters degrees from Boston University and a Certificate in Science and Religion from Boston Theological Institute. Jones has been widely published in the fields of philosophy and religion and is the founder of “Interview an Atheist at Church Day,” among other projects. He lives in Arizona and blogs at Patheos and FeminismandReligion.com.

Iqbal Mamdani is a banker and entrepreneur whose career spans five decades and multiple continents. He founded TAIB Bank, Bahrain’s first investment bank, in 1979 and then oversaw a global expansion. Mamdani currently serves as chair of First Asian Investments and the Mamdani Foundation and recently joined the board of Auburn Seminary. Mamdani, who is Muslim, lives in New York and Florida.

“Jones and Mamdani will make our board stronger and more diverse,” said Interfaith Alliance board chair Helio Fred Garcia. “We are thrilled they are joining us at what will prove to be a pivotal moment for the organization, and our country.”

Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.