President Barack Obama appointed Rashad Hussain as the U.S. special envoy to the Muslim world. Hussain will be representing the U.S. in the 56-member Organization of Islamic Conferences. Hussain, a second generation Indian American Muslim, was already serving as the Deputy Associate Counsel to the President. The appointment of Hussain is a small, but important step in the right direction to restoring America’s standing in the Muslim world. The U.S. has a serious credibility problem in the Middle East and restoring it requires not only military power, but soft power as well. Obama beginning his speech with “Asalam Alaykum,” and appointing a Muslim scholar as the U.S. envoy will resonate with the people of the Middle East and increase U.S. soft power.