The State of Virginia in the United States (US) has decided to appoint the first Muslim minister of Pakistani descent to take over the state’s education portfolio.

Atif Qarni took oath of office on the Holy Quran to become the secretary of education, according to reports.

A video on social media shows the new minister performing the constitutional oath to office on the Holy Quran in front of the governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, on Monday.

According to the Richmond Times, the Muslim American is the first Muslim to receive a ministerial post.

“It’s important that we have a state education secretary who understands the curriculum and classes from kindergarten to high school and has a vision of how to develop education,” Northam State Governor said on the occasion.

Born in Karachi in 1978, Qarni immigrated to the US with his family at age 10 and grew up in Parkville, Maryland, before moving to Manassas, Virginia in 2005.