Nihad Awad, born in 1964 in the Al-Wehdat Palestinian refugee camp in Amman, Jordan, is a prominent Palestinian-American activist and co-founder and national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organizations in the United States, established in 1994. Raised in Jordan, he attended Second Amman Preparatory School for Boys and Salaheddine High School before moving to Italy and later to the United States for higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota in the 1990s. He briefly worked at the University of Minnesota Medical Center.

Following the Gulf War, Awad served as public relations director for the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), a now-defunct organization criticized by groups such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for alleged connections to Hamas, including accusations of providing material support and links to the Holy Land Foundation and Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook. He co-founded CAIR to address Muslim civil rights issues, growing it into a major advocacy organization focused on combating Islamophobia, anti-Muslim discrimination, and critiquing U.S. foreign policy related to Islam, particularly concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict. Awad has been a vocal critic of Israeli policies and an advocate for Palestinian causes.

A key figure in Muslim American advocacy, Awad has publicly condemned hate speech and campaigns by anti-Muslim figures such as Pamela Geller. He has engaged in high-profile meetings with political leaders including Presidents George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore, testified before Congress, participated in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitors Program, and contributed to relief efforts after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Recognized for his civil rights work by organizations like Nike and the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, he has also served on boards including Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN).

Awad's career has been marked by controversy, including allegations of ties to Islamist groups and Hamas. This includes a 1994 statement at Barry University expressing support for Hamas over the PLO and a November 2023 speech at the American Muslims for Palestine convention where he expressed being "happy to see" the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people, drawing widespread criticism. CAIR has faced governmental disavowals, such as the FBI's 2008 cessation of ties due to alleged terrorism links, and has been accused by groups like the ADL of antisemitism and extremism. Awad is frequently targeted by far-right figures for his political activism.