Asad Kamal Mohammed Abdullah al-Hashemi was an Iraqi politician and Culture Minister in the government of Nouri al-Maliki.
al-Hashemi is a Sunni Arab Iraqi who is a professor of Islamic studies.
al-Hashemi was appointed as Culture Minister in May 2006 as one of six members from the Iraqi Accord Front.
[1] His appointment was criticised by artists and intellectuals in Baghdad who said he wasn't qualified for the position.
[2] In June 2007 a warrant was issued for Hashemi's arrest, accusing him of ordering the attempted assassination of the Sunni Arab Iraqi politician, Mithal al-Alusi, in February 2005.