Yes, the chances that Abid Qureshi - who, according to advocacy groups, would be the first Muslim US federal judge - will be confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate in the remaining months of Barack Obama's presidency are virtually nonexistent.

And, yes, by putting Qureshi's name forward, Obama is clearly inserting himself into and taking sides in the ongoing presidential election campaign. That's because the nomination can and will be viewed in the context of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's controversial statements suggesting that a Hispanic or Muslim judge might be biased in a lawsuit involving him.

Despite those reasons, Obama was right to go ahead with the nomination.

Long time coming

First, Obama was right because it is overdue for US Muslims to be represented in the federal judiciary. As detailed by The Guardian recently, there is currently not a single Muslim among the more than 700 US federal judges.

Second, because it serves as an important sign to US Muslims that, Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric notwithstanding, they remain an integral part of American society.

Third, because the nomination of a Pakistani-born lawyer as a federal judge is an important reminder for Muslims worldwide that, though the US is fighting terrorist groups such as the "Islamic State," it is not hostile to Muslims at home or abroad.

And, fourth, because sometimes purely symbolic acts can be important in politics; this is one of those times.