the 500 most influential muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...

He is well known for his liberal Islamic stance on politics, and is incredibly influential as a leader
and role model for young people.
MALAYSIA
mohammad, his excellency dr mahathir
Mohammad was Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister and has been credited with engineering
Malaysia’s rapid modernization and spearheading the phenomenal growth of the Malaysian
economy. Mahathir is known for his outspoken attitude towards the West, especially the US, and
was highly critical of George Bush’s actions against Iraq.
PAKISTAN
ahsan, barrister chaudhry aitzaz
Ahsan has been a vocal opponent of President Pervez Musharraf’s rule. When Musharraf dismissed
the head of the Supreme Court in March 2007, Ahsan led the legal challenge to reinstate the chief
justice. He organized a protest of thousands of lawyers. Today, he is a senior member of the Pakistan
Peoples Party (the largest political party in Pakistan), formerly led by Benazir Bhutto, and is one of
the country’s most recognizable politicians.
kayani, general ashfaq
Kayani is the Pakistan Army’s Chief of Staff. He has immense influence as the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan’s leading military figure. He has particular influence currently as the country undergoes
continued unrest with significant amounts of power in the hands of non-government-controlled
militia, and the federal government finds ways to regain control.
PHILIPPINES
misuari, nur
Nur Misuari is a revolutionary leader of the Bangsamoro and began his campaign for better treatment
of the people of Mindanao by the Manila government through the Mindanao Independence
Movement (MIM) in the 1970s, which later became the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Under Misuari’s leadership, the MNLF challenged the government until the Tripoli Agreement was
negotiated in 1976.
SINGAPORE
rasheed, his excellency zainul abidin
Rasheed is the Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for Singapore and the mayor of the
North Eastern district of Singapore. Rasheed’s activities have a focus on Singapore’s diplomatic
relations with the Muslim world, and also on sharing knowledge about Singapore’s experience of
inter-cultural and inter-religious relations with nations with substantial Muslim populations. He is
widely known domestically, having held numerous positions of leadership throughout his career:
in journalism, in organized labor and representing Singapore’s large percentage of Muslims.
THAILAND
pitsuwan, his excellency dr surin
Pitsuwan is the secretary general of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a
former foreign minister of Thailand. He is an advocate for better relations with Muslims in South
East Asia, speaking out against the marginalization of Muslim communities. ASEAN is one of the
most important international organizations in the world, coordinating the economies and politics
of some of the fastest growing middle-income economies in the world.
TURKMENISTAN
berdimuhamedow, his excellency president gurbanguly mälikgulyýewiç
Berdimuhamedow has been the president of Turkmenistan since 21 December 2006. In April 2007,
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POLITICAL