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

Mohammad Mahdi Akef became Supreme Guide
of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2004. He has since
actively led the largest Islamic political party in
Egypt, arranging mass protests criticizing the conflict
in Gaza, and demanding an apology from the Pope
during his trip to Jordan, among other things; all in
the face of mounting criticism of the Brotherhood's
beliefs and practices.
Leader of an Expansive Muslim Network
Akef heads the oldest and largest Muslim social,
religious, and political organization in existence.
The Muslim Brotherhood forms the leading opposition party in many Muslim countries
and has branches in most of the Muslim world, besides its base in Egypt. Members of
the organization are found in Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, Sudan, Somalia, Tunisia, and Libya, as well as the United States.
In his five years leading the Muslim Brotherhood, Akef has constantly spoken out against
injustices against Muslims in Egypt and other countries. In May 2009, Akef made a public
statement about the need for Egypt to acknowledge gratefulness for Hasan Nasrallah's
support of the Palestinian resistance.
Head of a Leading Islamic Reform Movement
Akef distinguishes himself and the Brotherhood through a distinctive take on Islamic
law, stating that apostasy should not be punishable, rather permitted as a freedom to
all Muslims. With a firm belief that constitutional reform is possible in Egypt, Akef
encourages Muslims to be more proactive in staking their claims to a more representative
and more Islamic government. Akef has often pushed for the Muslim Brotherhood's
mission of political activism and economic development in Muslim countries as an
internal process, without the interference of foreign entities. He openly criticized the US
'Greater Middle East Initiative' by presenting a counter proposal in 2006 of political and
economic reforms promoted by the Brotherhood—it has been popularly seen in Egypt
as more valid than the US proposal.
What makes the Muslim Brotherhood and Akef 's work distinct and far more influential
than other Islamic political parties is the emphasis on making faith a guidepost in all
political endeavors and, importantly, neither a hindrance to political progress nor a
deficiency. This has been both a source of massive support, but also criticism—critics saw
that the use of 'Islam is the Solution' as a campaign slogan took away from its legitimacy
as a political organization.
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MohaMMad Mahdi akef
Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood
Country: Egypt
Date of Birth: 12 July 1928
Source of Influence:
Administrative, Political,
International Islamic Networks
Influence: Leader of a transnational
movement in Egypt and across the
Middle East, Africa, the UK, and US
School of Thought: Sunni, Muslim
Brotherhood