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

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DATO' HAJI NIK ABDUL AZIZ NIK MAT
Religious Guide of the Islamic Party of Malaysia
Dato' Haji Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat is a Malaysian politician,
an Islamic scholar and the current chief minister of the State
of Kelantan. He holds the position of Mursyidul Am—the
religious guide—within the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party
(PAS).
Scholarly Influence over Malaysian Politics
As the religious guide of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party,
Nik Mat is the spiritual leader of Malaysian Islamic politics
and holds very important sway over the tenor of politics
in the nation. His advocacy of sharia law to be applied to
all Malay Muslims has, however, drawn criticism, especially his suggestion that women would
be at a lower risk of being raped if they abandoned wearing lipstick.
Political Importance in Malaysia
Nik Abdul Aziz's fundamentalist party has close to one million members and enjoys strong
support from the northern rural and conservative states such as Kelantan and Terengganu.
Nik Mat is the chief minister of the Kelantan state, the only one of Malaysia's thirteen states
that is not ruled by the governing coalition.
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MOTIUR RAHMAN NIZAMI
Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh
Leader of the third largest political party and the largest
Islamic political party in Bangladesh—Jamaat-e-Islami—
Motiur Rahman Nizami has played an active role in pushing
the mission of the organization through political and social
reforms and propagating Islamic educational initiatives.
Political Activist
Nizami is a champion of democratic organization within the
Jamaat-e-Islami as well as in the governance of Bangladesh.
A core principle of the Jamaat-e-Islami is the need for Islam
Country: Malaysia
Date of Birth: 1931
Source of Influence:
Administrative, Political,
Scholarly
Influence: Spiritual leader of
largest Islamic political party in
Malaysia
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni
Country: Bangladesh
Date of Birth: 31 March 1943
Source of Influence: Political,
Administrative
Influence: Political and
religious guide to Bangladesh's
nearly 140 million Muslims
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni
to be the guidepost in politics and the belief that the government should implement Islamic
ideals to maintain the cultural and religious values of Bangladesh.
Humanitarian
Nizami has also been an advocate of educational reforms—following threats to remove religious
education by the new government—as well as calling out instances of state-sponsored terror.
In light of the Jamaat-e-Islami objective to bring peace to Bangladesh, Nizami has called for a
list of immediate needs to be addressed by the government, from adherence to environmental
regulations to shortages in gas, water, and electricity.