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

ARTS AND CULTURE
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
EGYPT
abo auf, dr ezzat
Abo Auf is president of the Cairo International Film Festival. A successful actor and co-host of the
highly popular on-air talk show ‘Cairo Today’. Abo Auf is also an accomplished musician, having
played with some of today’s most celebrated Egyptian musicians.
IRAN
abedini, reza
Reza Abedini is an Iranian designer and a professor of Graphic Design and Visual Culture at
Tehran University. He has won dozens of national and international design awards, including the
2006 Principal Prince Claus Award in recognition of his personal creativity.
nazeri, shahram
Shahram Nazeri is a world famous icon of classical Persian, folkloric Kurdish and Sufi music.
Hailed as ‘Iran’s Pavarotti’ by the Christian Science Monitor, Nazeri has released over 40 recordings
to date and has performed in major venues worldwide.
IRAQ
al baghdadi, abbas shakir al fattal
Abbas Shakir al Fattal al Baghdadi is one of the world’s foremost exponents of Islamic calligraphy.
He was born in 1951 in Baghdad. Al Baghdadi is distinguished in his career as a calligrapher and
teacher of calligraphy. He adheres strictly to the rules of classical calligraphy and is adverse to
‘modern calligraphy’, especially when its practitioners do not master the art in its traditional form.
He is well known for the balance, clarity and readability of his works.
JORDAN
al meheid, minwer
Minwer al Meheid is director of the College of Traditional Arts and Sciences at Balqa University
in Amman, Jordan, which trains students in traditional arts. The College's influence is starting
to show as wealthy Muslims and others from countries beyond Jordan have commissioned work
from its craftsmen. He has been prominent for leading the recreation of the famous Minbar of
Salahuddin from old photographs and actual remains.
LEBANON
assaf, roger
Roger Assaf is a convert to Shi’ism. He is a prominent Lebanese director, actor and playwright.
With his actress wife Hanane Hajj-Ali, he co-founded Al Hakawati (Storyteller) Theatre Company
and the Shams Cultural Cooperative for Youth in Theatre and Culture, an organization providing
underprivileged individuals with a forum for self-expression through drama.
MOROCCO
buhairi, muhammad ahmad
Muhammad Buhairi is a prominent Moroccan calligrapher distinguished in the Middle East, and
globally, for his skill. He studied at the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, in Turkey, where he
received his ijaza (certification) in khat (script). He has been working at the Institute of Traditional
Islamic Art & Architecture in Amman, Jordan.
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