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

ISSUES OF THE DAY
HOUTHI REBELLION
YEMEN
houthi, abdul-malik
Houthi is the leading figure in an insurgency in Sadah province in northern Yemen which has
been continuing from 2004 to the present day. The uprising has been called the Houthi Rebellion
due to his leadership. The Zaidi community comprises around half of the population of Yemen,
concentrated in the north. In traditional Zaidi religious belief if there is no clear leader for the
Zaidi community a Caliph can emerge through armed struggle. Yemen was formerly under the
control of a Zaidi Caliph; the Zaidi Caliphate ended in 1962. His brothers Yahia Badreddin and
Abdul-Karim are also leaders in the insurgency.
GAZA SIEGE
PALESTINE
haniyah, ismail
Haniyah is a senior political leader of Hamas and one of two disputed prime ministers of the
Palestinian National Authority, the matter being under political and legal dispute. President
Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyah from office on 14 June 2007 at the height of the Fatah-Hamas
conflict, but Haniyah did not acknowledge the decree and continues to exercise prime ministerial
authority in the Gaza Strip. Haniyah was a key figure in Palestinian leadership during the Gaza
siege.
POVERTY
BANGLADESH
yunus, dr muhammad
Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi banker and economist, as well as the founder of Grameen
Bank, and is known for his pioneering efforts in microcredit. He is a founding member of Global
Elders, a group of global leaders dedicated to solving global problems, and serves on the board
of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity. Yunus was awarded the 2006
Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to create economic and social development. His banking is not
strictly sharia compliant since it is based around taking interest, but some commentators have
called it sharia-based because of the pro-poor nature of the bank’s work. He is currently seeking
an endowment to make a sharia compliant micro-credit institution.
HIJAB RIGHTS
BELGIUM
ozdemir, mahinur
Ozdemir is a young politician and Europe’s first hijab-wearing minister of parliament. She was
sworn in to parliament, while wearing a headscarf, in Belgium. The event garnered mass interest in
Turkey, where Merve Kavakçi was denied the right to swear her oath of office because of her hijab.
Ozdemir is of Turkish origin. She is a member of the Francophone Christian Democrat party.
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