THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS - CESD

PREACHERSMiddle East and North AfricaEGYPTabdelkafy, sheikh dr omarAbdelkafy is an Egyptian preacher and da’wa practitioner. He is very well-respected by his peers asa Hafiz of the Qur’an (one who has memorized the entire Qur’an). He is also the director of theQur’anic Studies Centre at the Dubai International Holy Qur’an Award. As well as working in hisnative Egypt, he travels abroad to help Muslim communities, working specifically with the Muslimcommunity in Canada.IRAQkubaisi, sheikh dr ahmedKubaisi is a very popular Sunni cleric and preacher in Iraq, who preaches for the end of foreignoccupation in Iraq and the institution of an Islamic state. To this end he is a spokesperson of theSunni Ulema Council, an important association of Sunni Muslim scholars in Iraq. Kubaisi leadsprayers that are televised worldwide from the state mosque of Abu Dhabi.SUDANel bashir, his excellency dr issamEl Bashir is the secretary general of the International Moderation Centre (IMC) in Kuwait. TheIMC is an organization set up by the Higher Committee for the Promotion of Moderation ofthe Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs; its aim is to promote Islamic moderationdomestically and around the world. The center has worked with communities in Britain andRussia, among other places, to promote moderation among the extremist elements of their Muslimpopulation. Locally it trains over 700 imams at a time with a focus on practices of moderation.al turabi, hassan abdallahAl Turabi is a Sudanese religious leader. He is widely regarded as a moderate and uses Islamicteachings to foster social development. Al Turabi is an advocate for women’s rights, and believesMuslim fundamentalists place prohibitions above social development. He has recently stated thatSudanese president Omar Al Bashir should give himself up to the International Criminal Courtfor the sake of Sudan.West AfricaNIGERIAkatsina, sheikh yakubu musa [new]Sheikh Yakubu Musa Katsina is a popular preacher in Nigeria. He is also the leader of the Izalarevivalist sect in Katsina. The Izala, or Jama’at Izalatil Bidiawa Iqamatus Sunnah (MovementAgainst Negative Innovations and for Orthodoxy) is an activist Sufi brotherhood which calls fora return to the practices of the Prophet Muhammad and a true practice of Islam. Hailing fromKatsina, the predominantly Muslim city in northern Nigeria, Sheikh Katsina is outspoken againstcorruption in the country.AsiaINDIAnaik, dr zakirAbdul-Karim Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik is an Indian public intellectual teaching about Islam. Hehosts huge public events where he speaks on Islam, highlighting misconceptions and promoting127