THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS - CESD

Developmenta founding member of a microfinancing organization aimed at Muslim and indigenous women—the Muslim Professional and Business Women’s Association of the Philippines. As a foundingmember of the Magbassa Kita Foundation, she was responsible for raising $2 million to fund thefoundation’s program for literacy in the Muslim and indigenous communities.THAILANDsabur, m abdusSabur is the secretary general and co-founder of the Asian Resource Foundation and the AsianMuslim Action Network. He is also co-director of the School of Peace Studies and ConflictTransformation in Bangkok. In the nineties Sabur served as coordinator of the Asian CulturalForum on Development (ACFOD). He has edited a number of publications on peace anddialogue in Southeast Asia including Understanding Human Rights: Perspectives from SouthAsia, Interfaith Conference on the Culture of Peace, Globalization and Asian Perspectives for anAlternative Development and Towards Peace in Multi-Ethnic Asia.EuropeBELARUSkanapatsky, ibragimKanapatsky is the deputy chairman of the Islamic Association of Belarus. The Islamic Associationis currently developing the infrastructure for Muslim communities in Belarus, building a mosquein Minsk, as well as renovating the ancient mosque in Smilovichi and the Muslim cemeteries thatexist throughout the country.BOSNIAmahmutcehajic, his excellency prof. dr rusmirMahmutcehajic is the president of the International Forum Bosnia, and a former vice presidentof Bosnia-Herzegovina. He has been incredibly important in efforts to heal the ethnic, religiousand social divisions that happened as a result of the Bosnian War in the mid-1990s. His projectsare some of the most successful at producing real healing between communities. He works in hishometown of Stolac, which is one of the most deeply divided towns in Bosnia.BULGARIAhadzhi, his eminence mustafa alishHadzhi is Bulgaria’s chief mufti. Bulgaria has recently been referred to as ‘Istanbulgaria’ because ofthe importance of Turkish-Bulgarian relations. Hadzhi is important as the leader of the Muslimcommunity in a predominantly Christian state with a large influx of Muslims. Bulgaria’s mufti,Mustafa Alish Hadzhi, has recently been in the news because of a decision to prevent the buildingof a new mosque; he is taking the case to the EU.FINLANDismail, atikIsmail is a famous former professional footballer and a Tatar community leader in the city ofKuopio, Finland. He regularly speaks on television to explain the indigenous brand of Islam ofhis Tatar community, and debate exponents of more radical interpretations of Islam. He is wellreceivedby the Finnish public who can identify with him.ITALYqaddorah, jamal [new]Qaddorah is a representative of Italy’s largest trade union CGIL. In 2010, he helped to organize the‘A Day Without Us’ immigrant rally across Italy. The strike drew well over 20,000 participants andhelped to highlight the important role that immigrants play in the Italian economy. A significantportion of immigrants come to Italy from countries such as Nigeria, Morocco, and Bangladeshand make up about 8 percent of the labour force there.146