THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS - CESD

Arts and CultureUNITED KINGDOMabdalla, khalid [new]Khalid Abdallah is a British actor acclaimed for his performances in the award-winning film‘United 93’ and the film adaptation of ‘The Kite Runner’ in which he played the lead role. He is anincreasingly influential Muslim actor, most recently starring in the Universal Pictures production,‘Green Zone’ (2010).islam, yusufFormerly known as Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam is a globally influential British musician andsinger-songwriter. In 1977, he converted to Islam and left the music industry for educational andphilanthropic causes. His international fame and high-regard has made him probably the singlemost influential figure in the field of arts and culture in the Muslim world. In the past five years hehas made a gradual return to music with his latest albums ‘An Other Cup’ and ‘Roadsinger’. Islamis a vocal opponent of terrorism and extremism and in 2004 was recognized with the Man of Peaceaward by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Committee.sanders, peterSanders is a notable photographer and convert to Islam. He was granted exclusive privileges tophotograph Hajj pilgrimage rituals in 1971, and subsequently has become an influential figurein photography as author of In the Shade of the Tree, A Visit to A Prophet, and other books thatdisplay his exploration of the Muslim world.yusuf, samiSami Yusuf is a superstar in the Muslim music industry. He is an internationally popular Britishsinger-songwriter whose music has revolutionized the nasheed industry. Yusuf’s music is mostlycomprised of Islamic themes—about being a Muslim in today’s world. He is also known for hisextensive involvement in charity work. His songs enjoy a broad appeal with all age groups in manyparts of the Muslim world and in Europe and North America.South AmericaGUYANAshah, ryhaanRyhaan Shah is considered among the best contemporary writers in Guyana and the Caribbean,best known for her 2005 novel A Silent Life. Shah is also an active public figure as the president ofthe Guyanese Indian Heritage Association.North AmericaCANADAnawaz, zarqaZarqa Nawaz is a journalist and filmmaker who produced the award-winning Canadian sitcom‘Little Mosque on the Prairie’, a comedy about a Muslim family living in Saskatchewan which hasrun for 4 seasons and may be adopted by FOX as a series in the US. Nawaz owns a company calledFUNdamentalist Films that produces films about Muslims living in North America.UNITED STATESmehdi, anisa [new]Currently a Fulbright Scholar in Amman, Jordan, Anisa Mehdi is an Emmy Award-winningjournalist and filmmaker who is noted for her National Geographic documentary ‘InsideMecca.’ Mehdi’s work has been featured on major media outlets. She is the founding president ofWhetstone Productions, and continues to work on documentary film making in the Middle East,while focusing on religion and the arts.159