Amman, NU Online
An annual list of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims has appeared, putting focus on the Muslim world in the light of the Arab Spring.

“The achievements of a lifetime are given more weight than achievements within the current year,” the book chief editor Abdallah Schleifer, professor emeritus at the American University in Cairo, wrote in his introduction to the report, Reuters reported.

“This means that our lists of names will change gradually, rather than dramatically, year-on-year.”

The Muslim 500: The 500 Most Influential Muslims 2011, the third list in this series started in 2009 by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman.

The report is issued annually in cooperation with Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at George Town University in the United States.

Topping the list as the most influential Muslim in the world is Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz, the custodian of the two Holy Mosques.

He was followed by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI as No.2.

The report said the Arab Spring had no impact on Abdullah’s influence, had boosted Mohammed’s and had no effect on Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan who came in third place.

Fourth and fifth places in the list went to Jordan’s King Abdullah and Iran’s Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Sheikh Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayeb, and prominent Islamic scholar Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi who is President of Global Association of Muslim Scholars, also made it to the top 10 ranks.

Praise

The new ranking was praised by Saudi officials are proving that Westerners care about what is going on in the Muslim world.

“This is a positive thing because it focuses on the Muslim world,” Dr. Abdullah Bin Beeh told The Saudi Gazette.

Putting king Abdullah on the top ranking, the Saudi king was also praised for his work in supporting Islamic work and solving Muslim issues.

The international acknowledgment for king Abdullah is not the first.

Forbes Magazine recently listed him as the sixth out of 70 influential personalities in the world.

It chose King Abdullah for his unique leadership qualities and his social, political and economic reforms.

It praised his decision to grant women the right to be members in the Shoura Council, to vote and nominate themselves for municipal councils.

Senior officials in Islamic organizations also praised King Abdullah for his work in supporting Islamic work and solving Muslim issues.

“The Muslim nation respects King Abdullah as a sagacious political leader, a pioneer of inter-civilizations dialogue and advocate of fairness,” they said.

Initiating the interfaith dialogue, which has created a culture of moderation and tolerance, the Saudi king’s balanced policies which support global peace and security have made the Kingdom an important partner in global decision-making process, the report said.

“King Abdullah has a sharp vision and insight and is very keen on reinforcing solidarity between Muslim countries,” they added.

“He also supports the expectations and ambitions of the Muslim nation.” (dar)