King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has topped a list of 500 most influential Muslim personalities in the world. The result was issued by the Royal Center for Islamic Research and Studies in Jordan in its annual report in cooperation with Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at George Town University in the United States. Dr. Abdullah Bin Beeh said this report proves that Westerners care about what is going on in the Muslim world. “This is a positive thing because it focuses on the Muslim world,” he said. This is the second time King Abdullah has topped the list, which also includes Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, 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. 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. They praised his work in initiating the interfaith dialogue, which has created a culture of moderation and tolerance. His balanced policies which support global peace and security have made the Kingdom an important partner in global decision-making process. “King Abdullah has a sharp vision and insight and is very keen on reinforcing solidarity between Muslim countries. He also supports the expectations and ambitions of the Muslim nation,” they added. __
