Temporary blog outage

Posted By Marc Lynch Thursday, November 19, 2009 - 3:37 PM Share

Sorry for not posting for a few days --- it's that time of year for us academics, I've had to attend a few events and give some talks, and now I'm about to hit the road for the Middle East Studies Association annual meeting over the weekend.

If I hadn't been drowning, I had been meaning to post about Lebanon's new government (a power-sharing deal which looks pretty much like what should have happened right after the election only it took almost half a year to get there); KSM in New York (fears that a trial will help al-Qaeda propaganda are so old school -- there have been fundamental changes in AQ's ability to mobilize Arab support, and KSM isn't going to reverse that; Steve Simon does a fantastic job with this here); the Iraqi election law veto (Hashemi's concerns about the representation of refugees and minorities are probably right on the merits, but my goodness that's some bad timing); and the Israeli-Palestinian abyss ('nuff said).

I'll try to post something on some of those topics before I leave, but no promises... and after that, blogging as usual will be subject to the whims of the gods of wireless. Should be back online middle of next week.

In the meantime, you can enjoy this list of the 500 most influential Muslims compiled by Georgetown's Prince Waleed bin Talaal Center. I don't know what methodology they used, but I'd say that a list of the most influential Muslims in the world which includes King Abdullah of Jordan, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, and Sultan Qaboos of Oman in the top 10 probably has some flaws.

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RETIRED

6:36 PM ET

November 19, 2009

The 500....Come On!

Some flaws???? Look at what passes for Arts and Culture!!!! With all the brilliant AND famous people in the Egyptian arts and film, they could only find Ezzat Abu 'Ouf, a TV soap opera actor whose only claim to fame is a presenter at the annual Cairo Film Festival. Short shrift of all the REALLY influential people in film and the arts across the Muslim world. Iranian filmmakers, anyone? Most influential and multi-award winning figure in contemporary architecture, with buildings on four continents, the Egyptian Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil? Where is Orhan Pamuk?

Equally revealing is the section on Science and Technology which listed almost no scientists or technical innovators, per se, but a lot of writers and entrepreneurs. Surely A.Q. Khan and Ahmed Zuwail aren't the only noteworthy scientists. To include Turkey's most infamous creationist AND scoundrel, Haroun Yahyia, is going too far except perhaps backwards. Peace mediators? Where are Selim Ahmed Salim or Ladkhar Ibrahimi. Oh, and someone should also inform them that Baitullah Meshud is dead.

There is no sign of criteria or methodology. Influential with whom? Only among Muslims? Inside their respective countries only? With the international community? Are they supposed to be influential AND Muslim? How "Muslim" must they be? I'm surprised and disappointed that a serious academic institution put this together.

DOT

4:59 AM ET

November 20, 2009

And you had better believe

And you had better believe that the news that Sultan Qaboos made the top ten list quickly circulated around the country!

What do we mean by influential? is a very important question. If influential is setting a country on a path to rapid modernization in 40 years while maintaining neutrality in a region full of strife, perhaps HM deserves his place on the list!

Regionally, versus these domestic developments, of course he has no clout.

- Dot in Oman

JONATHAN WRIGHT

11:04 AM ET

November 20, 2009

Influential Muslims

Err, how about Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri? For better or for worse, they must be more influential than the supine Arab monarchs who dominate the top of this list.

JANBEKSTER

4:12 PM ET

November 20, 2009

I would advocate...

a study on the least influential Muslims for a change. And are they so, because there are 500 influential Muslims among 1.3 billion?.

khairi janbek.paris/france

RETIRED

5:28 PM ET

November 20, 2009

A Counter-List Anyone?

First, some ideas off the top of my head: I'd remove the bad guys, they already generate sufficient press.

As for the Arab leaders, I'd only put in a one liner about the "members of the UAE and Qatar ruling families [men and women alike]" that have supported substantive innovations in education and the arts and culture, some of it with region-wide impact. The others are "powerful" domestically in the repressive sense, but not a positive "influence." Turkey is different, though I think Erdogan is enough.

I'd forgo the clerics who are state officials except the [Saudi] AaL Es-Sheikh for lack of influence outside their countries and all the others on the list by virtue of their positions, not contributions. Lineage shouldn't play a role. The Agha Khan, for instance, has made his name through his charitable, cultural and business achievements. The Sufi leaders do have constituencies that are transnational and exert very great influence over their followers.

The arts should be fully covered, from classical to pop. [The Egyptian actor] Adel Imam and [Indian actress] Shabana Azmi have been famous for decades, known as activists for various causes that are also reflected in their films. Painters, musicians, singers, writers, filmmakers. [Sufi or Sufi-inspired music should both be included along with the purely secular.]

I can think of few people who have had as direct a capacity to influence the views of Arab publics regarding political and social realities over the past 60-70 years as [TV writer, director] Osama Anwar Okasha, through such iconic series as "Layali Hilmiyya." Al-Waleed bin Talal himself should be included for his ability to shape the tastes and values of Arab youth via his sat TV stations that concentrate on either pop music or moderate religon. Let's not forget [Al Jazeera "Opposite Direction" moderator] Faisal al-Qassem for his innovation in TV discussion format and breaking taboos.

Finally, on Muslim Americans, I can't think of anyone who has reached the positions of influence in any administration that Zalmay Khalilzad has [regardless what you think of his work.]

FYI: Daoud Kuttab is not a Muslim and some names are double listed.

Anyone else? What are your suggestions?