Jordan center names Pak Prime Minister ‘Man of Year’

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been declared as "Man of the year" from the Muslim world, by the Jordan based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, official said.

"Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre named Prime Minister Imran Khan as 'Man of the Year' in its recent list of the most persuasive Muslims in the World," Pakistan government tweeted on its official twitter account on Tuesday.

In its latest edition "The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims, 2020" the center also named American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib as “Woman of the Year".

Abdallah Schleifer, who is chief editor of "The Muslim 500" project, while declaring Khan as "Man of the year", wrote that his quest for peace with neighboring India and his philanthropist work entitled him for the honor.

Schleifer is Professor Emeritus of Journalism at the American University in Cairo.

He added that he was impressed by Khan, launching a successful fund-raising campaign to establish a hospital devoted to treat cancer victims and research.

Recalling Khan’s first address to the nation as prime minister in August 2018, the author said he genuinely wanted to normalize relations through trade, and settling the Kashmir dispute with India.

"Khan also wrote three letters to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for dialogue and lasting peace. Modi did not respond," Schleifer noted.

The center also declared the US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, as the most prominent “Muslim Woman of the Year”.

"American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, Michigan) is this year’s Muslim 500 Woman of the Year," the center announced.

She is the first Palestinian-American woman elected to the American Congress, as member of the House of Representatives, Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre said.

The center also included other top 50 influential Muslims personalities in its edition. They are Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al-Thani, President Joko Widodo President of Indonesia, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, King Mohammed VI King of Morocco and others.