The German doctor, born of Jewish parents, accepted Islam in Albania, where he practised. After 1876 Emin Effendi served the Egyptian Government where he was given the title of Pasha. General Gordon appointed him governor of the equatorial province in 1878. Emin Pasha was a linguist and ...

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Well-known ethnic Albanian journalist and head of the Kosovo Information Centre, Pristina, was shot dead near his home by unknown assailants. He was a committed and articulate advocate of the independence of Kosovo.

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Political scientist and peace activist. Eqbal was 'a man of enormous charisma and incorruptible ideals, he was a prodigious talker and lecturer.' He had excellent academic achievements and had formidable knowledge of history. Eqbal travelled all over the world and in the later part ...

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The Albanian political leader who joined the young Turk movement in 1908 and was appointed Deputy for Albania in the Turkish Parliament. During the First World War the French authorities recognised him as head of the Albanian government. An Albanian assassinated him in Paris.

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An Albanian communist leader. Hoxha was born in a Muslim family, and was chosen in 1942 to lead the resistance movement in Italian occupied Albania.

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A US religious leader. Elijah was born a Christian, but after meeting W D Fard, the founder of the 'Nation of Islam', he accepted Islam in 1930. Elijah began advocating black nationalism and by 1970 his movement had a following of up of 250,000 with its own schools, ...

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The West African leader who started a holy war and established an empire. Umar conquered the lands stretching between the head waters of the Niger and Timbuktu. His Tukolor Empire extended up to western Sudan where his family ruled till the last decade of the 19...

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A film producer and business executive. Dodi (also known as) sprang startlingly into prominence as the latest man to become romantically associated with Diana, Princess of Wales. 'Dodi had all the money in the world, but he wanted fame. He died with the most famous ...

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Iraqi politician whose co-operation with the American appointed Iraqi Governing Council cost him his life. Salim spent a lifetime in Iraqi exile before returning home after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. He was in the middle of a month-long stint as acting president ...

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An advocate of political and social reforms in Bahrain. In 1938, Fakhroo was imprisoned for taking part in a protest against the deportation of key nationalist figures to India. Fakhroo was one of the founding members of the first Bahraini National Union Committee (NUC), in 1954, symbolising ...

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Chaabi musician of Algeria A prolific musician and master who reinvigorated the traditional, lute-based chaabi - a music that emerged at the turn of the 20th century in the Algiers casbahs and cafes - el-Hachemi Guerrouabi was well known for weaving themes from traditional love ...

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Turkey's controversial novelist An award-winning novelist who has published her sixth novel, 'The Bastard of Istanbul' (2006) had a brush with the Turkish authority over her novel. This is a deftly spun tale of two families - one Armenian-American and the other Turkish - who are ...

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Iranian vocalist One of the best known female vocalists, whose singing career spanned more than half a century, Elaheh's several performances included the popular National Radio programme. 'Golha', hosted many highly esteemed Iranian vocalists. Her best-known songs include 'Rosvayeh Zamaneh' (Revealed to the World) and ...

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Ebrahim is a South African Muslim who was at the centre of the anti-apartheid struggle. He was imprisoned for fifteen years and tortured, but emerged with a valiant spirit that will serve as an inspiration for years to come. Born in Durban in 1937, he completed ...

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Azerbaijan's 2008 Olympian. He won gold 73kg medal in Judo in Beijing 2008 Olympic. He competed in the last 3 Super World Cup 2008, his most successful year in the championship where he improved from 2nd in 2007 to 1st place in 2008.

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Link to Ottoman dynasty The descendant of the Anatolian ruler, Ertugrul Osman, who might have ruled the Ottoman Empire, but for the establishment of the Turkish Republic, proclaimed in 1923, spent most of his life in an apartment in Manhattan, New York. The Anatolian ruler, Osman ...

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Democracy activist of Iran Opponent of the Shah who ruled Iran until the Islamic revolution of 1979 Ezzatollah Sahabi who was a liberal backed away from what he believed the increasing harsh regime that followed. A socialist and a key figure in the Freedom Movement of ...

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Psychiatrist who fought for rights of Palestinians. The Palestinian psychiatrist, Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, pioneered mental health care in Gaza and was internationally recognised human rights advocate. Rising to prominence during the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli military occupation, in Gaza in the late 1980s, Dr. ...

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Self-proclaimed sultan of Sulu The self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, Esmail Kiram II encouraged a last-ditch, violent effort to regain part of the Malaysian island of Borneo for the Philippines. Though he claimed the title of sultan of Sulu, several other descendants of the original sultan, ...

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