Muslims of Hollywood (Film & TV)

Muhammad Ali beat more champions and top contenders than any heavyweight champion in history. He defeated heavyweight kings Sonny Liston (twice), Floyd Patterson (twice), Ernie Terrell, Jimmy Ellis, Ken Norton (twice), Joe Frazier (twice), George Foreman and Leon Spinks. He defeated light-heavyweight champs Archie Moore and Bob Foster. Ali defeated European heavyweight champions Henry Cooper, Karl Mildenberger, Jürgen Blin, Joe Bugner, Richard Dunn, Jean-Pierre Coopman and Alfredo Evangelista. He defeated British and Commonwealth king Brian London. All of Ali's defeats were by heavyweight champions: Frazier, Norton, Spinks, Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. Ali also beat undefeated fighters Sonny Banks (12-0), Billy Daniels (16-0), 'Rudi Lubbers' (21-0) and George Foreman (40-0).

Date of Birth 10 April 1932, Alexandria, Egypt Date of Death 10 July 2015, Cairo, Egypt (heart attack) Birth Name Michel Demetri Shalhoub Height 5' 11" (1.8 m)

Omar Sharif, the Egyptian actor best known for playing Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and the title role in Doctor Zhivago (1965), was born Michel Demitri Shalhoub on April 10, 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt to Joseph Shalhoub, a lumber merchant, and his wife, Claire (Saada). Of Lebanese and Syrian extraction, the young Michel was raised a Roman Catholic. He was educated at Victoria College in Alexandria and took a degree in mathematics and physics from Cairo University with a major. Afterward graduating from university, he entered the family lumber business

One of the most frightening human beings ever to step into the boxing ring, Mike Tyson was the model of the supreme gladiator - unbeaten and unbeatable. Never before had one individual captured the attention of the wider world via sport except Muhammad Ali. From 1987-1990, he was the undisputed world... What many sports fans don’t know is that this heavy-weight converted to Islam back in 1992

Janet Jackson was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, but she reportedly converted to Islam after marrying Wissam Al Mana in 2013. more ABOUT Age: age 49 Birthplace: USA, Indiana, Gary Profession: Spokesperson, Fashion designer, Record producer, Singer-songwriter, Film Producer + 5 more

Faran Tahir was born in Los Angeles while his parents were studying acting and directing at UCLA Theatre Dept. He comes from a theatre family well-known in Pakistan and India. Both his parents are actors/directors/writers in Pakistan. Faran moved to Los Angeles in 1980, when he was 17 years old. He completed his B.A. from University of California, Berkeley and his graduate degree from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard. He has been nominated and has won many awards for his work in theatre and film

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Urdu: شرمین عبید چنائے‎; born 12 November 1978) is a Pakistani journalist, activist and filmmaker. She is the first Pakistani to win an Academy Award and the first to win twice. She won Academy Awards for her documentaries Saving Face (2012) and A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (2015). After graduating from Stanford University, she launched her career as a filmmaker with her first film Terror's Children for the The New York Times. Her films include Children of the Taliban, The Lost Generation (about Iraqi exiles), Afghanistan Unveiled and the Academy Award-winning Saving Face.[6] Her visual contributions have earned her numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary (2012), and the Emmy Award (2011) and the One World Media Award for Broadcast Journalist of the Year (2007). Her films have been aired on PBS, CNN, the Discovery Channel, Al Jazeera English and Channel 4. She has also won two Emmy Awards, an International Emmy Award for 2010 Current Affairs documentary Pakistan's Taliban Generation[9] and Saving Face.[10] Her Academy Award (Oscar) win for Best Documentary for Saving Face made her the first Pakistani to win an Academy Award, and she is one of only eleven female directors who have ever won an Oscar for a non-fiction film.[14][15][16] She is also the first non-American to win the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. In 2007 she helped found the Citizens Archive of Pakistan, whose projects center around the preservation of Pakistan’s cultural and social heritage. Sharmeen is a TED Fellow and the recipient of Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the second highest civilian award in Pakistan. She also serves as the Ambassador for Blood Safety for Pakistan's national blood safety program. Time magazine named Sharmeen in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2012.

In 2008 as he was working on the NBC drama "Kings," Hollywood screenwriter and author Kamran Pasha received a call from his mother telling him that she wanted to do her Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and as a son it was his duty to accompany her. Reluctant to go, Pasha later wrote on washingtonpost.com that he often had felt "the need to put my career before my faith, missing prayers and even forgoing some of the fasts of Ramadan to focus on my work." But that material success was coming "at the cost of something far more precious—my relationship with God."

With the blessings of his executive producer Michael Green, Pasha went with his mother and discovered that the Prophet Muhammad's life story was "far more remarkable than any of the Hollywood epics I have written." Pasha came back profoundly affected and put his experiences into his work. He spent two seasons as a writer and co-producer on Showtime's drama "Sleeper Cell" and worked on the recently canceled TV series "Kings," a contemporary retelling of the story of the biblical King David. In an interview with Beliefnet, Pasha said, "There aren't many Muslims in Hollywood, but there are stories that need to be heard, and Muslims like me should be the ones telling those stories."

Dave Chapelle

Dave Chapelle converted to Islam in 1998. He once said, “It is a beautiful religion if you learn it in the right way. It is a lifelong effort

Comedian and actor Dave Chappelle knows how to get a laugh. He parlayed his groundbreaking brand of sketch comedy into the wildly popular Comedy Central program, "The Dave Chappelle Show," which debuted in 2003. Then Chappelle, whose comedic star was on a meteoric rise, took a sudden hiatus in 2005 from Season Three of the show. He disappeared and then turned up in South Africa. Why would the comedian walk away from a $50 million contract and retreat to relative seclusion with an old friend named Salim? To reflect on his Muslim faith, to be "well balanced" and to "check my intentions," Chappelle told Time Magazine in 2005.

Chappelle has always charted his Hollywood career on his own terms. His film debut came by way of a small role in Mel Brook's comedy "Robin Hood: Men in Tights." The actor later was offered the star-making role of Bubba in "Forrest Gump," which he regrettably turned down. A steady stream of small TV and film roles finally landed Chappelle his breakthrough show on Comedy Central. But the actor, who reportedly converted to Islam in 1998, walked away from it all in 2005. The reason for his choice is still being debated, but it doesn't seem to bother Chappelle, who has since maintained a low profile at his residence in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Said Chappelle, "Turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you."

Jermaine Jackson was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, but he converted to Islam in 1989. more ABOUT Age: age 61 Birthplace: Gary, Indiana, USA Profession: Bassist, Record producer, Musician, Singer-songwriter, Author + 2 more Credits: The Jacksons: An American Dream, Gone Country, Celebrity Big Brother, The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special + 6 more

In the high-powered world of Hollywood TV where cable channels are producing dramas and sitcoms that rival (and sometimes surpass) those produced by the major networks, Mara Brock Akil stands out. She is a successful writer and producer of such shows as "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Moesha," and UPN's "Girlfriends," which began in 2000 and ran until 2008. She and her husband, TV director Salim Akil, are Sufi Muslims who are also teaming up to write and produce a film for the Weinstein Company.

Akil has expressed pride in her faith, but tends to keep it out of her work. Some have called "Girlfriends" the black "Sex in the City." Akil saw her show as a forum for bringing to light important issues facing black women. Akil has worked hard to gather a diverse behind-the-scenes staff for "Girlfriends" and more recently "The Game." In a 2004 interview with Northwestern University's magazine, Akil said, "There are a lot of women in top positions, black, white, Asian, Polynesian, Latino, gay, and Jewish. It's a beautiful, 'We are the World' thing, and it's one key to the successes of [my] shows."

Shaquille O'Neal was raised by a Baptist mother and Muslim stepfather. He has been identified as Muslim in several biographies, but he is quoted as saying, "I'm Muslim, I'm Jewish, I'm Buddhist, I'm everybody 'cause I'm a people person." more ABOUT Age: age 43 Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States of America Profession: Basketball player, Rapper, Television producer, Real estate entrepreneur, Film Producer + 1 more Credits: Grown Ups 2, Jack and Jill, He Got Game, Scary Movie 4, Good Burger + 30 more

Yasin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, converted Islam at age 19. Before the opening of each every album, Bey has said a prayer in Arabic, “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,” (“In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful”)

When "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" hit the theaters last summer, Said Taghmaoui got a chance to fight terrorists rather than play them. Taghmaoui's character, Breaker, has Muslim origins and is a member of the global G.I. Joe team hunting down the world's baddies. Taghmaoui, a standout actor in France of Moroccan parentage, has steadily built a career in Hollywood, even playing the stereotypical role of the terrorist (such as in the movie "Vantage Point" and "Traitor")--but adding nuance, complexity, and even a touch of sympathy every time he takes on such a role.

Taghmaoui, who is more widely recognized now for his recurring role as Caesar in Season Five of the ABC hit drama "Lost," first had a career as a boxer. Later, with a friend, he wrote and starred in the script for "La Haine" ("Hatred," about race and violence in the ghettos of Paris), which won him awards and accolades. Since then he's made his mark as an international star, making movies in Hollywood ("Hidalgo," "Three Kings," "The Kite Runner"), as well as in France and Morocco. As he continues to score bigger and more popular roles in Hollywood, Taghmaoui is poised to become that actor who can take on roles where faith can be part of his backstory instead of the main plot focus.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr., changed his name when he converted to Islam in 1971.

Age: age 68 Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America Profession: Basketball Coach, Basketball player, Author, Actor Credits: Airplane!, Fletch, The Stand, BASEketball, D2: The Mighty Ducks + 10 more

On March 10, 2007, the country was introduced to the Axis of Evil. No, not the one identified by former President George W. Bush. I'm talking about the comedy trio of Maz Jobrani, Ahmed Ahmed, and Aron Kader (with special guests Dean Obeidallah, Wan Ho Chung, and Nick Youssef), who made their debut on Comedy Central with a side-splitting special that showcased their particular brand of self-deprecating Middle Eastern and Muslim humor. (And yes, they took their name from Bush's 2002 State of the Union address.) The comedic trio, which started touring in 2005, have been making people laugh all around the world. But their Hollywood roots go much deeper.

All three have had roles in TV and film, from Egyptian-born Ahmed appearing on "Executive Decision," "JAG," and as a featured comedian on the PBS special, "STAND UP: Muslim Comics Come of Age," to Iranian-born Jobrani, the breakout actor of the group who has appeared in "The Interpreter," "Friday After Next" and "Dragonfly" to Kader, who was raised in Washington, D.C. and trained in sketch comedy at The Groundlings theater in Los Angeles. (Kader wrote on his website that he "would like to thank his Palestinian father and Mormon mother for giving him so many reasons to be a comedian.") Jobrani and other members of the Axis have spoken out against the stereotypical terrorist or "7-Eleven store owner" roles open to them. Jobrani once refused a plum role of a terrorist mastermind on "24," saying the show was "bad for him and for America." Minorities need image rehabilitation, Jobrani said in an article on Newsweek.com and Washingtonpost.com. Though these comedians milk their culture and faith for huge laughs, they take their character choices very seriously.

Iranian-born actress Shohreh Aghdashloo captured critical acclaim in "The Stoning of Soraya M." (2009), a wrenching film about an Iranian woman framed for adultery and sentenced to stoning under an archaic Islamic law. Aghdashloo has made a name for herself playing numerous ethnic roles in film and television, most recognizably as an undercover Muslim terrorist on FOX's "24," which outraged many Muslim-Americans. Aghdashloo later countered in a Time magazine interview that though she previously had resisted stereotypical Muslim terrorist roles, the "strength and complexity" of the "24" character convinced her to take the part. She played opposite Ben Kingsley in "House of Sand and Fog" (2003).

Aghdashloo began acting in her 20s and starred in numerous Iranian films, but left the country for England to study following the 1979 revolution. After she completed her education, she moved to Los Angeles to continue her film and TV career. Proud of her Iranian and Muslim heritage, Aghdashloo continues to take complex roles that push the envelope of cultural and religious perceptions (she played the Jewish character Elizabeth in "The Nativity Story"). Aghdashloo is only moving up in Hollywood—she just scored her first Emmy for her supporting role in the HBO miniseries, "House of Saddam."

Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan (born 7 January 1967), credited as Irrfan Khan or simply Irrfan, is an Indian film actor known for his works predominantly in Hindi cinema. He is also known for his works in British films, and Hollywood.[3][4] Film critics, contemporaries, and other experts consider him to be one of the finest actors in Indian cinema for his versatile and natural acting.[5][6] In 2011, Khan received the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour for his contribution to the field of arts.[7] Khan has garnered the National Film Award for Best Actor in the 60th National Film Awards 2012, for his performance in Paan Singh Tomar.[8] Khan has won the 2014 Asian Film Award for Best Actor, three International Indian Film Academy Awards, three Filmfare Awards, an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and various international honours. He also hosted a Television show and commercials. As of 2015, he had appeared in more than 50 Indian films in Bollywood, and few international films, such as Life of Pi and Jurassic World, with a featured role alongside Tom Hanks in the 2016 adaptation of Dan Brown's novel Inferno.[3] In September, 2015, he was appointed as the brand ambassador for "Resurgent Rajasthan", a campaign by the state government of Rajasthan.[9]

On March 10, 2007, the country was introduced to the Axis of Evil. No, not the one identified by former President George W. Bush. I'm talking about the comedy trio of Maz Jobrani, Ahmed Ahmed, and Aron Kader (with special guests Dean Obeidallah, Wan Ho Chung, and Nick Youssef), who made their debut on Comedy Central with a side-splitting special that showcased their particular brand of self-deprecating Middle Eastern and Muslim humor. (And yes, they took their name from Bush's 2002 State of the Union address.) The comedic trio, which started touring in 2005, have been making people laugh all around the world. But their Hollywood roots go much deeper.

All three have had roles in TV and film, from Egyptian-born Ahmed appearing on "Executive Decision," "JAG," and as a featured comedian on the PBS special, "STAND UP: Muslim Comics Come of Age," to Iranian-born Jobrani, the breakout actor of the group who has appeared in "The Interpreter," "Friday After Next" and "Dragonfly" to Kader, who was raised in Washington, D.C. and trained in sketch comedy at The Groundlings theater in Los Angeles. (Kader wrote on his website that he "would like to thank his Palestinian father and Mormon mother for giving him so many reasons to be a comedian.") Jobrani and other members of the Axis have spoken out against the stereotypical terrorist or "7-Eleven store owner" roles open to them. Jobrani once refused a plum role of a terrorist mastermind on "24," saying the show was "bad for him and for America." Minorities need image rehabilitation, Jobrani said in an article on Newsweek.com and Washingtonpost.com. Though these comedians milk their culture and faith for huge laughs, they take their character choices very seriously.

On a recent episode of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show," the faux anchorman reported on the story of Bollywood film legend Shah Rukh Khan, who had been detained and questioned for two hours at Newark Liberty (N.J.) International Airport before being released by immigration authorities. After a small riff on the story, Stewart moved on to other news. But "Daily Show" correspondent Aasif Mandvi popped up in mock outrage that he hadn't been called on to cover the story. "I'm, Indian, I'm Muslim," he complained. "I should've been all over this!"

On stage, screen, and TV, Mandvi has been drawing on his ethnicity and faith for years to fuel his humor. The Mumbai-born actor, who later emigrated to England (and recalls his early years at an all-boys school as his first impetus to explore issues of ethnic pride versus integration), got his first big break in his 1998 one-man show, "Sakina's Restaurant," which was based on his family's immigrant experience. Following 9/11, the funnyman parlayed his experiences into political humor while still playing small roles on film and television (including "Spider-Man 2" and "Freedomland"). He was seen recently in "The Proposal," with Sandra Bullock. But it's probably on "The Daily Show" that Mandvi has come into his own, uproariously tapping his ethnicity and faith to color his brand of Middle East reporting.

You've seen actor and filmmaker Sayed Badreya in dozens of big-name films and TV shows, though you may not know his name. He's broken barriers in Hollywood as the first Muslim to actually play Muslim characters back in the 1980s. Prior to that, recalled friend and fellow Hollywood screenwriter Kamran Pasha, "Most of the Muslim roles went to Greek guys."

The actor, who grew up in poverty in Egypt, turned to films as his only escape from the political turmoil in his country during the 1960s and 70s. After moving to the U.S. to attend New York University's film school, Badreya left for Hollywood and began appearing in typical "foreign" and "terrorist" roles on television and film. His big break came in the late 1990s, when he scored roles in "The Insider," "Three Kings," "Independence Day," and "Stargate." He was most recently seen in "Iron Man" and "You Don't Mess with the Zohan." But for Badreya, his true dream is to tell the stories of real Arabs. For that purpose, he formed the production company Zoom in Focus, which has put out a number Arab- and Muslim-centered short films. As the king of Muslim and Arab character roles, Badreya has been a Hollywood mainstay for three decades.

Alexander Siddig Actor | Director Born in Sudan, Siddig was raised in Britain and attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) where he studied acting and theater. Immediately after leaving LAMDA, Sid did a season of theater in Manchester, in addition to performing in various shows in pubs and small theaters. Later, Siddig worked as a director in a small theater

Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968, better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and actor who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap collective the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hip hop.Regarding the name Big Daddy Kane, he said: "The Big Daddy part and the Kane part came from two different things. The Kane part came from my fascination with the martial arts flicks when I was young." Specifically, the name comes from Kane, David Carradine's character from TV show Kung Fu. The Big Daddy part came from the name of a character Vincent Price played in the film Beach Party.[13] Rolling Stone magazine ranked his song "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" #25 on its list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, calling him "a master wordsmith of rap's late-golden age and a huge influence on a generation of MCs." They added, "Legend has it that even the Eighties' greatest rapper, Rakim, turned down a challenge to go mic-to-mic with Kane."[14]

Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973)[1] (pronounced /ˈeɪkɒn/), better known as Akon, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, businessman, record producer and actor.[3] He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first single from his debut album Trouble. He has since founded two successful record labels, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. His second album, Konvicted received three nominations for the Grammy Awards in two categories, Best Contemporary R&B Album for Konvicted album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Smack That" and "I Wanna Love You". He is the first solo artist to hold both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.[4] Akon has had four songs certified as 3x platinum, three songs certified as 2x platinum, more than ten songs certified as 1x platinum and more than ten songs certified as gold in digital sales. Akon has sung songs in other languages including Tamil, Hindi, and Spanish. He was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the #1 selling artist for master ringtones in the world. Akon often provides vocals as a featured artist and is currently credited with over 300 guest appearances and more than 35 Billboard Hot 100 songs. He has worked with numerous performers such as Michael Jackson, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Whitney Houston, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Gwen Stefani. He has had five Grammy Awards nominations and has produced songs for artists such as Lady Gaga, Colby O'Donis, Kardinal Offishall, Leona Lewis, and T-Pain. Forbes ranked Akon 80th (Power Rank) in Forbes Celebrity 100 in 2010[5] and 5th in 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa list, in 2011.[6] Billboard ranked Akon No. 6 on the list of Top Digital Songs Artists of the decade

Aziz Ansari (Tamil: அஜிஸ் அன்சாரி; born February 23, 1983) is an American actor and comedian widely known for his roles as Tom Haverford on the NBC series Parks and Recreation (2009-2015) and as Dev Shah on the Netflix series Master of None, which debuted in 2015 and which Ansari created, writes, and stars in — and which The New York Times called "the year's best comedy straight out of the gate."[2] Ansari began his career performing standup comedy in New York City during the summer of 2000 while attending New York University. In 2007, he created and starred in the MTV sketch comedy show Human Giant, which ran for two seasons. This led to acting roles in feature films, including Funny People; I Love You, Man; Observe and Report; and 30 Minutes or Less. In addition to his acting work, Ansari has continued to work as a standup comedian. He released his debut CD/DVD, entitled Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening, in January 2010 on Comedy Central Records, and still tours nationally between acting commitments. In 2010 and 2011, he performed his Dangerously Delicious tour. This tour was self-released for download on his website in March 2012 and debuted on Comedy Central in May 2012. He completed his third major tour of new material, Buried Alive, in the summer of 2013. His fourth major comedy special, Live at Madison Square Garden, was released on Netflix in 2015. His first book, Modern Romance: An Investigation, was released in June 2015.

Omar Epps is reportedly Muslim, but he is not very vocal about his spirituality. more ABOUT Age: age 42 Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America Profession: Record producer, Songwriter, Rapper, Film Producer, Actor Credits: House, Scream 2, Love & Basketball, Juice, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood + 24 more

Q-Tip converted to Islam in the mid 1990s. He has been honored by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding for being one of the most successful Muslim music producers in the world. more ABOUT Age: 45 Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York Profession: Record producer, Rapper, Musician, Actor, Disc jockey + 3 more Credits: She Hate Me, Cadillac Records, Disappearing Acts, Holy Rollers, Beats^! Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest + 3 more

The late U.S. actor Lewis Michael Arquette, a member of The Waltons and of comedy troupe Second City, and hailing from an all-around acting family, converted to Islam in his twilight years, leaving his Catholic days behind. Who says interfaith relationships can’t work: Arquette’s wife was a Jewish daughter of a Polish Holocaust survivor

Zayn Malik Former One Direction singer Zayn Malik is easily one of the most famous Muslims in pop culture today. And unfortunately, his religious identity has been a seemingly constant source of criticism and conflict for the star.

In 2012, conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel cautioned parents, "Jihad is sneaking into American girls' favorite pop band." In 2013, American rapper Rucka Rucka Ali released a track with the refrain, "Zayn Hussein did 9/11." Then in 2015, comedian Bill Maher compared the British Pakistani pop star's appearance to that of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Riz Ahmed was born on December 1, 1982 in London, England. He is an actor and writer, known for Four Lions (2010), Nightcrawler (2014) and The Road to Guantanamo (2006).

Date of Birth 1 December 1982, London, England, UK Height 5' 8" (1.73 m)

Yusuf Islam, the folk artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, publicly converted to Islam in 1977. Over the next few years, he changed his name, auctioned off all his guitars for charity, and left his successful music career behind because he decided it was counter to his faith. Then, a few months after 9/11, he picked up a guitar again.

"There was so much antagonism in the world," he told Rolling Stone in January 2015. "Many Muslims have come up to me, shook my hand and said, 'Thank you! Thank you.' I'm representing the way they want to be seen. So much of the middle ground gets forgotten in the extremities we witness around the world."

Iman Abdulmajid identifies herself as Muslim, but she says that she does not regularly practice the religion. more ABOUT Age: age 60 Birthplace: Mogadishu, Somalia Profession: Television producer, Fashion Model, Entrepreneur, Actor Credits: Out of Africa, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, House Party 2, No Way Out, L.A. Story

Busta Rhymes has stated in interviews that he is Muslim and that the religion grounds him. more ABOUT Age: age 43 Birthplace: Red Hook, New York City, New York, United States of America Profession: Record producer, Rapper, Actor, Composer, Voice acting Credits: Halloween Resurrection, Finding Forrester, Shaft, Higher Learning, Narc + 25 more

Nas was raised by a Muslim father and a Christian mother. He has mentioned both religions in his lyrics. more ABOUT Age: age 42 Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York, Crown Heights Profession: Film Score Composer, Record producer, Poet, Businessperson, Songwriter + 4 more Credits: Belly, In Too Deep, Uptown Girls, Black Nativity, Ticker + 18 more

T-Pain was born Faheem Rasheed Najm in Tallahassee, Florida, and raised in a Muslim household. He has since distanced himself from organized religion. more ABOUT Age: age 30 Birthplace: USA, Florida, Tallahassee Profession: Record producer, Rapper, Singer-songwriter, Actor, Dancer Credits: Lottery Ticket, Good Hair, Freaknik: The Musical, Pauly Shore's Natural Born Komics Sketch Comedy Movie: Miami, Rap Hustlin': Grind or Die + 4 more

Hakeem Olajuwon was raised Muslim and became even more dedicated to his faith as he grew into adulthood. more ABOUT Age: age 52 Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria Profession: Basketball player Credits: Heaven Is a Playground, 1983 NCAA Championship: NC State vs. Houston, NBA: Furious Finishes, NBA Hardwood Classics: Hakeem Olajuwan: Hakeem the Dream

Malcolm X explored many denominations of the Muslim faith. He first joined the Nation of Islam in the late 1940s, and later he explored Sunni Islam. After denouncing the Nation of Islam in 1965, he was assassinated by several of the organization's members. more ABOUT Age: Died at 40 (1925-1965) Birthplace: North Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America Profession: Writer, Human rights activist

Big Daddy Kane is a member of the black Muslim sect, the Five Percent Nation. more ABOUT Age: age 47 Birthplace: Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York City, New York, United States of America Profession: Record producer, Songwriter, Rapper, Musician, Model + 4 more Credits: The Meteor Man, Posse, Just Another Day, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Love for Sale + 5 more

When Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai survived being shot in the head by the Taliban, she became one of the most famous teenagers in the world. And she has used that fame to champion education rights for girls in the Middle East. She is now the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate, and has been named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" three years in a row (2013, 2014 and 2015).

In an interview with the AFP following Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., Yousafzai said, "That's really tragic that you hear these comments which are full of hatred, full of this ideology of being discriminative towards others." She then told Channel 4 in the UK, "The more you speak about Islam and against all Muslims, the more terrorists we create."

Rapper Rakim converted to Islam when he was 16 years old. He often speaks about his faith in his lyrics. more ABOUT Age: age 47 Birthplace: Wyandanch, New York, United States of America Profession: Record producer, Rapper, Singer-songwriter, Composer Credits: Chuck D's Hip Hop Hall of Fame

Ghostface Killah converted to Islam in 2013. He is quoted as saying, "We all need spiritual guidance and nothing in life is real, not even rap music. God is beautiful and only He is real.” more ABOUT Age: age 45 Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA Profession: Songwriter, Rapper, Actor Credits: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, When in Rome, Wu Tang Clan Presents: 18 Fatal Strikes, Hip Hop Time Capsule: The Best of RETV: 1994, Don of All Dons + 8 more

Mehmet Öz grew up with a strict Islamic father and a more secular Muslim mother. He was declared one of the top 500 influential Muslims of 2009. more ABOUT Age: age 55 Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America Profession: Talk show host, Television producer, Scientist, Author, Physician + 3 more Credits: The Dr. Oz Show, NY Med, The Truth About Food, Second Opinion with Dr. Oz, National Body

Wu-Tang Clan rapper Raekwon converted to Islam in 2009. more ABOUT Age: age 45 Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York Profession: Rapper, Musician, Actor Credits: Scary Movie 3, Coalition, Black and White, Wu Tang Clan Presents: 18 Fatal Strikes, Hardrock

Mos Def Real Name is Yasiin Bey he first started to study Islam when he was a teenager, and he declared his Muslim faith at the age of 19. more ABOUT Age: age 42 Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York Profession: Songwriter, Rapper, Television producer, Actor, Singer Credits: Dexter, The Italian Job, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Chappelle's Show + 34 more

Ice Cube converted to Islam in the 1990s. more ABOUT Age: age 46 Birthplace: South Los Angeles, California, United States of America Profession: Film Score Composer, Record producer, Songwriter, Rapper, Television producer + 4 more Credits: Friday, 21 Jump Street, Boyz n the Hood, Three Kings, Next Friday + 53 more

N.W.A. rapper MC Ren converted to the Nation of Islam in the early 1990s. He reportedly converted to orthodox Islam in the passing years. more ABOUT Age: 46 Birthplace: Compton, USA, California Profession: Film Score Composer, Songwriter, Rapper Credits: N.W.A.: Efil4zaggin: The Only Home Video, Lost in the Game

Three time BAFTA winning Director / Writer / Producer Asif Kapadia is known for his visually striking films exploring characters living in timeless, extreme and unforgiving landscapes. His films have been box office successes as well as being critically lauded and awarded and distributed internationally.

Born in Hackney in 1972, Kapadia studied filmmaking at the Royal College of Art where he first gained recognition with his short THE SHEEP THIEF (1997) shot in Rajasthan, India, the film won many international awards including the Second Prize in the Cinefondation section of the 1998 Cannes International Film Festival.

Everlast converted from Catholicism to Islam in 1996.

Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage name Everlast, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He was also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of House of Pain and other rappers. In 2000, he won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal with Latin Rock musician Carlos Santana for "Put Your Lights On."

Age: age 46 Birthplace: Valley Stream, New York, United States of America Profession: Songwriter, Rapper, Musician, Singer-songwriter, Actor Credits: Judgment Night, Bang, Lowball

Actress Ellen Burstyn is one of only a few people, who have ever won the Triple Crown of Acting (an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony). She has 150 film credits and countless theater ones. Burstyn was raised Catholic, but now she considers herself open to the truths of all faiths, practicing a combination of Sufi Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.

In 2006, she told Beliefnet, "I traveled to Europe and I climbed the Alps and went up to a Sufi camp conducted by Pir Vilayat Kahn. I was initiated up there... There's a Sufi prayer I say very often. 'Oh Thou, the sustainer of our bodies, hearts, and souls, bless all that we receive in gratitude.'"

Art Malik was born on November 13, 1952 in Bahawalpur, Pakistan as Athar Ul-Haque Malik. He is an actor and producer, known for True Lies (1994), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) and The Living Daylights (1987). He has been married to Gina Rowe since 1980. They have two children.

Attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. Is a member of the Royal Shakespeare company Was offered the part of central villain Salim Abu Aziz in True Lies (1994), because director James Cameron was impressed by his work in City of Joy (1992). Has two daughters with Gina Rowe - Jessica and Keira. Appeared on BBC1's Question Time on 23.02.06 offering his opinions on topical subjects put forward by a studio audience Asked twice by Steven Spielberg to act in his films - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). Appeared at a rally in support of Fair Votes voting reform at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Liverpool, September 2010. Lives in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, a south-west suburb of London. Came to England from Pakistan when he was 4 years old. Later, at the age of 10, he moved back to Pakistan for one year to attend school, then back to England again the following year. Struggled at school due to mild dyslexia. Visited Edinburgh and Glasgow. [November 2006]

Nazanin Boniadi is rapidly making her mark in both film and television. She co-starred as CIA analyst Fara Sherazi on seasons three and four of the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama "Homeland," for which she shared a 2015 SAG Award nomination in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category

Lupe Fiasco was born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco in Chicago, and he was raised in a Muslim household. more ABOUT Age: age 33 Birthplace: USA, Chicago, Illinois Profession: Record producer, Songwriter, Rapper, Entrepreneur, Musician + 2 more Credits: All Access: DVD Magazine: Vol. 13, The Underground Show

Casey Kasem was a member of The Druze, an offshoot of Islam. more ABOUT Age: Died at 82 (1932-2014) Birthplace: Michigan, USA, Detroit Profession: Music Historian, Film Producer, Radio personality, Actor, Disc jockey + 1 more Credits: Ghostbusters, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, The Transformers, Super Friends + 81 more

Basketball star Craig Hodges is for his sporting, for his political activism, and you guessed it: his membership to the Nation of Islam. In line with his Muslim values, Hodges is often remembered for his advocacy for minority communities’ rights in the U.S. as much as he is for his 3-pointers on the court.

Muslim music: One of Brooklyn’s finest hip-hop exports, Mikal Safiyullah, aka Divine Styler, known for his collaboration with rapper Ice-T, is another musical makeover to Islam. His album Directrix makes no secret of his conversion, featuring numbers as “Before Mecca,” “Hajji” and a medley of Arabic pieces rife with his Muslim identity.

Amr Waked was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1972. He studied economics and theatre in the American University in Cairo. In his early experience as an actor Amr joined the Temple Theatre Troop in 1994, and Yaaru Theatre Troop in 1999, where he trained and developed his tools as a stage performer. With his experience onstage,