# Prominent Muslim leaders who preach tolerance and non-violence

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prominent-muslim-leaders-who-preach-tolerance-and-non-violence/611887>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 5, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prominent-muslim-leaders-who-preach-tolerance-and-non-violence/611887 "2012-02-05T20:17:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prominent-muslim-leaders-who-preach-tolerance-and-non-violence/611887/1 "2012-02-05T20:17:06Z")

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If you had to name three, which ones would come to mind as the best examples?

I am sick and tired of being asked “So you think not all Muslims are terrorists, huh? Name three”, and only being able to say, “Well, I’m pretty sure quite a lot of them, really.”

(Not that expect it to change his mind or anything, it’s more for myself so I have something to say).

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**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prominent-muslim-leaders-who-preach-tolerance-and-non-violence/611887/2 "2012-02-05T20:27:44Z")

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The first one, off the top of my head would be the current [Aga Khan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aga_Khan_IV), from Wikipedia:

> [@](#):
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> The Aga Khan is particularly interested in the elimination of global poverty; the advancement of women; the promotion of Islamic culture, art, and architecture; and promoting pluralistic values in society. He is the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private development networks in the world, which toils towards environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalisation of historic cities.

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prominent-muslim-leaders-who-preach-tolerance-and-non-violence/611887/3 "2012-02-05T20:55:28Z")

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[Nafewz Assaily](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nafez_Assaily) for a contemporary voice preaching non-violence. Reaching back slightly [Ghaffar Khan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Abdul_Ghaffar_Khan) in India ( a close associate of Gandhi ) and in Africa the Senegalese mystic [Amadou Bamba](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou_Bamba), founder of the Muridiyya Sufi order, would also qualify.

However in general genuine pacifism is relatively much rarer in Islam compared to other Abrahamic faiths. It was a religion incubated in conflict and was ( and generally is ) self-consciously militant. _Defensive violence at the very least_ seems to be mandated in the defense of religious liberties, unless one takes a very esoteric view ( as a few Muslims, particularly Sufi mystics like Bamba above, have ) or a highly individualistic one ( less of a stretch ). Tolerance on the other hand, at one level or another, also appears to be mandated. That is much easier to find, but of course folks can argue endlessly about degrees and definitions of tolerance :).