Who is the Arab World's credible and influential role model?

Yesterday I went into a state of depression. I received an e-mail from the British charity organization Oxfam International containing a simple request to nominate a general character that has credibility and influence on people to act as a role model assisting Oxfam in its global fight against poverty. I wanted to search for a character/ role model from the Arab World, and guess what: I miserably failed!

Call me a negative-oriented guy, but I was just searching the long list of names with public influence who could be credible enough, and most importantly influential to convince the Arab population with the cause of fighting poverty.

We have to forget political leaders. They might be loved voluntarily or by force by their people but rarely outside the country's border. Look for trans-national influential political leaders and you will find one man who is Hassan Nassrallah, the leader of Hizbollah in Lebanon. I personally like him, he is descent and provides a good image of tolerant Islam by his friendship with secular and christian lebanese parties, but he is not a good candidate in fighting poverty.

Who does the Arab street look to for inspiration? the photos of Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden are the most raised in demonstartion, but both are killers. The spiritual model igniting the thoughts of youth is the Islamic preacher Amer Khalid but I do not like his business-oriented mentality. He manipulates the true feelings of people for his own sake.

What about actors and singers? they are engaged in an orgy of pseudo-pornography and dancing and we have no actor or singer with a cause, maybe except for Julia Butrus, Marcel Khalifeh and Kathem Saher. In a cover article in February 2005 the American magazine newsweek considered Nancy Ajram as an Arab Role model, but that was silly.

So, I give up. Is there any one who can help me by identifying a genuine role model in the Arab world?