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Ramadan Top 30 Illuminator: Mohamedou Ould Slahi

Each Ramadan, Hayat Life honors 30 extraordinary Cultural Muslims who have been an integral part of shaping and improving our society in the last year, unveiling one Ramadan Top 30 Illuminator each day of the holiday. Some are global pop cultural icons, while others are unsung heroes making extraordinary contributions outside the limelight.

As we approach the end of a harrowing pandemic, we at Hayat salute those innovators these Illuminators who have provided much-needed sparks of light during a dark and difficult time.

In that spirit, we are honored to present:

Mohamedou Ould Slahi: The Man behind “The Mauritanian”…Who Still Loves America

In a terrible twist of fate, Mohamedou Ould Slahi found himself arrested after 9-11 in the frenzied early days of the global “War on Terror.” He ended up imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for 14 years, before being released. The memoir Ould Slahi wrote while at Guantanamo has just been turned into the hit film The Mauritanian, starring Tahar Rahim, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Jodie Foster. Ould Slahi, meanwhile, refuses to be a victim despite his experience – and in fact has become a big fan of American society, even hoping to secure a visa to visit soon.

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