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Ramadan Top 30 Illuminator: Riz Ahmed

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:

Riz Ahmed: Best Actor Nomination for “Sound of Metal” Star

Multi-talented celebrity Riz Ahmed is an actor, writer, producer, rapper, and more. The young star earned his first Oscar nomination for the hit Sound of Metal, which follows a drummer slowly going deaf. After losing an aunt and uncle to the coronavirus, Ahmed released the haunting spoken word performance “I Miss You.” He also actively advocates for more complex Muslim representation in media, even spurring some to consider “The Riz Test” to examine how Muslim characters represented in popular culture.

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