OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Nominated by: Bill Gunyon, OneWorld UK

WASHINGTON, Nov 24 (OneWorld.net) - With the signatures of over 62 million Pakistanis committed to the Yeh Hum Naheen Foundation's anti-terrorism campaign, founder Waseem Mahmood has become a leader in a movement promoting Islam as a peaceful, tolerant faith.

Mahmood in a promo picture for his book "Good Morning Afghanistan," about the radio station he helped launch after the U.S. invasion in 2002. © Waseem Mahmood / Good Morning AfghanistanIt started with a simple observation by his children -- that the radical depiction of the Muslim faith was inaccurate, and dangerous. One song, 6,000 volunteers, and all those signatures later, he is changing perceptions of the Muslim religion worldwide and helping to build peace in one of the more volatile -- and he says misunderstood -- countries of the world.

Mahmood is a British author and media producer. After his sons raised their concerns about the radicalization of young Muslims in England, he used his professional skills to help put together a catchy tune with some powerful words: "Hamein jis naam say tum jantay ho...woh hum naheen. Humein jis aankh say tum dehktay ho...woh hum naheen. Yeh hum naheen, yeh hum naheen, yeh hum naheen."

In English: "The name by which you know us -- we are not that. The eyes with which you look at us -- we are not that. This is not us, this is not us, this is not us." Another part of the song says: "The stories that are being spread in our name are lies -- this is not us."

Now, the phrase "yeh hum naheen," meaning "this is not us," is being repeated all over Pakistan. In October 2007, Mahmood founded the Yeh Hum Naheen Foundation with the aim of changing the negative image of Islam. He captured the attention of some of Pakistan's biggest young stars, and their version of the song quickly rose to the top of the charts in the country. From there the song -- and its message -- have spread like wildfire across the nation of 172 million, 95 percent of whom are Muslim.

Four thousand miles from his home in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Mahmood decided to launch a petition drive in Pakistan, asking people to sign a "Yeh Hum Naheen" statement condemning terrorism. A four-week petition drive and media blitz earlier this year drummed up over 62 million signatures via the foundation's Web site, text messages, and volunteers scouring the cities and countryside with clipboards and pens.

Even Mahmood has been surprised by the overwhelming response of Pakistanis agreeing that "this is not us!"

"I knew we would get a few million people here, but 50 million -- it's almost as if we've given them something they were waiting for," said Mahmood in a recent BBC report.

Mahmood's father, Sultan Mahmood, wrote regularly about tolerance and peaceful co-existence. His son sees the Yeh Hum Naheen movement as a way of carrying on that legacy.

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