TIME100: Sherry Rehman, Shah Rukh Khan among ‘most influential people of 2023’

TIME magazine released its list of most influential people of 2023 on Thursday, naming Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, singer Beyoncé among others in the 100 people that were global change-makers.

Other notable personalities on the list included Elon Musk, US President Joe Biden, author Salman Rushdie, actor Jennifer Coolidge, footballer Lionel Messi and King Charles III among others.

The publication releases its annual list of change-makers the world over, spanning industries and professions, divided into six categories — artists, innovators, titans, leaders, icons and pioneers.

Rehman was included under the category of leaders, with a profile written by Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s state secretary and special envoy for international climate action.

Citing Rehman’s “impassioned speeches and tireless engagement in negotiations,” at COP27, the U.N. climate summit in Egypt last November, Morgan lauded how the federal minister convinced many of the delegates of the blatant injustice of climate reparations and the price Pakistan paid with its historic floods and the damage that followed.

The world community agreed for the first time to establish a new loss and damage fund to support the most vulnerable countries. “This is a big step toward climate justice,” she wrote, with still a long way to go.

Pakistan at COP27 demands climate aid

This is Rehman’s first time on the TIME100 list. She was previously acknowledged for her work in the Financial Times’ list of 25 Most Influential Women of 2022 and Forbes 50 under 50 Asia list, in 2023.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, too made the list, no doubt for his contributions to India’s film industry.

Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ smashes Indian box office records

Indian actor Deepika Padukone, who made her Bollywood debut with Khan, penned a tribute to the veteran actor to express her admiration for him.

“I’ll never forget the first time I met Shah Rukh Khan. I had just arrived in Mumbai from Bangalore with one suitcase and a dream. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in his house! I was being considered for a role in a film opposite him. It’s been 16 years since,” she wrote.

“Shah Rukh Khan will forever be known as one of the greatest actors of all time. But what truly sets him apart is his mind, his chivalry, his generosity. The list goes on …”

Honey Dijon, DJ and music producer, wrote how “Beyoncé’s fearlessness, talent, beauty, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire Black female artists for millennia.”

Bono, the lead singer of the band U2, penned a tribute to writer Rushdie, writing, “ Salman’s continued creativity has become a different expression of that same liberation, a defiance and a determination not to be silenced. Of course there was anguish as he told me the story of the attack, but what was clear was that he would not bow. Freedom often loses but is never defeated.“

The list also includes Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi who first reported about the death of Mahsa Amini and then her funeral. Amini was arrested in Tehran and abused in police custody for not covering her hair properly. Her death prompted nationwide protests and mass arrests of nearly 100 journalists. Both the reporters were arrested and remain in Evin Prison.

Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid also made the list. The model has been vocal about social and human rights issues and has participated in protests for the Palestinian cause.

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