Dubai: Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) has named American Islamic Preacher Yousuf Estes as winner of the Islamic Personality of the Year Award for 2012.
The announcement was made yesterday during a press conference held by the organising committee of DIHQA, which was attended by Ebrahim Bu Melha, Advisor to the Ruler of Dubai in Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs and Chairman of the organising committee.
Bu Melha stated that the committee has chosen Yousuf Estes for his services for Islam and shedding light on its role in the life of Muslims in particular and all people in general.
Yousuf published an Audio CD titled “Daddy, tell me about God”. The premise of the tape revolves around a little girl engaged in a conversation with her Dad, in which she asks him about God and Yousuf Estes (the father) answers.
Estes also participated in various conferences and discussions. He also travels the world to spread the message of Islam. He visited Muslim prisoners in America and teaches them more about Islam, providing them with copies of translated meanings of the Holy Quran. He held seminars in prison that were attended by both Muslims and non-Muslims, some of whom converted later on.
Yousuf Estes was born in Texas in 1944. His father was a priest and served and supported the works of the Church. He served as a music minister in Church before converting to Islam in 1991. Later, his father, mother and wife also followed in Estes’s footsteps and converted to Islam.
