Ryhaan Shah is a writer who was born in Berbice, Guyana. She is currently active in Guyanese public life as the President of the Guyanese Indian Heritage Association.[1]
Her 2005 novel, A Silent Life (Peepal Tree, 2005), combines strong social themes (concerning gender and race) with a narrative that explores mythic patterns through elements of the other-worldly.
In November 2009 Ryhaan Shah was chosen among "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" (2009 Edition) in a publication by the Prince Al-waleed Bin Talaal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding of Georgetown University, Washington DC in conjunction with the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan.
The introduction to the publication states that it “provides a window into the movers and shakers of the Muslim world. We have strived to highlight people who are influential as Muslims, that is, people whose influence is derived from their practice of Islam or from the fact that they are Muslim. We think that this gives valuable insight into the different ways that Muslims impact the world, and also shows the diversity of how people are living as Muslims today.”