Pedersen embraced Islam in 1982 after a long search through different world religions. He was brought up as a Christian, became a free-thinker at the age of 16 and was a follower of Hinduism for four years before eventually deciding on Islam.

Was Vice President of Muslims in Dialogue, Vice chairman of Islamic Christian Study Center, Co-founder of Danish Muslim Aid, European representatives of the Global Network of Religions for Children, Board member of the Swedish Islamic Academy.

Pedersen was born in Sweden, and his mother is Finnish. He is married to a Moroccan wife, and the two have four children.