ISMAILI DIGEST ED: NEW FULL INTERVIEW -- I begin with the premise that society cannot develop itself if it does not live in peace. And I think peace is the premier premise for all of us. But either you are in a country where there are internal conflicts, or you are where there is a regional conflict. And that, in my opinion, is the end of development. Hence ...
[M]y sense is we are looking to the future for a massive increase in nuclear use around the world. To me, that's on the cards. And it's on the cards in the industrialised world, it's on the cards in the Third World.... (1) I think we have to make the intellectual effort to jump ahead of that issue and ten or ...
It seems to me that rules of non-proliferation are now applied to all nuclear technology for both civilian and military purposes. In fact, the conditions for the sale of civilian nuclear energy is like some kind of technological colonisation, insofar that the most advanced nations make a point of holding on to all the "keys." From this point of view, we ...
One of the principal reasons, I believe, for the great rapport between the Ismaili and Canadian communities through the years is our shared commitment to a common ethical framework -- and especially to the ideals of pluralism. By this I mean not only social pluralism, which embraces a diversity of ethnic and religious groups, but also pluralism in our thinking about ...
Do you think the world is heading towards a "clash of capturing natural resources"? ... I think we are seeing a concentration of wealth in a number of countries. There is a search for new resources to exploit for national or strategic purposes. The situation can be changed by making a move towards using nuclear power, as it has the potential ...
If we judge from Islamic history, there is much to encourage us. For century after century, the Arabs, the Persians, the Turks and many other Islamic societies achieved powerful leadership roles in the world -- not only politically and economically but also intellectually. Some ill-informed historians and biased commentators have tried to argue that these successes were essentially produced by military ...
Most of us seek societies that are at once plural and peaceful -- a goal that is important but also elusive. For even our best efforts to combine stability with modernity seem to be constantly disrupted. Some of these disruptions come from new technologies -- from Internet blogs to bio-genetics. Others spring from nature -- from changing weather patterns or mutating ...
A deepening sense of spiritual commitment, and the ethical framework that goes with it, will be a central requirement if we are to find our way through the minefields and the quick sands of modern life. A strengthening of religious institutions should be a vital part of this process. To be sure, freedom of religion is a critical value in a ...
Many of our faculty and trustees come from different parts of the world including the areas of the Western world where Ibn Zuhr worked and carried out his research. There is a symbol here -- knowledge can be drawn from any frontier to create strong institutions, if it is drawn wisely. His Highness the Aga Khan, Chairman of the Aga Khan ...
[D]emocracy cannot function reasonably without two preconditions. The first is a healthy, civil society.... The second precondition is pluralism.... The rejection of pluralism is pervasive across the globe and plays a significant role in breeding destructive conflicts. Examples are scattered across the world map: in Asia, in the Middle East, in Africa, in Europe, in the Americas. No continent has been ...
In the long run, the question is what is the context in which human society will function and the Islamic community will function? And I think the whole notion of relevance is a massively important issue. It's going across all faiths. Not just the Islamic faith. Not just the Islamic interpretation. It's going across all faiths today. There is a clear ...
From the seventh century to the thirteenth century, the Muslim civilisations dominated world culture, accepting, adopting, using and preserving all preceding study of mathematics, philosophy, medicine and astronomy, among other areas of learning. The Islamic field of thought and knowledge included and added to much of the information on which all civilisations are founded. And yet this fact is seldom acknowledged ...
Please click on the icon for a side by side comparison in PDF format.Below, and in the archive , is the published version of this speech. Sections missing in the versions published on the Institute of Ismaili Studies' website are in highlight; additions are in plain highlight. SOURCES:Text (published version): ismaili.netText (Institute of Ismaili Studies version): President Gregorian, Faculty Members, Postgraduates ...
[The trend of rich nations becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer] can, however, be slowed down, if not reversed, given two important conditions. The first is a decision by the rich nations, taken through policy or morality, to devote a larger proportion of their savings to helping the poor nations. The second is the creation of an educational, political and ...
Amongst the new buildings in this country: offices, schools, banks, how many have been conceived with the wish to infuse new vigour, new style, new charm in traditional Muslim architecture, rather than importing styles, concepts and motives, developed, used and admired outside the realm of Islam? Should we not fear that through the lack of encouragement to our architects in modernising ...
If it is not already the case, it will certainly be true in a few years' time that the majority of states at the United nations will be uncommitted. They will need immense wisdom and singleness of purpose to be able to influence the two power blocs without being committed to either one. Mr. Chairman, Chief Minister, Your Worship the Mayor, ...
As I have said, I am a sincere supporter and admirer of all that the Commonwealth stands for today. It is a living example of the British genius for compromise and adaptability in the swiftly changing circumstances of the 20th Century. But I think you would be wise to face the fact now that the Commonwealth cannot survive indefinitely on its ...
The world of spiritual enlightenment is fundamentally different from the world of material intellectualism and it is the pride of the Ismailis that we firmly believe that the world of spiritual enlightenment has come as a truth from the inception of Islam to this day with the Imamat and carries with it as one of its necessary consequences love, tenderness, kindliness ...
Society consists of individuals and when we find civil societies that were once upon a time vigorously their own and indeed with obvious superiority amongst other organised social bodies, and are then left behind while others progress far beyond even the imagination, leave alone the knowledge of their former supervisors, then indeed, unless we want to commit suicide, it is necessary ...
