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by MALIK MERCHANTPublisher/Editor Simerg, Barakah andSimergphotos This is the 3rd in our series "Books by Ismaili Authors." The two previous books highlighted were Little One, You Are the Universe by Toronto's Zeni Shariff and Justice Bertha WilsonPushes the Boundaries of Humanity by Edmonton's Shamas Nanji. We ask each author to introduce their book(s) to our readers by answering a series of ...

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Sadrudin Velji (30 October, 1933 - 26 January, 2021). Photo: © Sadrudin Velji Family Collection. By ZAHIDA, SHEHIN, HUSEIN, and ALISHA Just over a month ago, on January 26, 2021, we lost our beloved Nana at the age of 87. He was big-hearted and one of the funniest people I've ever met. My Dad tells us that when we were born, ...

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by MALIK MERCHANTPublisher/Editor Simerg, Barakah andSimergphotos This is the 2nd in our bi-weekly series "Books by Ismaili Authors." The series began with Justice Bertha WilsonPushes the Boundaries of Humanity by Shamas Nanji of Edmonton, Canada. We ask each author to introduce their book(s) to our readers by answering a series of short questions. In this post, Zeni Shariff of Toronto, Canada, ...

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A rare portrait of Alwaez Shamshu Bandali Haji from his early years.Photo: Shamshu Bandali Haji Family Collection. Simerg is pleased to present a selection of verses from the Ginan Muman Chetamni composed by Syed Imam Shah that relate to to the birth of Hazrat Ali (a.s.). The recitations are taken from Ginans Central, a truly exceptional website which curates Ginans for "long-term ...

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by MALIK MERCHANTPublisher/Editor Simerg, Barakah andSimergphotos Recently we invited Ismaili writers to come forward and submit a synopsis of their books for listing on this website. We asked each author to introduce their book to Simerg readers by responding to a series of questions. We begin the first in this special bi-weekly series with Pushes the Boundaries of Humanity by Shamas ...

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An Ever Burning Flame By FARAH TEJANI Like a candle, In a dark room, Her light would erase, Any frown, Or any pain, You had on your face. A gifted teacher, Full of knowledge, She'd leave you wanting more. Her loving arms, Were always open, She would never shut her door. All her students, Were her children, Whom she loved with ...

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Introduced by MALIK MERCHANTPublisher/Editor Simerg, Barakah andSimergphotos Between 1963, soon after my parents settled in Dar es Salaam -- having previously served for over 8 years as teachers in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo), Mozambique -- and around 1967 at which time my dad purchased a car, it became a regular weekend routine for our family of 5 to walk either from ...

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Alwaeza Raisaheba Maleksultan Jehangir Merchant (June 9, 1931 - January 21, 2021), age 89. Photo: Shellina Karmali. The family of Alwaeza Raisaheba Maleksultan Merchant has been immensely touched by so many messages of condolences it has received following her passing away at the age of 89, on January 21, 2021. Social media pages are filled with several hundred messages and Simerg ...

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By MALIK MERCHANTPublisher-Editor, Simerg,Barakah and Simergphotos We shall be commencing our special series on books by Ismaili authors at the beginning of February 2021, followed by the publication of a revised version of our beautiful artists compendium at the end of March. First edition of Simerg's artists compendium These are major initiatives by Simerg and we want as many authors and ...

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The naysayers said the user-written encyclopedia would never work. Now it boasts 55m articles and 1.7bn visitors a month.....READ MORE AT THE GUARDIANWikipedia logo. Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0). Please click on image to read article at The Guardian Date posted: January 15, 2021. ___________________ We welcome feedback from our readers. Please complete the LEAVE A REPLY form below or ...

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By KARIM H. KARIM(The author is Director of Carleton University's Centre for the Study of Islam and former Co-Director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies) "... we find ourselves in the moment of transit, where space and time cross to produce complex figures of difference and identity, past and present, inside and outside, inclusion and exclusion." Professor Homi K. Bhabha, former ...

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Ottawa downtown, December 31, 2020, lit during the festive holiday season. Greetings at top and bottom are mine and not part of original photo. Photo: Nurin Merchant / Simerg. By NURIN MERCHANT My dad arrived at the grounds of the Aga Khan Park on the evening of December 31, hoping to take photos of the setting sun for the last time ...

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Prepared by MALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor Simerg, Barakah, and Simergphotos)Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, pictured at the Diamond Jubilee Darbar in Kenya. Photo: The Ismaili TALIKAS AND BLESSINGS FROM MAWLANA HAZAR IMAM March 2020 Please click:Mawlana Hazar Imam sends Talika on the occasion of Navroz with special blessings for mushkil asan, ...

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The Altar of the Nativity, beneath which is the star marking the spot where tradition says the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus. Photo: ©Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ. Please click on image for Barnaby Rogerson's piece. VERSES FROM THE HOLY QUR'AN ON THE BIRTH OF JESUS 19:17 Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of ...

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"The profile of the coins found in the juglet are a near perfect reflection of the historical events. This is a time of great political change as control of Israel shifts from the Sunni Abbasid caliphate, which sits in Baghdad, Iraq, to ​​its Shiite rivals, the Fatimid dynasty of North Africa." -- Robert Cole [The following compiled piece includes material released ...

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"I say to you today, and particularly the younger generation, use your energy, use your imagination, use your strength, but do not waste it. Do not waste it in drinking, in smoking cigarettes, in eating, in smoking drugs or whatever it may be. This is not for our Jamat.... stay a healthy Jamat and face the problems without wasting your energy ...

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By MALIK MERCHANTPublisher-Editor, Simerg,Barakah and Simergphotos Talented Ismaili Artists The Golden and Diamond Jubilees of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, revealed and showcased the amazing talent of the artists in the Ismaili community. Hundreds of young children and youth as well as elderly members of the Jamat participated in locally held programs during the Golden Jubilee. Ten years ...

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Introduced by MALIK MERCHANTPublisher-Editor, Simerg,Barakah and Simergphotos It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the death of James D. Wolfensohn on Wednesday, November 25 2020 at his home in Manhattan at the age of 86. I reached out to the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), where Mr. Wolfensohn served as the past chair of the board, ...

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Introduced by MALIK MERCHANTPublisher-Editor, Simerg,Barakah and Simergphotos "I would take my students on a field trip to Toronto to see this miracle of miniature painting, one that continues to fascinate when greatly magnified. It features extraordinary details of flora and fauna, as well as a rainbow coalition of human beings from every continent and culture, much as one sees on the ...

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By MALIK MERCHANT(Publisher/Editor Barakah, Simerg and Simergphotos) When I left home (Monday, November 9) to run an errand, I went northbound on the Don Valley Parkway (DVP), and had planned to drive back south along the same route, and take the Wynford Drive exit that brings you to a T-junction, 200 metres east of the Aga Khan Museum entrance. But instead ...

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"Muhammad" written in Thuluth script, a work by Morgan Phoenix, CC by SA 3.0. Prepared and compiled by MALIK MERCHANTEditor/Publisher Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos As Muslims around the world prepare to observe the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.S.) on October 29, 2020 -- the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi' al-awwal -- we invite our readers to view ...

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By MALIK MERCHANTEditor/Publisher Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos The Aga Khan Museum is one of the few museums in Toronto that has been able to implement Covid-19 protocols and make the museum safe for its visitors. The visiting times were revised this past week, and it is now open from Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. In recent weeks, ...

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Karim H. Karim's beautiful poem is followed by a brief note from the editor as well as some pictures that he set off to take at Toronto's Aga Khan Park, shortly after he had been inspired by the poem. By KARIM H. KARIM (Dedicated to all who are sad) Sweetest are the songs That we sing in sorrows; Tears swell in ...

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In the 11th century, Nasir Khushraw came to the Pamirs, and brought the Shiite Ismaili branch of Islam to the region. Today, two religious traditions 2000-3000 years apart, continue to co-exist in a remote corner of the earth. Watch the short cultural video in RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty by clicking HERE or on image below. Next, watch a video of two Canadians, Christian Meier ...

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DISTANCES: Algonquin Park from Toronto, 276 km; from Ottawa, 245 km. Its been a tough summer for everyone. While we are still partially locked down due to Covid-19, do something safe and extraordinary this autumn by yourself, with your partner or your family with children who have a day off due to rotating classes. Yes, escape to Ontario's Algonquin Park for ...

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Mystic Moon By FARAH TEJANI Mystic Moon, Cast your spell... Your shimmering gaze, And, oh how many faces! Cleverly captured in reflections, On the dark, dark blue waves. Shifting shadows of craters On your surface, Leave mere mortals Spellbound... With your catalogue Of explicit expressions No two alike. At times you are serene, Sometimes in sorrow. When Joy overtakes you, Your ...

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SPECIAL EDITION: "Yesterday at the Nation" by Cyprian Fernandes Reviewedby MALIK MERCHANTPublisher/editor Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos The Daily Nation was my favourite newspaper in Dar es Salaam, along with the Tanganyika Standard (later the Standard and then the Daily News). The popular Kenyan newspaper founded by Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, first rolled off at the press as ...

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We would like to thank Lesley Bannatyne for permission to reproduce her piece on the latest work of Harvard Professor Richard Wolf, which appeared in a recent issue of The Harvard Gazette. Dr. Wolf is producing a film about two Ismaili poets, who live on either side of Amu Darya in the rugged Wakhan Corridor (see map below). Qurbonsho lives in ...

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LETTER FROM PUBLISHERSimerg Launches a New I Wish I'd Been There Series By MALIK MERCHANTPublisher/editor Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos A decade has passed since the first publication of our series "I Wish I'd Been There" when we asked you to be "a fly on a wall" and pick one moment in Ismaili history that you particularly wish you had lived to ...

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As We Reopen By Parin Verjee Approaching the doors of the Jamatkhana Heads bowed in all humility Lower your gaze Pause a moment Softly say a heartfelt prayer Shukhrana, Al Hamdu'lillah The blessed day has arrived Quieten your thoughts Touch your heart Hand on your heart Smile with your eyes Greet gently Gracious to one and all Carry your mehmani in ...

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By S. GIGA PATNEYSpecial to Simerg A hundred years ago Katchhi and Kathiawadi Ismaili Khoja Muslims sailed to Africa and Zanzibar to make a living. Today, they have prospered in America, Canada and Europe. They wear western clothes, live in palatial homes and drive expensive cars but in the homes they still speak their rustic dialect and they remember the 'pacchedi' ...

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By MALIK MERCHANTPublisher/editor Barakah, Simerg and Simergphotos The Ismaili Canada's iicanada.org portal proudly announces, "Jamatkhana Reopening Welcome Back," and goes on to state, "As Jamatkhana capacity is limited due to COVID-19 regulations, and to enable contact tracing in the event of a potential infection event, all individuals will need to register online to gain access to Jamatkhana. Pre-registration allows Jamati members ...

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