When baby Shavez was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Dr Salman Kirmani and his team from the Aga Khan University Hospital Pakistan applied for him to be one of 100 patients per year - and the first in Pakistan - to receive free gene therapy from Novartis. After tests, staff training and managing the logistics, they were able to give Shavez the ...
IMAGE? The Power of the Visual(opening April 9) reflects on humanity's pre-occupation with images and explores how they shape our beliefs, ideals, and experiences. At a time when we're bombarded with ...
Mawlana Hazar Imam presided over and made opening remarks at the first seminar of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture held at Aiglemont, France, on April 5, 1978.The first review meeting of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. From left to right Doğan Kuban, Hasan uddin Khan, Renata Holod, Mawlana Hazar Imam, Oleg Grabar, William Porter, Nader Ardalan, Garr Campbell, Michael ...
UAE -- "O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and made you into races and tribes, so that you may identify one another." A verse from Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13 A civilisation cannot exist without culture, and culture cannot exist without knowledge. The pursuit of knowledge is not just a right, but also an obligation on the ...
Wondering why their son wasn't speaking, the parents of two-year-old Danyal brought their son to the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam for a check-up and found that he had severe hearing loss. This led the hospital to perform its first cochlear implant surgery. ...
#Speech made by His Highness the #AgaKhan at the Annual Meeting of The European Bank for Reconstruction and #Development in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 5 May 2003. Read the full speech here: For more about the Aga Khan Development Network, visit ...
Global -- The President of Greece, Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou, visited the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon, during her three-day trip to Portugal last week. She was welcomed to the Centre by Princess Zahra and Prince Hussain. At the Ismaili Centre, President Sakellaropoulou also met with Portugal's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco André, and leaders of the Jamat and AKDN. ...
Speedy Siyouni filly Amelia's Jewel takes another Group win. Two-year-old Amelia's Jewel maintained her unbeaten record in style on Saturday as she blitzed to victory in the Gr.2 Karrakatta Plate over six furlongs at Ascot in Perth, Australia. "I've had some good horses in my time, but she is special," said owner/breeder Peter Walsh of Amelia Park Racing, who also sponsored ...
News story -- Fariza Sheralieva is a second-year student on the Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP). Here she talks about learning what it means to be a teacher and discovering her full potential through the programme. Being part of the IIS family and STEP programme for the second year has helped me to discover myself not only as a teacher but as ...
With Imam's grace and blessings, in 1962, I was the first prize winner of an essay competition on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) organized by the Ismailia Provincial Library of Kisumu, Kenya. I ...
ACADEMYOFIDEAS.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 2014: "As I look around me, my deep sense is that today the strongest human force, sadly, is fear. [This] might be seen as just my personal view, but more and more people are sharing it.... The actual process of replacing fear with hope rests with every individual in his or her society." ~~ Hazar Imam, 2007: "We must infuse our students with [a] spirit of adventure."] ARTICLE: In his book, "A Philosophy of Fear," Svendsen notes "We seem to be obsessed with every conceivable danger. Fear has become a basic characteristic of our entire culture." In the past, fear was counterbalanced by hope and courage, which was celebrated so individuals were daring in the face of risks and the unknown. That courage, hope, and optimism that kept fear in check before is all but lost and, today, many of us live lives consumed by fear. Until the last half of the 20th century, it was common sense that many risks, motivations by noble enterprises or a spirit of adventure, were worth taking and required for developing character or achieving greatness. Now the risk-taker is often castigated as foolish and ...
Invoking blessings on the Prophet, known as salawat, is an integral part of prayer based on Qur'anic injunction: "Indeed Allah and His angels bless the Prophet! O you who believe, invoke ...
RT.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 2006: "Journalists transmit superficial rhetoric and slight underlying realities." ~~ While we normally do not post on political matters, we are posting on the situation in Ukraine because it is an invaluable case study about Big Tech and Western media.] ARTICLE: Recently, major Western media outlets ran stories about Ukraine's "Azov Batalion," trying to whitewash almost a decade of previous reporting that identified the unit's Nazi sympathies and ethos. Supposedly acting independently, they stuck to the same talking points and often the same verbiage, suggesting a concerted effort to spin the unit as heroic defenders of Ukraine. Contrast this to Western сoverage of Azov before 2022. Just last year, TIME magazine called them a militia that had "trained and inspired white supremacists from around the world." Elaborating that Azov founder, Andriy Biletsky, led a "neo-Nazi terrorist group" called Patriot of Ukraine, whose "manifesto seemed to pluck its narrative straight from Nazi ideology." This isn't the first time Western ...
OFF-GUARDIAN.ORG -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: While we normally do not post on political matters, we are posting on the situation in Ukraine because it is an invaluable case study about Big Tech and Western media.] ARTICLE: In the mainstream media coverage Russia's intervention in Ukraine, much attention has been paid to the "Ukrainian Resistance." This romanticised, Hollywood-style PR makeover of the Ukrainian military by the corporate media lies in stark contrast to their coverage of Ansar Allah, more commonly known as the Houthis, currently waging an armed resistance against Western-allied Saudi Arabia's seven-year long war and blockade on neighbouring Yemen -- leading to mass-starvation in what is already the most impoverished country on the Arabian Peninsula. For example, after airstrikes against a key Saudi oil refinery in Jeddah, contrast the noticeable absence of articles by the Western media celebrating the Yemeni resistance success against the might of Riyadh, with their coverage of "Ukraine's Resistance" and Russia. To understand this contrasting approach ...
GOOGLE.COM -- In Nairobi, when I was chairman of the Ismailia Students' Union (the publishers of "Zahur") and of the Aga Khan Library, I had published about half a dozen pamphlets about our faith, such as "Do you know your history?". When Mawlana Sultan Mohammed Shah visited the Library, he remarked that people did not have time to read big books, but such pamphlets were quickly read and, therefore, more effective. I have often heard people complaining that there is a control on writing in the Ismailia community. If there were, there would not have appeared 200 odd magazines mentioned. During several decades that I have been writing [1920-1970], not once was any of my articles checked, censored or rejected. On the contrary my comments and advice have been sought on the material meant for the press by the institutions and the officials of the community. I think it is necessary to add that ...
Understanding how body language and demeanour can be instrumental skills to upgrade especially when managing a team of people. If you enjoyed the session and want to be a part of Maaro Vyaapar, Maari Pragati 2.0 (MVMP 2.0), you can register for the upcoming sessions at the link below Sessions are held in Hindi and Gujrati, every alternate Sunday ...
Watch this inspirational talk by Prince Rahim Aga Khan as he explains the link between human health and the climate crisis and lays out a plan on how AKDN and AKU will be carbon neutral by 2030. Experts and stakeholders spoke at a seminar on 'Pakistan's Challenges of Climate Change, Health, and Nutrition in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals: Strategies for ...
ARCHDAILY.COM -- This intimate chapel for a religiously-oriented California high school is a restorative retreat; the rise of the sleekly articulated white concrete building is both icon and marker. Designed to serve the students, many of whom are low-income, the chapel, while belonging to a Catholic school, was considered as a spiritual space, one that invites the challenges and difficulties of young adulthood to be considered and processed in a sacred, silent, and light-filled space. An honesty of materials sets the tone for a space devoted to quiet for a community (high schoolers and their teachers) that can be otherwise bustling, noisy, and ...
ARCHDAILY.COM -- With the increasing Catholic community and tourists on Samui island, Suratthani, Bishop Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil decided build a new church and named it "Mary Help of Christian Church." The architect, inspired by the church's name, turned to the Holy Bible relating to holy Annunciation of Mary as inspiration for his design. From Luke 1:35 and 1:38, the appearance of the angel conveying the Holy message to Mary was humble, simple yet powerful. In designing the building, the architect conveys this message in a simple way with its internal space and light to create a feeling of security as in the mother womb. The building's exterior was designed in a combined form of praying hands, Angel wings and ...
ARCHDAILY.COM -- The new church is surrounded by secular residential buildings and so, responding to this contextual city fabric as well as the pastor's vision, the lower floors of the church are used as socializing spaces including a coffee shop and family-friendly book store, inviting the community in and knitting the church closely with the life of the neighborhood. While the dematerializing, white staircase leading to the sanctuary above transforms the spatial characteristic from the mundane to sanctified space by guiding the act of rising and turning through spilled natural light. The spiritual sanctuary is a raised two-story cubical volume illuminated by soft and sacred light filtered through the aluminum perforated screens on ...
Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. Photo: Alzheimer's Association. THE 34TH ANNUAL RITA HAYWORTH GALA, SATURDAY APRIL 23, 2022, HILTON CHICAGO (An in person event with Princess Yasmin in attendance) By SADRUDDIN NOORANI Member of the Rita Hayworth Gala Steering Committee "The fight to end Alzheimer's hasn't stopped, and neither have we" were the concluding words spoken by Princess Yasmin Aga Khan during the ...
Ramadan is a time to honour our bodies, health, and wellbeing while pursuing our spiritual quests. With expert guidance from registered dietitian, Shahzadi Devje (@desiliciousrd), discover how to eat healthy throughout ...
Afghanistan Conference 2022, 31 March 2022 - Prince Rahim Aga Khan today affirmed the "unfailing commitment of the Ismaili Imamat and the AKDN to the people of Afghanistan," at a virtual conference convened by UN Secretary General António Guterres to address the country's humanitarian crisis. Speaking on behalf of His Highness the Aga Khan, Prince Rahim urged the international community to ...
Portugal -- Since the 12th century fantastical tales of the Assassins, their mysterious leader and their remote mountain strongholds in Syria and northern Iran have captured the European imagination. These legends first emerged when European Crusaders in the Levant came into contact with the Syrian branch of the Nizari Ismailis, who at the behest of their leader were sent on dangerous ...
Portugal -- Desde o século XII que os contos de fantasia dos Assassinos, o seu misterioso líder e as suas remotas fortalezas montanhosas na Síria e no norte do Irão, capturam a imaginação europeia. Estas lendas surgiram quando os Cruzados Europeus do Levante entraram em contacto com o ramo sírio dos Nizari Ismailis, que a mando do seu líder foram enviados ...
Speaking on behalf of His Highness the Aga Khan, Prince Rahim urged the international community to act with generosity and speed "at a time when so many Afghans are in peril". ...
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of His Highness the Aga Khan, I thank the Governments of Germany, Qatar, the United Kingdom, as well as the United Nations, for convening this meeting at a time when so many Afghans are in peril. Since August, despite huge challenges, in cooperation with UN agencies, the Aga Khan Development Network has maintained its life-saving work across Afghanistan: ...
Global -- Afghanistan is at a critical point in its history. Since 1990, the country's Human Development Index score has increased by almost 70 per cent despite numerous political and security uncertainties. However, this progress faces an existential challenge following the collapse of the government on 15 August 2021. The resulting social, economic, and political shocks have had serious repercussions for ...
By: Sadruddin Noorani, Chicago, USA In the Holy Qur'an (2:185), Allah, says: "Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also as clear ...
One of the most important female figures for the roles of women is Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija. She was born around 604 CE in Mecca, the youngest of three sisters: Zaynab, Ruqayya, and Umm Kulthum. Hazrat Fatima was reportedly close to her father. When the Prophet emigrated (hijra) to Medina in 622 CE initiating ...
NATIONALPOST.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 2006: "Our goal, then, is not to provide special education for a privileged elite -- but to provide an exceptional education for the truly exceptional."] ARTICLE: Most educators strive to further student excellence. Absurdly, the Vancouver School Board is doing the opposite. Under what has now become the idolatrous trinity of diversity, inclusion and equity, the school board has chopped classes for those who are gifted in mathematics and science. They chopped the honours English program five years ago. The children of other nations, particularly poorer nations, are not shunting their brightest and best off to some sidecar of mediocrity. They appreciate talent; they applaud excellence. The school board is also cutting all sports programs and competitions. They will also end all coaching for students who show special skills at hockey, track and field, wrestling and ping pong. "Sports competitions are ... deeply at variance with equity and inclusion goals." said one staff member. I wonder ...
INDEPENDENT.ORG -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 2005: "The reality is that not all students are created equal intellectually."] ARTICLE: The proposed California Math Framework states "We reject ideas of natural gifts and talents." It repeatedly recommends teachers use the troubling document, "A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction" which states that (a) forthrightly addressing students' mistakes, (b) a focus on "getting the right answer," (c) requiring students "show their work" and (d) grading them on demonstrated knowledge are all indicators of "white supremacy in the mathematics classroom." The manual also says that "the concept of mathematics being purely objective is unequivocally false" and that "upholding the idea that there are always right and wrong answers perpetuates 'objectivity.' " The framework rejects preparing students for Algebra I in 8th grade. Students in Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan master Algebra I in 8th grade or even ...
Tasbih, a set of 33, 66 or 99 prayer beads used as a counting aid to recite the Names of Allah. Tasbih is a devotional song composed by Salim-Sulaiman featuring Ustad ...
Three yearlings for sale in partnership with Arrowfield. Buyers at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale will get the chance to buy into the bloodlines of the Aga Khan, as three yearlings will be up for auction in partnership with Arrowfield Stud. This partnership has most famously produced exciting young sire THE AUTUMN SUN, a five-time Group 1 winner and record breaker ...
Events -- 28th April 2022 -- Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series Register to attend this lecture. What is Soul and what is Soul's domain? In many respects these two ideas formed one of the starting points of debates and discussions in the classical and medieval periods of Islamic intellectual history, especially in the works authored by scholars affiliated with the Fāṭimid ...
![Nizamuddin Basti Renewal Project - Sustainable Development of a 700-Year Old Culture Hub [by Aga Khan Trust for Culture] @TravelSeeWrite @NandaRatish](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/d8b0f61006-1024x563.jpeg)
Archana Singh: Nizamuddin Basti Renewal project has created a blueprint on how organisations can use conservation for people's social and economic upliftment. Image: Archana Singh Named after the Sufi saint Hazrat ...
RT.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 1967: Western societies "face social and moral conflicts far more daunting than Asia or Africa.... It is my deepest conviction that if Islamic society is to avoid following blindly the course of Western society without taking the trouble to raise guards against the latter's weaknesses and deficiencies, a thorough rediscovery, revitalisation and reintegration of our traditional values must be achieved." ~~ Hazar Imam, 2001: "[In Islam, marriage] is a contract between a man and a woman."] ARTICLE: Russia's Ministry of Culture published a draft order setting out "traditional values" that must be protected from encroachment by foreign ideas amid a "global crisis" for public morality. The document provides "the foundations of government policy for protecting and strengthening traditional Russian spiritual and moral values" such as "a strong family and prioritizing the spiritual over the material." Last month, President Putin told journalists that he "sincerely hopes that our society has the moral armor to protect us against" progressive Western ideas infiltrating Russia. Following a nationwide vote, he signed a series of constitutional reforms including the stipulation that marriage is defined solely as a union between a man and a woman. In 2013 ...
AZQUOTES.COM -- "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations." -- George Orwell ...
Dubawi colt remains unbeaten. Beautifully bred three-year-old EREVANN made a winning start to 2022 in the hotly contested Prix Comrade at Saint-Cloud finishing ahead of Haya Zark, a son of ZARAK. His trainer Jean-Claude Rouget said after the race: "I've always liked this colt: he is a nice horse, easy-going and he finishes his races well. He's by Dubawi out of ...
THEEPOCHTIMES.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 2016: "Often, we find it easier to define our identity by what we are against, than by what we are for."] ARTICLE: Cancel culture penalises anyone with views not approved by the left. Now, it's targeting the whole of Russia and all things Russian. Besides America, Western countries are all getting into the game. One of the world's great chess players was banned because he supports the Russian president, people, and army. If India invaded Pakistan -- rightly or wrongly -- 99% of Indians will support the Indian prime minister, people and army. An international cat federation has banned Russian cats and a global tree festival has banned a tree planted almost two centuries ago by a great Russian writer. There is something comic in all this. Will all this virtue signalling really make Putin change his mind? Why should the Russian people ...
