News story -- The twelfth Summer Programme on Islam was held at York University in Toronto, Canada, from 11 - 17 August 2014. Twenty-nine participants from 10 countries, including Angola, Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States of America participated in the seven-day programme. The programme faculty included scholars from the IIS as well ...
News story -- The Central Asian Studies Unit (CASU) of the IIS, in collaboration with the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (IOM) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), St. Petersburg, Russia, has published Russian Scholars on Ismailism edited by Stanislav Prozorov and Hakim Elnazarov, Co-ordinator of CASU. This volume presents the proceedings of the conference entitled Ismaili Traditions and Spirituality of the ...
The opening of the Aga Khan Museum to the public on September 18, 2014 has just been announced. To mark this special announcement, we repost below two winning essays by Emmanuel Iduma of Nigeria and Zohra Nizamdin of the USA from Simerg's essay competition on the subject "Why I am Excited About the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their ...
Ten yearlings sold with a top price of 700,000 Euros. Stallion of the moment SEA THE STARS proved a hit at Arqana's August yearling Sale this weekend, with his ten yearlings sold amassing a total of 3,260,000 Euros, the highest turnover of any stallion in the catalogue. The Gilltown sire boasts an average of 326,000 Euros, more than double the sale ...
Toronto, Canada, 18 August 2014 - The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, which is dedicated to presenting an overview of the artistic, intellectual and scientific contributions that Muslim civilisations have made to world heritage, will open its doors to the public on the 18th of September. The Museum's Permanent Collection of over 1,000 objects includes masterpieces that reflect a broad range ...
Next month the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park are expected to be officially opened. In anticipation of this landmark event, NanoWisdoms is pleased to present The Road to Toronto in which, each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of this multi-faceted institution. This week's instalment is on the intellectual aspect and the Aga Khan Museum. ...
Standing outside the city, Muhammad looked back lovingly on Mecca and said: "Of all God's earth, you are the dearest place unto me, and the dearest unto God. Had not my people driven me out from you, I would not have left you."...Read more....The Quintessential Marking Point of Islamic History A photo taken in 1889 showing a view of the city ...
Canada -- Toronto, 18 August 2014 - The Aga Khan Museum announced today that it will open its doors to the public on Thursday, 18 September. The announcement also coincided with the launch of the museum's website. Visitors will be able to explore a collection of over 1 000 objects, representing more than ten centuries of human history and a geographic ...
Rachael Kohn: Hello, this is "The Ark", and I am Rachael Kohn. A thousand years ago a Persian poet defied the conventions of the day. His name was Nasir Khusraw, an Ismaili Muslim, a branch of Shi'a Islam. Instead of lavishing praise on the sultan or his horse, he praised learning and spiritual purity.....Click to read the Australian broadcaster's interview with ...
Arusha, Tanzania, 14 August 2014 - The Board of Trustees of the Aga Khan University (AKU) last week concluded a week of meetings in Tanzania. ...
News story -- Shi'i Muslims have contributed significantly over the course of Muslim history to the richness and diversity of Islamic traditions, enabling Muslims to evolve and flourish as a major world civilisation. Until the middle of the 20th century, however, systematic progress in Islamic studies had not led to any significant improvement in the scholarly investigation of Shi'i Islam and its ...
Next month the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park are expected to be officially opened. In anticipation of this landmark event, NanoWisdoms is pleased to launch The Road to Toronto. Each week we'll focus on a different aspect of this multi-faceted institution, starting this week with the spiritual and the Ismaili Centre. When opened, the Ismaili Centre, ...
"I will offer two rather different case studies of efforts by agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network to make more effective use of the Internet for educational purposes. "The first is a project to develop a World Wide Web based resource to enrich the information available for architectural students, teachers, scholars and professionals interested in architecture in the Islamic world. ...
"Transatlantic convergence? Immigrant integration in Canada and Europe" - Keith Banting from the department of Policy Studies at Queen's University spoke at the Global Centre for Pluralism's first Pluralism Forum, April 4, 2012 ...
"Post-immigration 'difference' and integration" - Professor Tariq Modood from the Sociology, Politics and International Studies program at the University of Bristol, spoke at the Global Centre for Pluralism's first Pluralism Forum, April 4, 2012 ...
After the Global Centre for Pluralism's first Pluralism Forum on April 4, 2012, moderator Susan Harada, from the department of Journalism at Carleton University, moderated a Q & A session with Will Kymlicka, Keith Banting, and Tariq Modood on pluralism in Europe and Canada. ...
" La différence et l'intégration après l'immigration " -- Le professeur Tariq Modood du programme de sociologie, de politique et d'études internationales de l'Université de Bristol a parlé lors du premier Forum du Centre mondial du pluralisme le 4 avril 2012. ...
Former Governor General and board member Adrienne Clarkson delivered the closing remarks at the Global Centre for Pluralism's inaugural Annual Lecture on May 28, 2012 ...
BY RAHIM KHOJA Head banners forming the Brazilian flag in the Pelourinho district in Salvador, Bahia.Photo: Rahim Khoja Ten years ago I was travelling to Portugal and when I arrived, the Euro Cup was going on. What resulted in my 2 weeks in Portugal was one of the best times of my life. That same year I was in South ...
Dalakhani also on Stakes scoresheet during a fruitful weekend for Aga Khan stallions. The Aga Khan Studs have enjoyed a productive weekend with Stakes successes for SIYOUNI and The Aga Khan Studs have enjoyed a productive weekend with Stakes successes for DALAKHANI. Exciting first season sire SIYOUNI maintained his momentum as leading European freshman stallion as his unbeaten daughter Ervedya lifted ...
Kabul, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 5 August 2014 - The Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the University of Central Asia (UCA), which is part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase the capacity of civil servants in Afghanistan through UCA's Local Economic and Community Development ...
Durban, South Africa, 4 August 2014 - The exhibition "Building for a Better Life" opened at the Union of International Architects' World Congress today. The exhibition includes a survey of programmes of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) that seek to have a positive impact on the built environment. The exhibition includes the winners of the 2013 Aga Khan Award for ...
BY NADIM PABANI 1. INTRODUCTION "We ought not to be ashamed of appreciating the truth and of acquiring it wherever it comes from, even if it comes from races distant and nations different from us..." -- Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi (c. 800-866) 1.1. The Spirit of Free Inquiry in Islam These words, uttered by one of the greatest Islamic ...
As part of one of our previous annual anniversary series, we had asked our readers to tell us how a particular Jamatkahana has impacted their lives. Links to some of the reflections that we published are provided below. Ismailis and Toronto residents alike eagerly await and are excited about the opening of the new Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Toronto, along ...
Editor’s note:Allison Wallace of Australia recently shared with us photos of His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to the Aga Khan Primary School, Nairobi, (see link at bottom of this page), which she discovered in the collection of her mother, Mrs. Jean Kirk, who passed away earlier this year. Among the photos we published from the album of the school’s ...
"Manly bravery' is a general term embracing all other qualities." Hazrat Ali Maxims of Ali "Bravery is a resplendent honour, and cowardice a visible degradation." Hazrat Ali Maxims of Ali "When things become clear, you realise that lying goes with cowardice, and truthfulness with courage, and ease with despair, and weariness with covetousness, and deprivation with greed, and humiliation with debt. ...
The NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat Speeches, Interviews and Writings wishes all Eid Mubarak (click on the image to view the card). In keeping with the theme of our card, we would like to share with you some of our favourite quotes from the Imamat on moral courage and character: If this is your first visit to the Archive, we invite you ...
Editor's note:Among the photos we recently published of His Highness the Aga Khan's visit to the Aga Khan Primary School, Nairobi (see link at bottom of this page), was a unique, previously unpublished portrait of the Aga Khan. We are pleased to inform readers that the photographer of that portrait, Sarfraz Sadaruddin of Vancouver, Canada, has approached us and generously provided ...
Simerg rejoices with its readers all over the world on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Fitr and invites you to send a festive card to your family members and friends through the official website of the Ismaili community by clicking on or the image below. The Ismaili website contains varying themes for its eCards including a wonderful selection of images ...
United Kingdom -- London, 22 July 2014 - British Muslims and friends of the community gathered at West London Jamatkhana yesterday evening, where the Ismaili Muslim community hosted an Iftar dinner. The fast-breaking meal was part of The Big Iftar, an initiative of the Government of the United Kingdom to promote neighborliness and strengthen community relations by sharing a meal. "I've ...
News story -- Dr Stephen Burge, who specialises in the religious works of al-Suyuti in the Institute's Qur'anic Studies Unit, attended the School of Mamluk Studies Conference which was held in Venice on 22-25 June 2014. Each year the conference devotes one day to focus on a particular figure or theme within Mamluk Studies. This year's focus was on the life and ...
"....when it comes to being the first Pakistani woman and the first Ismaili woman to put the nation's flag and the Ismaili Imamat red and green flag on top of the world, one cannot adequately express the feeling. It is indeed a BLESSING of a life time! We did bring the flag back, and with all love and respect, sent it ...
1. THE OTTAWA JAMATKHANA Hundreds of Ismailis come by the busloads and personal automobiles to visit Ottawa during the summer months - for many the primary destinations are the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building and the beautiful new Ottawa Jamatkhana which opened exactly a year ago, on July 19, 2013. The visitors marvel at the Ottawa Jamatkhana's spacious facilities for ...
"The day begins for me -- as it has begun since my early youth -- at 4 A.M. I wake up automatically about that time and spend the first hour -- between four and five -- at intense prayer. There are no statues in my bedroom but a special prayer carpet is always prepared and my tasbee, my rosary, is always ...
According to Muslim tradition, the Prophet Muḥammad received the first revelations of the Holy Qur'ān on the Night of Power (laylat al-qadr) which is vividly described in the sūrahs below: Verily, We sent it down in the Night of Power And how can we tell you what is the Night of Power? The Night of Power is greater than a thousand ...
Layla tul Qadr - The Night of Power and Destiny | Ismaili Web Amaana. On this blessed Night of Power, on Saturday July 19, 2014, Ramadan 23, 1435, let us strive to earn the Grace of our Lord and receive the Baraqah (blessings) to receive the Light and the Peace, Ameen, so we can know ourselves and know our Lord! ...
BY KARIMA MAGHRABY (Additional material compiled by Simerg) In his Khamsa, Shab-i Qadr (the Night of Power), the renowned Persian poet Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (d. 1325 CE) tells the story of a saint who made a failed attempt to stay awake until the Laylat al-Qadr. This image is taken from a folio in the Aga Khan Museum collection; the Toronto museum ...
News story -- The conference entitled Education in Asia: What Global Issues? was held in Serve, France, on 12-14 June, 2014 to mark the 20th anniversary of their tri-annual journal,Revue Internationale d'Education de Sevres (RIES). At the conference, Dr Datoo presented a case-study on education in Pakistan in a workshop setting with the assigned theme The Narratives and Discourses Shaping Education. Dr ...
"In the early hours of July 11, the Aga's heart-beat weakened. Aly and Sadruddin were summoned to the Barakat but their dying father could no longer speak. Karim came and the Begum was still keeping up her vigil. Four doctors were in attendance and nurses left the sick-room only to change their clothes or take a bite. At midday, the Aga ...
July is the 7th month, 49th Imam is 7 times 7. It's been 7 years since the Golden Jubilee. This is the 57th anniversary of Imamat Day. He became an Imam in 1957! 2014 - 14 is 7 times 2. This picture was taken on July 7th when Queen Elizabeth II hosted a dinner at Buckingham Palace to mark the Golden ...
