The Aga Khan explains that in Islam, the objective of poverty-alleviation programmes, and, more generally, all forms of generosity, is to help individuals enjoy the dignity of self-sufficiency and independence. "[Charity] is a word that we do not like. Islam has a very clear message about the different forms of generosity. There is that with regard to the poor, which takes ...
An Introduction to the Ode In its entirety, Pir Hasan Kabirdin's composition Anant Akhado is a description, perhaps historical, perhaps extrapolated, of the meaning of life from a Greater Bird's Eye view. That is, life is not merely as we see it. The allusion to batin (hidden or esoteric) is continual. Through 500 verses, of which the Nav chugga (the Nine ...
"Let me mention just five of the most important ways in which the School, we hope, will be truly distinctive.... "In the first place, the School will work on the newest frontiers of media technology, with state-of-the-art equipment and innovative pedagogies ... This does not mean that we will ignore old skills and values. Our core concern must always be the ...
By Nurin Merchant Happy Father's Day Card for my Dad. Ottawa, Sunday June 17, 2012; sunny, 30 degrees C. Our day commenced at Chapters in the South Keys Mall on Bank Street. But just before then, I had presented my dad with an artistic card for Father's day and a nicely packed gift box that was a little too heavy for ...
"The real question that Islam asks an individual is not whether he is rich but 'If you have the resources, what are you doing with them?' And the answer lies not in what one owns but, according to the ethics of Islam, how one uses it. The Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan (who died in July 2000) provided a worthy example. ...
Runners Nash Pradhan and Dan McCormack ran in support of the Aga Khan Development Network. Dressed as characters from the video game Super Mario Brothers, they set a new Guinness world record and achieved their goal of raising funds for the Khorog Diagnostic Unit in Tajikistan. On a sunny Sunday in April, Nash Pradhan and Dan McCormack overcame punishing distances and ...
Rajiv Mehrotra: Have you come up against any sort of, against any resistance or obstacles not just in India, but in your work, the fact that you represent a faith in which you are an Imam? Aga Khan: Oh I am sure there are visions of "who I am" and "what I do" which are not always favourable, but I think ...
By Muslim and Nevin Harji Exclusive to Simerg During the past 8 years, we have visited dozens of cities in over forty countries all around the world. We have to say that the magical quality of the Old City of Jerusalem is unsurpassable. Perhaps it is due to the glorious history of the towering stone walls and ancient buildings, or the ...
Supplemented Valyra offers H.H. the Aga Khan a seventh Prix de Diane. The Aga Khan Studs demonstrated once again the quality of their breeding and racing system in France's premier fillies' Classic on Sunday with the smooth success of VALYRA. She recorded a record seventh victory in the Prix de Diane for the famous green and red silks during the last ...
Nairobi, Kenya, 18 June 2012 -- Serena Hotels is the 2012 winner of the coveted African Business Award in the "Best Hospitality, Travel and Tourism in Africa" category. Serena Hotels was recognized for "branding its country or region as an attractive tourism destination in Africa, ultimately benefitting the African tourism industry and the continent as a whole". The criteria for the ...
"Much of the world's attention is periodically focused on the phenomenon of so-called failed states. But of the global threats that face us today, apart from nuclear war or HIV/AIDS, the most preoccupying is not failed states. It is the failure of democracy. The global picture at the beginning of the 21st century is a story of failed democracies in the ...
[Google translation] When I was asked to participate in the rescue of the racetrack [at Chantilly], I immediately thought it would be possible to improve the entire area. There were several agencies that were involved in this wonderful site, but the components were neither organized nor productive. We created the Foundation for the preservation and development of the field of Chantilly ...
"The Institute of Islamic Civilisations in London will give expression to our University's Islamic character, in an international context. Its programmes are quite distinctive. IIC will create an index of published works on Islamic civilisations in various languages, write abstracts and translate them into the major scholarly languages, and distribute the abstracts globally on the World Wide Web. This unique facility, ...
Stakes success for Sharestan and Alanza, in addition to seven further wins. H.H. the Aga Khan's representatives are currently enjoying a fine streak of form, with the stable collecting nine victories in the last six days, including two at Stakes level. ALANZA's winning performance in the Gr 3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown is the highlight of the week so far, which ...
"Usually when we comment on buildings, we criticise the architect and design team for the result. We seldom take into account the role the private patron, government body, or planning authority has played in the realisation of that project. Thus it is not only the design professional who must be encouraged, but also the other decision makers who must seek contemporary ...
Javed Jabber: As the unique international personality of our times, you have been able to visit different countries in the Third World. You are able to gain a special insight into different aspects of development that face the Third World. Of all the problems that confront us in Asia and Africa, such as medical care, nutrition, literacy, education, employment, would you ...
Abstract: Miraj-e-Rasul falls on the 27th night of the Muslim month of Rajab (which, in 2016, falls on Wednesday, May 4th). The Qur'an states that on this night, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) was transported from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then taken to the heavens until he came to the Lote Tree (see note 4 below) before finally reaching the Divine Throne. ...
More future stars in Arqana catalogue. The Aga Khan Studs will be strongly represented at Arqana's forthcoming Summer Sale, held this year in Deauville on 4th and 5th July. A total of 19 Aga Khan-bred horses in training are entered in the catalogue which last year produced future talented hurdlers Ranjaan, Darroun, Kazlian and Divapour. Among those to have already tasted ...
Ridasiyna takes Prix Melisande and Sharestan wins the Silver Stakes. Some promising Aga Khan Studs three-year-olds picked up black-type on Friday as RIDASIYNA (Motivator) won the Listed Prix Melisande and KARATASH (Halling) finished third in the Listed Nijinsky Stakes just ahead of stablemate Aklan (Dalakhani). All three were making just their second racecourse appearance and should still have plenty of progress ...
Olivier Galibert of France spent three weeks in Tajikistan in July 2010 to participate in a caving expedition in the Pamir and visited Rangkul Skaja, the 5th highest cave in the world at 4600 m. He met many people along the way in the Wakhan corridor, the Panj valley and Murghab, and took their portrait photos with his D700 nikon + ...
By Muslim and Nevin Harji (Special to Simerg) CONGREGATION-SPACE (I) A view of the main entrance hall of the Ismaili Centre, Dubai, which draws architectural inspiration from the Fatimid mosques in Cairo. At the centre of the colourfully patterned marble floor is an ornamental fountain crafted from a solid block of Carrara marble. Photo: Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ. Copyright. "The congregational ...
West Africa, 3-6 June 2012 - During an Aga Khan Award for Architecture conference on the state of architecture in Africa, the ArchiAfrika Educational Network was launched. The Network connects professionals, scholars and others working on the African built environment. The conference, held in cooperation with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, was attended by 13 schools of architecture ...
Queen Elizabeth II in her coronation robes, 2 June 1953. Photo: Wikipedia By Ameer Janmohamed The population of these islands is caught up in the celebrations and excitement relating to the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We have a virtual close down of shops and offices as the nation embarks on four days of festivities beginning Saturday June ...
By Barnaby Rogerson Special to Simerg At the very moment of Muhammad's death the two traditions of Islam each branch out with their own rival stories. The Sunni believe that the Prophet died resting on the lap of Aisha. The Shia believe that he expired leaning against the shoulder of Ali. This contradiction is emblematic of the whole schism within Islam ...
Yaum e-Ali - The Birth Anniversary of Imam Ali (a.s.) This panel praises Hazrat Ali and his famous double-edged sword with the topmost statement executed in black ink: "There is no victory except 'Ali and there is no sword except Dhu al-Fiqar (la fath ila 'Ali, la sayf ila Dhu al-Fiqar). Image: Wikipedia Commons The birthday anniversary of Hazrat Imam Ali ...
INTRODUCTION: Nahj al-Balaghah is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Arabic prose. The hundreds of sayings, sermons, letters and speeches which appear in the book are attributed to Hazrat Ali. The work is difficult to translate, yet by carefully reading through the book one comes across passages that will appeal to everyone, including children and young adults. This is a ...
Another Classic contender for Aga Khan Studs. SAGAWARA added her name to the Aga Khan Studs' possible Classic contenders on Sunday with victory in the Gr 1 Prix Saint-Alary. The stable will be represented by Kesampour (King's Best) in the Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday, while SAGAWARA (Shamardal) and the promising Valyra (Azamour) are likely to join Dalkala (Giant's Causeway) ...
In the course of my work over the past half-century, I have become convinced that finding ways for diverse societies to live peacefully together is one of the principal challenges of the contemporary world. It has led me to the conclusion that pluralism as an ethic of respect for diversity is an essential building block of successful and prosperous societies. Her ...
By Shariffa Keshavjee (Special to Simerg) A stunning view of the Indian Ocean from the roof-top of the Bagamoyo Jamatkhana. Please click on photo for enlargement. Photo: Shariffa Keshavjee, Nairobi, Kenya. Copyright. When I was a little girl, one of my favourite pastimes was to be in the presence of adult company. As the youngest in the family I was too ...
Editor's note: The first two sets of photographs from The Ismaili collection of the late Master Khimani, pictured at left with his wife, were described by Simerg's readers as brilliant, very impressive and a veritable treasure trove. One reader from Mwanza, Tanzania, wrote: "Thanks to the Khimani Family for preserving these historical magazines and photos, some of which relate to Sir ...
Global -- Mawlana Hazar Imam visited the Far East Jamat in Singapore, during which he met with a number of the country's leaders. A Jamati institutional dinner was hosted in Hazar Imam's honour, featuring a performance by Ismaili youth that illustrated some of the cultures of the Far East. ...
Don Cayo: You mentioned standing up for Canadian values, and I think certainly your own agency stands up for the values that are important to your religion. It strikes me that sometimes these conflict with local cultures and values. Take the position of women -- a lot of societies in various parts of the world have historically marginalised women. The development ...
The late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan with Secretary-General U Thant at his home on 23 June 1971. Photo: Teddy Chan, United Nations. The late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, as Mohezin Tejani noted in his Thank You letter published earlier as part of Simerg's Thanking Ismaili Historical Figures, was "a man for all seasons." Tejani thanked the late Prince for his multifarious ...
Healthy Hints If you want to make this dish healthier, try using olive oil instead of butter and a reduced salt stock cube. Adding some vegetables, such as peas, would help to give balance and make this into a main meal soup. 50 g butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 tsp crushed garlic 2 medium sweet potato, cubed 2 medium ...
Editor's note: Our readers described the first piece of this series on historical photos from the collection of the Late Master Khimani as a veritable treasure trove, excellent and amazing, rare and inspiring. One reader noted, "these brought back lots of past memories of our forefathers and elders almost a century ago." Simerg is pleased to present the second set of ...
"I would now like to shift to another area of great importance for higher education in the developing world. Here I refer to the rapid advances in communications and information technology of the last ten to fifteen years that have opened up the prospect of dramatically expanding international linkages and the reach of educational programmes in both spatial and temporal terms. ...
The late Rai Sadruddin Khimani (19 May 1917 - 15 September 2011) and his beloved wife Raibanoo Malek Khimani (28 April 1919 - 17 November 1997) were affectionately known as "Master" and "Masi" by the South African Ismaili Jamat, which they served for a period of 36 years from 1944-1981. Photo: The Khimani Family Collection, Vancouver, Canada. Master Khimani: A Man ...
London, United Kingdom, 16-18 May 2012 - The conference "Musical Geographies of Central Asia" explored the musical geographies of Central Asia, focusing on regionalism and borders. It provided a forum for an international group of scholars to discuss a spectrum of musical practices in Central Asia in relation to geopolitics, cultural ideology, localism, nationalism, cosmopolitanism and globalization. The geographical area covered ...
16-18 May 2012 at University of London's Senate House (The conference, which is open to the public, will conclude with a concert of Central Asian music at SOAS's Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre on 18 May 2012 at 7.30 pm) London, UK, 16 May 2012 - The Aga Khan Music Initiative (AKMI) and the University of London's School of Oriental and African ...
The crucial role of early Ismaili migrants to Africa in identifying the needs of the community, mobilizing resources, and taking the steps to build the foundations for a strong socio-economic infra-structure have over the past century resulted in a fairer, more resourceful and productive Ismaili community. In this continuing series on Thank You Letters to Ismaili Historical Figures, Salim J. Kanji ...
