The logo of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, shown above and in the photos produced on this page, was designed by Karl Schlamminger, a German Muslim of the Shia tradition. The Name of Allah in Kufic* Script, reflecting Itself and repeating Itself, forms the basis of the logo design. Mr. Schlamminger also designed the prayer hall of the Ismaili Centre ...
Hodja: A Fool or Intelligent? The Hodja had already become a sort of attraction at the main market in the town. Whenever he went there to beg, people would show him a large coin and a small one: Hodja always chose the small one. A generous man who was tired of seeing everyone laugh at the Mulla, explained to him: "When ...
The Umayyad Caliphate integrated the Peninsula to a vast transcontinental empire which, from Baghdad to Cordoba, was the focal point of human civilisation during a period of European obscurity. Muslim Spain transmitted to the West many of the literary and scientific works of antiquity, which had been lost at the fall of the Roman Empire. Classical texts, recuperated in the Alexandria ...
....As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith. "....I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims ...
News story -- Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a well known Muslim scholar, is professor of Islamic Studies at the George Washington University. Mahdi Aminrazavi is professor of philosophy and religion at the University of Mary Washington and the Director of its Middle Eastern Studies programme. The texts translated and introduced here are limited to Persia proper, and exclude works written in Persian in ...
Madrid, Spain, 4 June 2009- Inauguration of the exhibition "The Islamic Worlds in the Aga Khan Museum Collection" at CaixaForum Madrid. The aim of the exhibition, organised by "la Caixa" Social and Cultural Outreach Projects and devoted to ancient cultures, is to show how people from different times and places have confronted major global concerns and also to widen our own ...
An open book spills out words across the banner. These words represent the voices of individuals around the world and the insight everyone has to share. As they flow, the bearer of light casts out rays of light beams from the lamp, enlightening all who seek wisdom and a comforting place. A note on the words in the banner (some partially ...
The Shangrila built by Doris Duke is now a museum showcasing her unique collection of Islamic Art. Photo: Smithsonian Magazine, Copyright. In 1938, American tobacco heiress Doris Duke embarked on one of her periodic shopping trips to Europe and Asia. Then 25, "the richest girl in the world"--as newspapers had dubbed her when she was a child--was eagerly acquiring antiques and ...
Jimmy Carter aspired to make Government "competent and compassionate," responsive to the American people and their expectations. His achievements were notable, but in an era of rising energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions, it was impossible for his administration to meet these high expectations. Carter, who has rarely used his full name-James Earl Carter, Jr.-was born October 1, 1924, in ...
Aly Sunderji wants to start a society of Ismaili poets from diverse backgrounds Profile: A Culinary Artist by profession, and a poet and lyricist by interest, Aly Sunderji's poetic inspirations have come from the literary works of the Sufi Mystics. The Author of "A Spirit to be Reckoned With" he is currently working on his next chapbook which is expected to ...
News story -- In her talk, Dr. Bauer explored the methods of interpretation as developed by pre-modern interpreters, and contrasted them with their actual practice in interpreting specific verses. As an illustration, she focused on a portion of Quranic verse 4:34, deemed ambiguous by pre-modern exegetes (mufassirun), that deals with an aspect of the relationship between men and women. Because the interpreters ...
...The Qur'an and Zulfiqar The Qur'an and the pure sword of Haydar - these are the two foundations of the faith of Muhammad. For he, 'Ali, stood with his sword Dhu'l-faqar*, drawn in every battle on the right hand of Muhammad. Ali's rank in the faith was like Aaron to Moses, for he was both the peer and companion of Muhammad. ...
Healthy Hints Cut down the oil to about half the amount, use less salt and try adding some vegetables to give you more fibre and anti-oxidant vitamins. 500 ml water 450 g lean lamb 3 cardamom 1 tsp salt 5 tsp fresh garlic, crushed 5 tsp fresh ginger, crushed 5 tbsp sunflower oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds ...
Healthy Hints Dhals, beans and lentils are particularly helpful in diabetes because they are slowly digested and help to keep your blood glucose (sugar) levels steady. 100 g (½ cup) split lentil 50 g (¼ cup) split green gram, skinless 2½ tbsp pigeon peas 2 tbsp whole black gram 1 pinch asafoetida ½ tsp turmeric, ground 1 tsp salt 2 cm ...
Healthy Hints Fried onions, beef stock as well as salt, and 5 tbsp of oil - it's hardly surprising that pilau gets a lot of red lights. Yet this is a dish you might be eating once a week. So choose a healthier option by avoiding the stock cube, using less oil, garnishing with fresh coriander instead of fried onions, and ...
Healthy Hints Go easy! Choose lean meat and less oil. Also, adding some lentils or vegetables will make it go further so you could end up with this recipe serving four people - that would make it much healthier. 5 tbsp corn oil 1 small onion, chopped 5 tsp fresh ginger, crushed 2 green chilli, chopped 1 tsp fresh garlic, crushed ...
Healthy Hints Good nutrition isn't just about calories. When you make dhal, you often feel you need to add a lot of salt, probably more than the amount in this recipe. Start to gradually reduce the amount of salt you use in cooking. Remember you get far too much salt from bought and processed foods, so make adjustments in your home ...
Healthy Hints Okra (bhindi) contains a special fibre which has been shown to help keep blood sugar levels steady in diabetes. So, it's a healthy food but traditionally bhindi is cooked in a large amount of oil. Try this recipe instead. Note that recipes from the British Heart Foundation don't use salt so if you add any, you could change the ...
Healthy Hints Dhal is a very healthy food, so don't be too put off by the warning above. All you need to do is replace the ghee with a tablespoon of healthier fats like rapeseed, canola, corn or sunflower oil. This will reduce the amount of saturated fat you get in a serving, helping you keep an eye on your blood ...
Healthy Hints Try baking the fish in the masala - you won't need oil or fried onions. A sprinkling of salt should be enough for two servings. 200 g (7 oz) frozen coley fish, defrosted 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 tsp fresh garlic, crushed 150 g (5 oz) tinned tomato ...
Healthy Hints Although this recipe suggests you boil the vegetables first, this isn't good practice nutritionally, as it results in losses of vitamin C. Instead, add the vegetables with the boiled potatoes at point 3, and cook until tender, but not mushy. 3 medium potato, peeled and diced 250 g (9 cups) frozen mixed vegetable 3 tbsp sunflower oil 1 medium ...
Healthy Hints Lamb biryani is usually served on special occasions, but think about what else you may be eating at that meal. A samosa or two, perhaps? Two would add an average of about 300 extra calories! Try making biryani with less oil - no need to fry the potatoes and garam masala, and use lean meat. 1 kg (2.2 lb) ...
Healthy Hints Choose the leanest meat you can afford. You can get minced beef at around 5-10 per cent fat, so do ask your butcher or supermarket. Traditional kebabs are often deep fried. This is a much healthier recipe as the kebabs brown just as well when baked in the oven. And the bonus is your clothes won't smell of all ...
Healthy Hints Choose lean meat, throw away the meat juices after boiling and replace the ghee with a tablespoon of rapeseed or canola oil if you need it. Get into the habit of measuring added salt and aim for ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt for a curry that serves 4 people. 1 kg lamb chop, lean 3 small tomato, chopped ...
Author Shafique Virani Flown to Iran as a Guest of State "None of that people should be spared, not even the babe in its cradle" .....but a 'silenced' community emerges stronger than ever Shafique Virani's recent book, The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation, has been attracting a lot of attention. The work received ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Measuring the amount of oil you add is the first step to helping you cut down on added fat. This recipe uses 3 tablespoons for 4 people which is actually quite a lot, but likely to be less than a traditional recipe. Notice that the potatoes are unpeeled -- this gives you added fibre and saves ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Add your favourite vegetables to this dish and you get even more nutrients. Choose a low salt soy sauce to make this healthier. 200 g (2 cups) broccoli floret, 5-6cm/2" inch long 2 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil 1 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced 2 fresh green chilli, finely chopped 2 ...
Healthy Hints Chicken without the skin and low fat natural yogurt are the keys to success in this healthier version of a korma-type dish. You don't need oil to cook the onions and the tip to add some water if they start to burn is something you could try with other dishes too. 225 ml (8 oz) natural yoghurt, (low fat) ...
Healthy Hints This recipe uses flavourful fresh coconut. Small amounts of fresh coconut on occasion is fine, but be careful not to use creamed coconut in recipes too often -- it is higher in unhealthy saturated fats. 8 pomfret 4 tbsp lemon juice 60 g (3¾ cups) coriander, chopped 4 fresh green chilli, roughly chopped 60 g (¾ cup) fresh coconut, ...
Healthy Hints For a pilau dish, this actually isn't bad at all. But note that it is meant as an accompaniment when the whole recipe serves 12. If you have a larger portion size, saturated fat, calories, and so on, will be higher. Serve with healthy dhal, low fat natural yogurt and salad. 4 tbsp vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped ...
Healthy Hints No-one needs a dietitian to tell them that this kheer isn't for you if you're watching your weight! Best saved for special occasions. But you could try making a healthier version - choose skimmed milk, a little honey and dried fruit for sweetening. It's also delicious with grated carrots added during cooking. 0.5 cup rice 1 tsp butter 2 ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints This may be lower in total fat than a traditional recipe but it still gives you unhealthy saturated fats which have been shown to raise bad or LDL blood cholesterol making you more prone to heart disease. Swap rapeseed, canola or corn oil for the ghee and use as little as you can to keep the ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Save this meal for special occasions only as it is high in total fat, saturated fat and salt. Or why not try the lower fat version? 230 ml corn oil 2 large onion, chopped 4 tsp curry powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1 stick cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp cardamom pod 1/2 tsp clove 2 bay leaf ...
Healthy Hints This is a much healthier recipe than most of the other rice dishes in the Nutrition Centre, and probably also most of the pilau dishes you are used to cooking at home! Use this recipe as a basis for other pilau meals you may wish to cook. You could add chicken or fish in at Step 2 or simply ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints The worse thing about this recipe is the ghee - 165 grams gives you almost 1500 kcal! That's more than what a woman needs over a whole day on an average weight reducing diet! Replace the ghee with about 3 tablespoons of oil and use this oil for frying the onions. You can also improve this ...
Healthy Hints A healthier alternative to fried kebabs. Traditionally this dish is made with paneer, which is a full-fat cheese, but the cottage cheese works just as well. Or make home made paneer with skimmed milk and use that instead. 1 tsp root ginger, minced 1 medium potato, boiled and mashed 1 medium carrot, grated 75 g (½ cup) frozen pea, ...
Healthy Hints 100 Calories per portion sounds too good to be true, but this is not a mistake. And here's even better news: there is research to suggest that karela can help to keep blood sugar levels steady in diabetes. Take note, karela in curry is usually fried so don't assume all karela curries are this healthy. 5 medium sized bitter ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints This is a perfect example of how you can have a fragrant rice dish without all the fat. The lemon juice helps the rice grains to stay separate and you only need a little oil to fry the spices. Try using this method for your other rice dishes. 190 g (1 cup) basmati rice ½ tsp ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Do you really need the fried onions? Try using lean meat and cooking the curry in the meat juices rather than in oil. If you prefer to boil the meat separately, then throw away the cooking water so you get rid of some of the unhealthy saturated fats. This dish isn't so high in calories on ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Use chicken without the skin to cut down on unhealthy saturated fats. Do you think you could experiment with less salt? There's a wide range of herbs and spices in South Asian cooking and this can help replace salt in recipes. 6 tbsp sunflower oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp ginger ...
