Global -- Samina Vertejee, an assistant professor at the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKUSONAM), paved the way for many nurses during her professional journey as a public health nurse. For this, and many other reasons, she recently appeared on the World Health Organization's list of 100 Outstanding Nurses and Midwives. Academically, she received a Master's degree in ...
Global -- Afghan midwife and nurse Shukria Hussaini was born in 1990 during the Civil War in Afghanistan. Very quickly after seeking asylum in Pakistan, she became familiar with the work of AKDN and the Jamati institutions, particularly the educational sectors that focused on English learning. Today, Shukria finds herself on the World Health Organization's list of 100 Outstanding Nurses and ...
Wu Man, pipa, Feras Charestan, qanun, Abbos Kosimov, doira Arranged from folk sources by Wu Man (b. 1963) "Teahouse" is an homage to the sound of the traditional silk and bamboo instruments played in teahouses in Wu Man's hometown area of Zhejiang Province, in China's southeast. Not long ago, Wu Man taught the quintessentially Chinese pentatonic melody of "Teahouse" to qanun player Feras ...
In recognition of International Women's Day, join us for a conversation with three women as they share their journey of breaking barriers and choose to challenge as cosmopolitan leaders. ...
USA -- Innovatively repurposing filters from respirators, and reconfiguring classroom desk design to keep children in school, and safe from infection. Karim Budhwani Last year, as word of the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread across the United States, Karim Budhwani realized that the country was not prepared to face this crisis. He joined forces with others to put out briefs identifying ...
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 ...
Sirojiddin Juraev, dutar and Abbos Kosimov, doira Composed by Sirojiddin Juraev (b. 1975) "Mehan" displays the virtuosic potential of the two-stringed dutar in the hands of a master as well as the prominent role of usul, the metro-rhythmic cycle played on the frame drum (doira). "Mehan" juxtaposes two different usuls: the first in 4/4 and the second in 7/8, a meter rarely ...
Jasser Haj Youssef, viola d'amore and Basel Rajoub, tárogató Composed by Jasser Haj Youssef This short and atmospheric composition evokes the sensibility of European Early Music but was written in fall 2020 in preparation for the present concert. This is its debut performance. Jasser Haj Youssef was born in Monastir, Tunisia and studied both classical European music and classical Arabic music (maqām) from an ...
As mothers, it's important for us to remind our daughters that their worth is not defined by their body weight. What's important is that they are compassionate and kind, since their ...
![[Mar 5]Today in history: Nasir Khusraw set out on his seven-year journey](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/d5841713dd-1024x576.jpeg)
Nasir Khusraw (1004- ca.1077) was born in Qobadiyan in the district of Marv in the eastern Iranian province of Khurasan. He did well at school, learning Persian and Arabic as well as sciences, literature, mathematics, philosophy, religious sciences, and history. Following his family's tradition, Nasir joined the government bureaucracy in a financial capacity, perhaps as tax collector. Nasir enjoyed to travel ...
Portugal -- No próximo dia 11 de março, pelas 20h30, incentivamos todo o Jamat a participar no webinar "Os riscos da internet e das redes sociais, dos 8 aos 80". Agora, mais do que nunca, é importante estarmos a par dos riscos da internet e das redes sociais a fim de nos protegermos a nós e aos que nos rodeiam. Já ...
Wu Man, pipa Composed and arranged from folk music sources by Wang Huiran (b. 1936) Wu Man is an acclaimed performer on the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute with ancient roots that, due in large part to her efforts, has become a leading instrument of contemporary music in both East and West. Wu Man performs both traditional and contemporary music on the pipa, ...
UK -- In celebration of International Women's Day, the TKN committee would like to recognise the phenomenal contribution made to our institutions by the female members of our Jamat. Seva or volunteering, is a core ethos within the Ismaili tariqa, and TKN allows murids to use their skills and knowledge for the benefit of our institutions and all the individuals we ...
UK -- Last updated: 3 March 2021 The Chancellor has announced the Budget for 2021, which has implications for Jamati households and businesses. Please see below a summary of the main announcements. For the official government summary, please click here. Furlough schemeExtended until the end of September 2021Government will pay 80% of employees' wages for hours they cannot workEmployers contribution to ...
News story -- Pedro Sánchez Rodriguez is a Librarian at the Aga Khan Library who oversees the Aga Khan Library Digital Collections (AKLDC) project, together with Shah Hussain, Librarian. Here, for World Book Day, they discuss the recently launched Ismaili Printed Materials Collection and the amazing response it has already received. We initiated the AKLDC project in 2019. Its aim is to ...
Performed by Wu Man, pipa, and Abbos Kosimov, doira Composed by Wu Man In this instrumental collage, Wu Man showcases the classical martial style of pipa music while also offering a nod to rock 'n roll. Wu Man is an acclaimed performer on the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute with ancient roots that, due in large part to her efforts, has become a ...
Global -- Farah Williamson's story is multi-faceted. As a 10-year-old girl, she had to flee her home country, Rwanda, during the 1994 genocide. Today, Farah is the co-founder of Project Shelter Wakadogo, a not-for-profit school in Gulu, Uganda. Farah speaks about these experiences and more in the second episode of The Ismaili TV's original series Trailblazers. In the episode, Farah explains ...
Far East -- She is a Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator, and founder of an education and research non-profit. Who is this renaissance woman who wears so many hats? She is Dr Asha de Vos, a passionate young marine biologist and educator. She also currently serves as executive cirector of Oceanswell in Sri Lanka, and is a pioneering researcher studying ...
News story -- Mr Pyarali Jiwa passed away peacefully at his home in London on 2nd February 2021, and was laid to rest on 11th February. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Maleksultan, and is survived by his three sons, their families, and his beloved grandchildren, through whom his legacy will continue to live on. Pyarali will be remembered by IIS ...
UK -- Women are at the core of disaster and emergency relief operations at the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), supported by FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance. Shamim Bano, a middle-school teacher in Pakistan, has recently returned from a fortnight in Kabul where she trained Afghan women in search and rescue work. As a young girl, Bano was disturbed by some of ...
Pakistan -- In the quest for a memorable occasion, the bride and groom often overlook one fundamental detail which, as it happens, will seal their impending marriage: the Nikahnama. A Nikahnama is a formal, legally binding contract that solemnises the bride and groom's union in accordance with Sharia. It outlines the rights and obligations of the newlyweds in Islamic marriage proceedings. ...
ByMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor, Barakah, Simerg and Simergphotos)Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah His Highness the Aga Khan speaks into a "Mike" at his Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Dar es Salaam on August 10, 1946. Photo: David Carnegie for the National Geographic, March 1947. Over the past few years, several non-Ismaili readers have come forward and presented images of unique Ismaili objects and photographs ...
Portugal -- Ya Ali Madad, It´s been nearly one year since our lives have changed drastically. We had to learn a new reality and a new way of living. Even though there have been moments of despair, there were also moments of knowledge and gratitude. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 taught us that life isn't linear and that at any moment everything ...
Portugal -- Due to the pandemic, many of us have had to work from home, attend school online and face other challenges that may have affected our mental health in more ways than one. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to ...
Portugal -- Redefining Muslim Women: Sultan Mohamed Shah´s (allaihu wa as salaam) reference to recognizing the dignity of women as individuals worthy in, and of themselves, not simply due to the function they perform in society, but advocating women´s education to promote their socio-economic well-being, by arguing it as a right to promote their equality, inner happiness through intellectual growth. As ...
UK -- It can be a very overwhelming time for many of us at the moment. To try and alleviate feelings of anxiety and worry, it can be helpful to focus on the small aspects of life which are in our control, rather than focussing on all of the uncertainties presented to us. To protect ourselves and our families we are ...
Pakistan -- World-renowned for the succulent cherries of Pakistan, this delicious fruit from Hunza almost missed its yearly market debut. Cherry-picking in Hunza was not the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oftentimes, traders would book cherry trees and ensure the picking, packaging and transportation of this delicious fruit to market, compensating tree 'owners' accordingly. The shutdowns and lockdowns, due to COVID-19, ...
UK -- Here are some tips to try out and see what works for you. In this new world of working from home, with school lessons, exercise classes and communications moved online, it can feel like you and your family are spending a full day behind a screen. Consciously carving out time for activities that aren't focused around your screen can ...
Our friend Patricia Bentley threads together a poetic reflection about her favourite object in the Museum's Collection -- an 800-year-old woven wonder from Iran or Central Asia. "A textile object like this takes me into deep time," says Bentley, a weaver herself, about the intricately detailed robe made from silk cloth and metal thread. Watch Bentley's The Public Curates video to discover ...
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, ...
USA -- How one individual's commitment to teaching faith and values has impacted two generations through Camp Al Ummah "Al-Ummah was one of our first large big projects. Similar to the way you nurture your firstborn, we wanted to do things with care to get it to the level we needed it to benefit the Jamat. Al-Ummah has made a monumental ...
Global -- The complex challenges facing our increasingly volatile world -- from climate change to rural development to security -- are also a source of opportunity for the next generation of leaders and changemakers. Around the world, young Ismailis like Rufayda Dhamani, Nurmuhammad Butabekov, and Aleem Rehmtulla are taking creative approaches to address these issues and prepare for the future of ...
Global -- I always saw the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as a daunting exam; nevertheless, the fact that so many students would be taking it with me physically gave me some sense of moral support, even if that support was coming from strangers. I never expected studying for this exam to take such a different turn with the pandemic hitting ...
USA -- Stand-up comedian and award-winning podcast host, Shereen Kassam, shares her inspiring creative journey. Shereen Kassam had never heard of "stand-up comedy" until one blustery day in her mid-20s. Her mother had volunteered extra space in her daughter's Boston home to a budding dental student needing a place to crash for the weekend. Shereen, a self-proclaimed introvert, begrudgingly went along ...
Portugal -- O Aga Khan Education Board (AKEB) encontra-se a promover uma nova rúbrica intitulada "110% - O aluno do mês", com o objetivo de destacar os alunos de excelência do nosso Jamat. Se te encontras entre o 5º e o 12º ano, envia-nos a tua carta de apresentação! Com o objetivo de fomentar uma educação de qualidade, garantindo que cada ...
Global -- With the rapidly changing world we find ourselves in, individuals and families are having to face an ever-fluctuating economy and changing patterns of employment. Yasmin Jetha, a non-executive director of the NatWest Group Plc, the Nation Media Group in East Africa, and the Guardian Media Group in the UK, shares her thoughts on navigating these changes and working towards ...
Pakistan -- An ophthalmologist and alumna of the Aga Khan University (AKU), Dr. Zubaida Sirang's book Optics Made Easy: Last Minute Review of Clinical Optics, has been selected for the "Best Ophthalmology Books of All Time" list by BookAuthority, a leading website for book recommendations which curates books on a wide range of topics. As the only woman from Pakistan to ...
AKEPB USA webinar Retirement Accumulation and Distribution Strategies Importance of Retirement Savings impacting the quality of life in later years and best practices for professionals of all ages. ...
See the world from a new perspective with a thought-provoking discussion between two visual artists uncovering rich creative inspiration from science and nature. In the latest REIMAGINE: Global Conversation for the #MuseumWithoutWalls, Toronto-based artist Radha Chaddah and London-based artist Zarah Hussain explore the role of the arts in helping us better understand the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic -- from the ...
Kem Cho presents Shaan: A live performance in celebration of Navroz. On Saturday 13th February at 8 pm. ...
