Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
ismailiworld@gmail.com
May 26, 2008
May 25, 2008
Foundation Stone-Laying Ceremony of theAga Khan Academy, Dhaka -Video
Foundation Stone-Laying Ceremony of theAga Khan Academy, Dhaka
http://www.akdn.org/akdn_videos.php?sort_video=2008may_bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh - 20 May 2008On 20 May 2008, on a state visit to Bangladesh, His Highness the Aga Khan laid a foundation stone for Bangladesh’s first Aga Khan Academy. The Academy in Dhaka will eventually be part of a network of 18 centres of educational excellence in a total of 14 countries across Africa, Central and South Asia and the Middle East. The schools will use the International Baccalaureate curriculum and admit students on the basis of their academic potential rather than their ability to pay.
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
http://www.akdn.org/akdn_videos.php?sort_video=2008may_bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh - 20 May 2008On 20 May 2008, on a state visit to Bangladesh, His Highness the Aga Khan laid a foundation stone for Bangladesh’s first Aga Khan Academy. The Academy in Dhaka will eventually be part of a network of 18 centres of educational excellence in a total of 14 countries across Africa, Central and South Asia and the Middle East. The schools will use the International Baccalaureate curriculum and admit students on the basis of their academic potential rather than their ability to pay.
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan -20 May
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Foundation Stone-Laying Ceremony of The Aga Khan Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 20 May 2008
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-RahimHonourable Adviser for EducationHonourable AdvisersExcellenciesDistinguished Guests
As-Salam-olai-kum
My warmest thanks to all of you who have joined in this celebration - representing so well the diverse and impressive accomplishments of this country. You honour us by being here.
Our immediate purpose today is to lay the Foundation Stone of the Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka. It is a day we hope to look back upon with joy and satisfaction for many years to come. And, if our work is done well, it is a day that future generations will also look back upon as a great beginning.
As you have heard, this new Academy will be an important node in a network of 18 schools throughout the developing world, providing world class education for young men and women from all backgrounds, irrespective of ability to pay. It will be a remarkable place to go to school.
But our commitment to this institution is not simply a matter of creating beautiful, modern facilities for some 700 to 1200 deserving students or developing a corps of several dozen gifted teachers. It is also about creating a new national asset for the whole of this country -and for its broad educational community. This work will be done through an ambitious programme of professional teacher development, attracting talented candidates, sharing best practices, developing curricular innovations, and engaging in the most current training at the Academy’s Professional Development Centre.
We could say a lot more about this new Academy. But I thought I might, instead, take a few minutes to describe what I see as the larger significance of our Academies’ initiatives. For underlying our dreams for this School is our commitment to principles which have even broader implications.
There are three such principles that I would like to mention.
The first is the centrality of quality education as an element in the Islamic tradition. It is appropriate that I highlight this matter today, for Bangladesh is the first Muslim country in which we have laid a new Academy foundation stone. It also seems appropriate to underscore the spiritual foundations of this work since this event is helping to mark my 50 th anniversary as the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.
World and faith are inseparable in Islam. Faith and learning are also profoundly interconnected. The Holy Qur’an sees the discovery of knowledge as a spiritual responsibility, enabling us to better understand and more ably serve God’s creation.
Our traditional teachings remind us of our individual obligation to seek knowledge unto the ends of the earth - and of our social obligation to honor and nurture the full potential of every human life.
The creation of a new Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka thus grows out of rich Islamic precedents.
The second point I would emphasize today is that our Academy initiative - in Dhaka and elsewhere - is one that strongly affirms the integrity of local and national cultures.
To be sure, this new Academy will connect its students to global perspectives. But it will also respect the central role of each person’s particular heritage as a cornerstone of his or her identity and an enriching gift of the Creator.
The beauty of Creation is a function of its variety. A fully homogenized world would be far less attractive and interesting. The roots we inherit from our history – linking us to a particular past – are a great source of strength and joy and inspiration. And a sound educational system should help nourish those roots.
That is why the Aga Khan Academies, wherever they exist, will follow a dual-language curriculum. They will teach in English in order to connect to global society. And they will also teach in the appropriate local language. Here in Dhaka that means teaching in both English and Bangla. Because they will be fluently bilingual, our students will be prepared to unlock the rich treasure chests of history and culture, art and music, religious and philosophical thought, which are integral to one’s identity and one’s values and which and are such powerful elements here in Bangladesh.
My first two points of emphasis, then, concern the emergence of our Academies program from Islamic traditions, and its commitment to local and national values. My third point is somewhat different, but entirely consistent - the strong link which our Academies will provide to an increasingly globalized world.
I mentioned earlier the importance of affirming the local and the particular in the face of forces which would dilute our identity and homogenize our cultures. But I would also note the equally compelling importance of global partnership and universal understanding - in the face of forces that would dangerously fragment our world. In the process of nurturing a healthy sense of identity, we must resist the temptation to normatize any particular culture, to demonize “the other”, and to turn healthy diversity into dangerous discord.
This is why the Academies’ curricula, in addition to using English as a connecting language, will emphasize areas of focus such as comparative political systems, global economics, and global cultures, along with the importance of pluralism and a sound ethical foundation.
At the same time, we will provide thorough preparation in subjects such as science and mathematics, developing the habits of rigorous reasoning and searching inquiry. In addition, the Academies experience will be a holistic one, with a healthy program of extracurricular and athletic activities.
Let me reflect for a moment on the matter of ethics - and the importance of ethical commitments not only in government but throughout society. Competent civil society is a major contributor to development particularly where democracies are less well established, or where governmental efforts are inadequate. The absence of corruption or fraud in government is not enough. Fraud in medicine, fraud in education, fraud in financial services, fraud in property rights, fraud in the exercise of law enforcement or in the courts, are all risks which can have a dramatic impact on social progress. This is especially true in rural environments, where fraud is often neither reported nor corrected, but simply accepted as an inevitable condition of life.
This is why the serious and sustained ethical formation of students and teachers is an essential dimension of the Academies program.]
In addition, as we educate for global citizenship, we will also integrate each local school with others in the network, sharing ideas and experiences, exchanging students and teachers, and affirming in the end that all graduates have achieved a globally relevant credential in the form of the International Baccalaureate diploma.
Those, then, are the basic concepts of our program. We believe that this undertaking can flourish particularly well in Bangladesh - where a proud sense of independent national destiny is so often combined with a generous spirit of international partnership. The appreciation here for the institutions of civil society is another favorable factor - and so, may I add, is the impressive progress you have made in achieving gender parity in education.
In the final analysis, the Academies project will face an age-old challenge as it moves ahead - the challenge of balancing the universal and the particular - the global and the local - as influences in human life. It is a challenge which becomes more important with every passing year. It has been said that the most important fact about modern communication technology is that it “universalizes the particular and particularizes the universal”- which simply suggests that local and global experiences are increasingly intermixed.
Such an intermixture can give us the worst of both worlds - hostile, defensive localism on one side and a superficial homogenized mega-culture on the other. Or it can give us the best of both worlds - proud local identities living side by side with creative international cooperation. How this issue will be resolved will depend on whether we can educate future leaders, in Bangladesh and elsewhere, to live creatively in such a setting. Our new program of Aga Khan Academies is one response to that challenge.
We are very proud today formally to expand the Academies network to the country of Bangladesh. And we are very pleased and honoured that you have been able to join us in this moment of celebration and dedication.
Thank you.
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan -Bangladesh
Remarks by His Highness the Aga KhanAt The State Banquet,Dhaka, Bangaldesh – 19 May 2008
The Honourable Chief AdviserHonourable AdvisersExcellenciesDistinguished Guests
I am most grateful to the Chief Adviser for his very kind words, and for the extraordinary warmth of this welcome.
As you know, I am marking this year a half century as Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. To celebrate this Golden Jubilee, I am visiting places which have had particular meaning for the Ismaili Community, for the Aga Khan Development Network, and for me personally, over the last 50 years. My visit to Bangladesh is an important part of that celebration.
When I inherited my office five decades ago from my Grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, I also inherited the special feeling he had for this part of the world. I remember in particular, his response to the partition of India, when he actively encouraged a large number of members of the Ismaili Community to settle in what was then East Pakistan. They found a warm welcome here, and were pleased to integrate fully into Bengali life. It was on the occasion of my Grandfather’s Platinum Jubilee - marking seventy years of his Imamat - that he first invested in what became a thriving jute mill industry here. The first of those companies continues to exist and is still called the “Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills.”
The success of those early investments encouraged us to make Dhaka our headquarter city when we established the first venture capital and development corporation anywhere in Pakistan in 1966. It later became one of the largest employers and biggest exporters in the country. Through all of these years, our investments were designed to foster strong, cooperative partnerships with local institutions - not only with governmental bodies but also with private industry, and with the organizations of civil society, a sector which Bangladesh has so constructively encouraged.
This spirit of partnership, in turn, has reflected the spirit of pluralism which also characterizes this society - the readiness of people to work creatively, side by side, with those who are different from them. This quality will also become increasingly important as technology advances in the years ahead, enabling people to travel and trade and talk more often with one another, across cultural and geographic borders.
Technology is also transforming our economic lives. Economic value is no longer tied to how much land one controls - or how many machines or factories one owns. Within our lifetimes, predominantly “Agricultural Societies” and “Industrial Societies” of the past have been joined - and sometimes supplanted - by what many call the “Knowledge Society,” propelled by the digital revolution, and focusing on the creation and management of information.
In a Knowledge Society, the most productive investments we can make are investments in education. And education is another priority we share with the Bangladeshi people. Education has always been a central theme in Islamic life- and in the life of my family, going back a thousand years, to my forefathers, the Fatimid Imam-Caliphs of Egypt. My Grandfather built on this tradition by founding a network of some 300 educational institutions, including Aligarh University in India. And we renewed this commitment more recently through the founding of The Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia. It seems appropriate therefore that one of my central purposes on this visit will be to lay the foundation stone for a new Aga Khan Academy here in Dhaka. This school will be one node in a network of eighteen high-quality schools located throughout the developing world, global in outlook, but deeply rooted in the local culture, providing a world-class education for boys and girls of all backgrounds, independent of ability to pay. It will educate promising students and develop inspiring teachers. It will be a strong educational resource for the entire country. As we look to the future of development in Bangladesh, it is important to be realistic about the challenges. But it also is important to remember the distance which has been traveled - and the building blocks which are already in place. I think, for example, of the strides which have been made here in controlling population growth, developing export trade, establishing micro-credit programmes, improving early childhood care, extending education, especially for women, and fighting corruption - in addition to doubling per capita GDP over the past two decades. The challenge now is to make development both sustainable and equitable, so that it fairly benefits people of all classes, cultures and regions.
The Aga Khan Development Network’s agenda for Bangladesh reflects your agenda. To achieve that agenda will require a continuing spirit of close partnership.It is in the spirit of partnership, then, that I thank you again for what we have been able to do together in the past, while looking forward to the things we will be attempting together in the future. I would like you to join me in a pray in wishing peace, success, happiness and unity for all the people of Bangladesh. My warmest thanks again to all of you.
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Aga Khan Academy to Be Established in Bangladesh
“This is about creating a new national asset for the whole of this country –and for its broad educational community” says Aga Khan
20 May 2008, Dhaka, Bangladesh – His Highness the Aga Khan today laid a foundation stone for Bangladesh’s first Aga Khan Academy, emphasising the centrality of quality education in the Islamic tradition. “World and faith are inseparable in Islam. Faith and learning are also profoundly interconnected,” he said.
Speaking at an official ceremony at the site of the future Academy in Dhaka’s Bashundhara District, attended by Bangladesh’s Education Advisor, The Honourable Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, the Aga Khan noted that Bangladesh was the first Muslim country to host an Aga Khan Academy. “Our traditional teachings remind us of our individual obligation to seek knowledge unto the ends of the earth -- and of our social obligation to honour and nurture the full potential of every human life,” he said.
Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman praised the Aga Khan for his inspiring integrated vision for quality education which encompasses messages of opportunity, ambition, respect for cultural heritage and the importance of ethical behaviour - and thanked him for choosing Bangladesh as one of the fourteen countries that will host Aga Khan Academies.
The Aga Khan also stressed the need to regard national and cultural identity as key assets in education. “A fully homogenized world would be far less attractive and interesting. The roots we inherit from our history – linking us to a particular past – are a great source of strength and joy and inspiration,” he said, announcing that the Dhaka Academy will follow a dual-language curriculum in English and in Bangla.
However, the Aga Khan cautioned that the effort to preserve national identity should not compromise diversity and openness to the outside world. “In the process of nurturing a healthy sense of identity, we must resist the temptation to normatise any particular culture, to demonize “the other”, and to turn healthy diversity into dangerous discord.”
The Aga Khan said the Academy undertaking was likely to be particularly successful in Bangladesh because of the country’s ability to combine a proud sense of independent national destiny with a generous spirit of international partnership.
“In the final analysis, the Academies project will face an age-old challenge as it moves ahead - the challenge of balancing the universal and the particular - the global and the local - as influences in human life,” he said.
Addressing the same ceremony, the Director of the Academies Programme, Salim Bhatia, noted that it was the Bengali Nobel Prize winning poet, novelist and playwright Rabindranath Tagore, who coined the term “global village.”
“The Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka will exist to develop leaders with a pluralistic sensibility, individuals who are proudly Bangladeshi, yet connected to the larger cosmopolitan global village described by Tagore over a century ago,” he said.
The Aga Khan Academies Programme will eventually encompass a network of 18 schools in a total of 14 countries scattered across Africa, Central and South Asia and the Middle East. The schools will use the International Baccalaureate curriculum and will admit students on the basis of their academic potential rather than their ability to pay.
The first Aga Khan Academy, inaugurated in Mombasa Kenya in 2003, released its first class of graduates last June. Amongst the several high achievers, was Anoushka Rajan, awarded the International Leadership of Tomorrow scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Other Academies around the world are currently in different stages of planning, design or construction
source
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
20 May 2008, Dhaka, Bangladesh – His Highness the Aga Khan today laid a foundation stone for Bangladesh’s first Aga Khan Academy, emphasising the centrality of quality education in the Islamic tradition. “World and faith are inseparable in Islam. Faith and learning are also profoundly interconnected,” he said.
Speaking at an official ceremony at the site of the future Academy in Dhaka’s Bashundhara District, attended by Bangladesh’s Education Advisor, The Honourable Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, the Aga Khan noted that Bangladesh was the first Muslim country to host an Aga Khan Academy. “Our traditional teachings remind us of our individual obligation to seek knowledge unto the ends of the earth -- and of our social obligation to honour and nurture the full potential of every human life,” he said.
Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman praised the Aga Khan for his inspiring integrated vision for quality education which encompasses messages of opportunity, ambition, respect for cultural heritage and the importance of ethical behaviour - and thanked him for choosing Bangladesh as one of the fourteen countries that will host Aga Khan Academies.
The Aga Khan also stressed the need to regard national and cultural identity as key assets in education. “A fully homogenized world would be far less attractive and interesting. The roots we inherit from our history – linking us to a particular past – are a great source of strength and joy and inspiration,” he said, announcing that the Dhaka Academy will follow a dual-language curriculum in English and in Bangla.
However, the Aga Khan cautioned that the effort to preserve national identity should not compromise diversity and openness to the outside world. “In the process of nurturing a healthy sense of identity, we must resist the temptation to normatise any particular culture, to demonize “the other”, and to turn healthy diversity into dangerous discord.”
The Aga Khan said the Academy undertaking was likely to be particularly successful in Bangladesh because of the country’s ability to combine a proud sense of independent national destiny with a generous spirit of international partnership.
“In the final analysis, the Academies project will face an age-old challenge as it moves ahead - the challenge of balancing the universal and the particular - the global and the local - as influences in human life,” he said.
Addressing the same ceremony, the Director of the Academies Programme, Salim Bhatia, noted that it was the Bengali Nobel Prize winning poet, novelist and playwright Rabindranath Tagore, who coined the term “global village.”
“The Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka will exist to develop leaders with a pluralistic sensibility, individuals who are proudly Bangladeshi, yet connected to the larger cosmopolitan global village described by Tagore over a century ago,” he said.
The Aga Khan Academies Programme will eventually encompass a network of 18 schools in a total of 14 countries scattered across Africa, Central and South Asia and the Middle East. The schools will use the International Baccalaureate curriculum and will admit students on the basis of their academic potential rather than their ability to pay.
The first Aga Khan Academy, inaugurated in Mombasa Kenya in 2003, released its first class of graduates last June. Amongst the several high achievers, was Anoushka Rajan, awarded the International Leadership of Tomorrow scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Other Academies around the world are currently in different stages of planning, design or construction
source
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
MHI Bangladesh visit - Theismaili.org
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam bids farewell to the Jamat as he prepares to leave Bangladesh. Photo: Gary Otte
This morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam graciously granted a Golden Jubilee Darbar to the Jamat of Bangladesh and to the thousands of members of the Jamat who had come from abroad.
Later in the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam left Dhaka. Bangladesh’s Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury bid him farewell on behalf of the Government. Leaders of the Jamat were also present, as Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee visit to Bangladesh concluded.
Additional photographs are available in the photo gallery and on the AKDN website. Also see the video and the text of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s speech at the foundation ceremony of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Dhaka.
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam is joined by Bangladesh’s Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed, in unveiling the plaque marking the foundation of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Dhaka. Photo: Gary Otte
Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Honourable President of Bangladesh, Iajuddin Ahmed at the Bangabhaban Palace.
In the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam presided over the Foundation-Stone laying ceremony for the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Dhaka, in the presence of Bangladesh's Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury who was the chief guest.
Describing it as a “a place for search and enlightenment,” Mawlana Hazar Imam hoped that the new Jamatkhana would provide a space in which “men and women in this pluralist country can help strengthen those common bonds which reflect our common challenges and which will shape our common destiny.”
“The Jamatkhana and the Academy,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam, “will serve complementary roles as they work to dispel ignorance, cultivate a cosmopolitan outlook and nourish the cause of peace and harmony.” Hazar Imam described their dedication to spiritual and educational pursuits, noting that these are “commitments which grow fundamentally out of Islamic traditions, and which will be instrumental in the future development of this country.”
Also see the video and the text of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s speech at the foundation ceremony of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Dhaka.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Jamati institutions of Bangladesh. During the dinner, youth from the Jamat performed a cultural dance and the leadership presented a gift to Mawlana Hazar Imam.
Additional photographs are available in the photo gallery. Further details about the visit will continue to be posted at http://www.theismaili.org/.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam speaks at the Foundation-Stone Laying ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Gary Otte
This morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam presided over the Foundation-Stone Laying ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka. The Honourable Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Bangladesh’s Education Adviser, was the chief guest at the ceremony.
Emphasising the importance of education in the Islamic tradition, Mawlana Hazar Imam said that “world and faith are inseparable in Islam. Faith and learning are also profoundly interconnected.”
Also see coverage of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka at the AKDN website, including the press release, video, photos and speeches by Mawlana Hazar Imam and Salim Bhatia, Director of the Aga Khan Academies Programme.
Of interest: Academy in Mombasa on the fast-track to realising its vision.
In the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with Bangladesh’s Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Adviser for Finance, the Honourable Adviser for Religious Affairs and the Honourable Adviser for Education.
Later in the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam hosted an Imamat Banquet in honour of the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, which was preceded by a reception for the Bangladesh diplomatic corps.
Monday, 19 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Honourable Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, in Dhaka. Photo: Gary Otte
Following the completion of his Golden Jubilee visit to India, Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Dhaka, the capital of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. He was received at the airport by the Honourable Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed.
Following renditions of the Nashid al-Imamah and the National Anthem of Bangladesh, Mawlana Hazar Imam inspected a guard of honour and was greeted by Government ministers and Jamati leaders.
The Jamat of Dhaka lined the streets to welcome Mawlana Hazar Imam as he departed the airport. The city was adorned with the Imam’s standard and signs welcoming Hazar Imam to Bangladesh.
Mawlana Hazar Imam travelled directly from the airport to the National Martyr’s Memorial at Savar where he laid a wreath. The memorial is dedicated to the memory of those who laid down their lives during the 1971 war of liberation. From Savar, Hazar Imam travelled to the office of Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, where the two leaders held discussions on the work of the Aga Khan Development Network in Bangladesh.
In the evening, the Chief Advisor unveiled a set of postage stamps commemorating the Golden Jubilee. Thereafter, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a state banquet hosted by the Chief Advisor.
In his speech, Mawlana Hazar Imam spoke of the long relationship of the Aga Khan Development Network with Bangladesh.
“It was on the occasion of my grandfather’s Platinum Jubilee — marking seventy years of his Imamat — that he first invested in what became a thriving jute mill industry here,” he recalled. “The first of those companies continues to exist and is still called the ‘Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills.’”
Images @ http://www.theismaili.org/
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Building the future one nanoparticle at a time
Nanoscience is the study of matter at the scale of one-billionth of a metre. Drawing: Courtesy the US National Cancer Institute
Imagine gold that can cure cancer, a television screen that rolls up like a tube of paper, or material that is ten times stronger and lighter than steel. This is no reverie of alchemy; rather, it is a sample of what nanotechnology — one of the newest areas of scientific research — is striving to offer. Simply put, nanotechnology is a science that aims to manipulate particles of matter that are nearly 70 000 times smaller than a strand of hair, and promises a world of tantalising possibilities.
Full Article @ http://www.theismaili.org/
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Ismaili children in Syria present a Golden Vision
A selection of the children’s illustrations from the exhibition are available in the gallery. more >>
Artwork by Syrian Ismaili children aged 8 – 12, presented at Golden Vision with Golden Hands, an exhibition of illustrations. Photo: Karim Meghani
The love and devotion of Ismaili children and youth in Syria for Mawlana Hazar Imam found expression in Golden Vision with Golden Hands, a Navroz art exhibition held in Salamieh.
Children aged 8 – 12 and youth aged 13 – 18 presented a variety of illustrations describing subjects such as Navroz, the Time and Knowledge Nazrana, global pluralism, and voluntary service.
More @ www.theismaili.org
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
ismailiworld@gmail.com
A buzz in the air at NSF 2008
It was the first day of spring, yet the daffodils remained hidden under the snow — an irony that was not lost on the National Sports Festival participants. Nearly 900 of them braved the bitter cold and journeyed to Keele University in North Midlands, United Kingdom for NSF 2008: The Jubilee Games.
The 2008 National Sports Festival saw participants from the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Spain and France compete in 23 different sport categories. From volleyball to golf, to the ever-popular football and netball tournaments, there really was something for everyone! Those not competing could participate in a range of activities including kickboxing, salsa dancing and bhangra-aerobics.
More @ www.theismaili.org
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
ismailiworld@gmail.com
May 20, 2008
Continuing spirit of close partnership can materialise major dev agenda Says Prince Aga Khan
Prince Karim Aga Khan yesterday said a continuing spirit of close partnership would be required to materialise the major development agenda of Bangladesh.
“The Aga Khan Development Network's agenda for Bangladesh reflect your agenda. To achieve the agenda will require a continuing spirit of close partnership,” he said this while he was addressing a banquet in honour of him.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed hosted the state banquet at Hotel Sonargaon.
Aga Khan took note of the strides made here in controlling population growth, developing export trade, establishing micro-credit programmes, improving early childhood care, extending education, especially for women, and fighting corruption - in addition to doubling per capita GDP over the past two decades.
He said the challenge now is to make development both sustainable and equitable, so that it fairly benefits people of all classes, cultures and regions.
In a knowledge society, he said, the most productive investments 'we can make are investments in education. And education is another priority we share with the Bangladeshi people.'
He said he thinks appropriate that one of his central purposes on this visit will be to lay the foundation stone of a new Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka.
He said this school would be one mode in a network of 18 high-quality schools located throughout the developing world, global in outlook, but deeply rooted in the local culture, providing a world-class education for boys and girls of all backgrounds, independent of ability to pay.
“It will educate promising students and develop inspiring teachers. It will be a strong educational resource for the entire country,” he said.
He mentioned that his grandfather built on this tradition by founding a network of some 300 educational institutions, including Aligarh University in India. “And we renewed this commitment more recently through the founding of The Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia.”
Referring to celebration of a half century as Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims he said his visit to Bangladesh is an important part of that celebration.
“When I inherited my office five decades up from my Grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, I also inherited the special feeling he had for this part of the world.”
“I remember in particular his response to the partition of India, when he actively encouraged a large number of members of the Ismaili Community to settle in what was then East Pakistan. They found a warm welcome here, and were pleased in integrate fully into Bengali life,” he told the function.
He noted that the spirit of partnership in turn has reflected the spirit of pluralism which also characterises this society -- the readiness of people to work creatively, side by side, with those who are different from them.
“As we look to the future of development in Bangladesh, it is important to be realistic about the challenges. But it is also important to remember the distance which has been traveled and the building blocks which are already in place.”
Aga Khan offers community services
Earlier, Prince Aga Khan offered his community's services to build bridge between Bangladesh and central Asian countries for promoting socioeconomic relations.
He also expressed his interest in investing in various socioeconomic sectors, including financial services, education, and health, in Bangladesh.
The spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, who arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day on a four-day visit to Bangladesh, made the offer when he called on CA at his office in the afternoon and discussed various socioeconomic maters.
Before formal meeting, the CA and the prince had a one-to-one parley for a while at the CA's office.
Responding to Aga Khan, Fakhruddin said Bangladesh would definitely try to take advantage of the support of the Aga Khan community in expanding trade and investment opportunities in the central Asian countries.
Prince Aga Khan, who last came to Bangladesh in 1993, said they basically focused on standard education at primary and secondary levels and try to harness talents of students to make them best educated and skilled.
In this regard, he mentioned setting up of an educational academy in Dhaka which will be centre of excellence in education where poor meritorious students will also have access.
Listing a number of promising sectors for investment, like banking, telecommunications and agro-processing industries, the CA said the members of Aga Khan Community could take advantage of investment in these areas.
He also made a request for establishing hospital in Bangladesh as it has tremendous prospects and huge number of patients.
Responding positively, the prince said they have set up world-class health centres in Kabul, Karachi and Kazakhstan.
The CA appreciated various socioeconomic activities in Bangladesh by Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
During the meeting the CA asked for revival of the once-popular Aga Khan Gold Cup Football Tournament in Dhaka. Prince Karim Aga Khan responded positively.
The prince said they have investment in health service, education, leather, financial service, microfinance, industry, rural development and rural energy industry.
CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim, who was present at the meeting, briefed newsmen about the outcome of the talks.
Shafik Sachedina, director of diplomatic affairs, and Habib Hirji, president of Aga Khan Council for Bangladesh, were present on the prince side while Foreign Adviser
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Principal Secretary to the CA Ali Imam Majumder and Secretary to CA's Office Kazi Aminul Islam were on CA's side.
On his arrival at Zia International Airport (ZIA) at around 1.30pm, a red carpet reception was accorded to the prince.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed received the distinguished guest at VVIP tarmac.
A smartly turned out contingent drawn from army, navy and air force gave a guard of honour to Prince Aga Khan. He took salute standing on a decorated podium at the tarmac and then inspected the guard of honour.
Later, the chief adviser introduced his cabinet members with Aga Khan on the presentation line, while other members were introduced by the chief of protocol. President of Aga Khan Council also introduced the members of the council with the prince on the presentation line.
Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Ambassador of Switzerland and Dean of diplomatic corps Dora Rapold, Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Quarter Master General of Bangladesh Army Lt Gen Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Naval Chief Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam, Air Force Chief Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman and senior civil and military official were also present on the presentation line.
Bangladesh's Ismaili Muslims, carrying Bangladeshi and their own community flags in front of the VVIP terminal, greeted Price Karim Aga Khan.
Later, a ceremonial motorcade took Aga Khan to Tejgaon Old Airport from where he flew to Savar National Memorial to pay respect to the martyred freedom fighters of the Independence War.
Source
“The Aga Khan Development Network's agenda for Bangladesh reflect your agenda. To achieve the agenda will require a continuing spirit of close partnership,” he said this while he was addressing a banquet in honour of him.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed hosted the state banquet at Hotel Sonargaon.
Aga Khan took note of the strides made here in controlling population growth, developing export trade, establishing micro-credit programmes, improving early childhood care, extending education, especially for women, and fighting corruption - in addition to doubling per capita GDP over the past two decades.
He said the challenge now is to make development both sustainable and equitable, so that it fairly benefits people of all classes, cultures and regions.
In a knowledge society, he said, the most productive investments 'we can make are investments in education. And education is another priority we share with the Bangladeshi people.'
He said he thinks appropriate that one of his central purposes on this visit will be to lay the foundation stone of a new Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka.
He said this school would be one mode in a network of 18 high-quality schools located throughout the developing world, global in outlook, but deeply rooted in the local culture, providing a world-class education for boys and girls of all backgrounds, independent of ability to pay.
“It will educate promising students and develop inspiring teachers. It will be a strong educational resource for the entire country,” he said.
He mentioned that his grandfather built on this tradition by founding a network of some 300 educational institutions, including Aligarh University in India. “And we renewed this commitment more recently through the founding of The Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia.”
Referring to celebration of a half century as Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims he said his visit to Bangladesh is an important part of that celebration.
“When I inherited my office five decades up from my Grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, I also inherited the special feeling he had for this part of the world.”
“I remember in particular his response to the partition of India, when he actively encouraged a large number of members of the Ismaili Community to settle in what was then East Pakistan. They found a warm welcome here, and were pleased in integrate fully into Bengali life,” he told the function.
He noted that the spirit of partnership in turn has reflected the spirit of pluralism which also characterises this society -- the readiness of people to work creatively, side by side, with those who are different from them.
“As we look to the future of development in Bangladesh, it is important to be realistic about the challenges. But it is also important to remember the distance which has been traveled and the building blocks which are already in place.”
Aga Khan offers community services
Earlier, Prince Aga Khan offered his community's services to build bridge between Bangladesh and central Asian countries for promoting socioeconomic relations.
He also expressed his interest in investing in various socioeconomic sectors, including financial services, education, and health, in Bangladesh.
The spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, who arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day on a four-day visit to Bangladesh, made the offer when he called on CA at his office in the afternoon and discussed various socioeconomic maters.
Before formal meeting, the CA and the prince had a one-to-one parley for a while at the CA's office.
Responding to Aga Khan, Fakhruddin said Bangladesh would definitely try to take advantage of the support of the Aga Khan community in expanding trade and investment opportunities in the central Asian countries.
Prince Aga Khan, who last came to Bangladesh in 1993, said they basically focused on standard education at primary and secondary levels and try to harness talents of students to make them best educated and skilled.
In this regard, he mentioned setting up of an educational academy in Dhaka which will be centre of excellence in education where poor meritorious students will also have access.
Listing a number of promising sectors for investment, like banking, telecommunications and agro-processing industries, the CA said the members of Aga Khan Community could take advantage of investment in these areas.
He also made a request for establishing hospital in Bangladesh as it has tremendous prospects and huge number of patients.
Responding positively, the prince said they have set up world-class health centres in Kabul, Karachi and Kazakhstan.
The CA appreciated various socioeconomic activities in Bangladesh by Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
During the meeting the CA asked for revival of the once-popular Aga Khan Gold Cup Football Tournament in Dhaka. Prince Karim Aga Khan responded positively.
The prince said they have investment in health service, education, leather, financial service, microfinance, industry, rural development and rural energy industry.
CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim, who was present at the meeting, briefed newsmen about the outcome of the talks.
Shafik Sachedina, director of diplomatic affairs, and Habib Hirji, president of Aga Khan Council for Bangladesh, were present on the prince side while Foreign Adviser
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Principal Secretary to the CA Ali Imam Majumder and Secretary to CA's Office Kazi Aminul Islam were on CA's side.
On his arrival at Zia International Airport (ZIA) at around 1.30pm, a red carpet reception was accorded to the prince.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed received the distinguished guest at VVIP tarmac.
A smartly turned out contingent drawn from army, navy and air force gave a guard of honour to Prince Aga Khan. He took salute standing on a decorated podium at the tarmac and then inspected the guard of honour.
Later, the chief adviser introduced his cabinet members with Aga Khan on the presentation line, while other members were introduced by the chief of protocol. President of Aga Khan Council also introduced the members of the council with the prince on the presentation line.
Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Ambassador of Switzerland and Dean of diplomatic corps Dora Rapold, Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Quarter Master General of Bangladesh Army Lt Gen Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Naval Chief Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam, Air Force Chief Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman and senior civil and military official were also present on the presentation line.
Bangladesh's Ismaili Muslims, carrying Bangladeshi and their own community flags in front of the VVIP terminal, greeted Price Karim Aga Khan.
Later, a ceremonial motorcade took Aga Khan to Tejgaon Old Airport from where he flew to Savar National Memorial to pay respect to the martyred freedom fighters of the Independence War.
Source
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Aga Khan to invest in Bangladesh
M Ali Ahsan
Dhaka accorded heartiest welcome to Prince Karim Aga Khan, imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, who arrived here on a 3-day visit. On his arrival, Aga Khan expressed his interest in investing in various socioeconomic sectors, including financial services, education and health, in Bangladesh.
He also offered his community’s services to build bridges between Bangladesh and Central Asian countries where they have presence in promoting socioeconomic relations.
Prince Aga Khan, who arrived in Dhaka Monday afternoon on a four-day visit, expressed his willingness as he called on the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed.
Before the formal meeting, Fakhrudin and Prince Aga Khan had a one-to-one parley for a while in the Chief Adviser’s office.
Responding to the Ismaili spiritual leader, Fakhruddin said Bangladesh would definitely try to take advantage of the support of the Aga Khan community in expanding trade and investment opportunities with the Central Asian countries.
Karim Aga Khan, who last visited Bangladesh in 1993, said they basically focused on primary and secondary education and try to hone out the talent of students to make them best educated and skilled.
He talked about the establishment of an educational institution in Dhaka which would be a centre of excellence in education with will offer access to education also for meritorious poor students.
Listing a number of promising sectors for investment such as banking, telecommunications and agro-processing industries, Fakhruddin said the members of the Aga Khan Community could take advantage of investments in such areas.
He also requested Karim Aga Khan to set up a hospital in Bangladesh. The Prince said they had set up world-class health centers in Kabul, Karachi and Kazakhstan.
Fakhruddin appreciated various socioeconomic activities in Bangladesh by the Aga Khan Foundation and the Aga Khan Development Network.
Fakhruddin requested revival of the once-popular Aga Khan Gold Cup Football Tournament in Dhaka. Prince Karim Aga Khan responded positively.
The prince said they had investments in health service, education, leather, financial service, microfinance, industry, rural development and rural energy industry.
Director of diplomatic affairs Shafik Sachedina and Habib Hirji, president of the Aga Khan Council for Bangladesh, were present on the Prince side while the foreign affairs adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, principal secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Office Ali Imam Majumder and secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Office Kazi Aminul Islam were on the Fakhruddin side.
A red-carpet reception was accorded to Prince Karim Aga Khan earlier as he arrived at Zia International Airport at around 1:30pm. Fakhruddin Ahmed received Prince Karim Aga Khan on the VVIP tarmac.
Prince Karim Aga Khan is a household name in Bangladesh for his various philanthropic activities and projects in the country. The spiritual leader is considered to be one of the best friends of the people of Bangladesh. The present interim government as well as members of business community and civil society are seeing the visit of Aga Khan to Bangladesh with due importance, as such visits in past were always extremely beneficial to the nation.
To many Bangladeshis, Aga Khan remains as the bright symbol of humanity. Members of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims community in Bangladesh are playing important role in strengthening country’s economy since long. Various large industrial projects are already established by the members of this community. Bangladesh’s first successful private airline company GMG was established by some of the members of this community. The most significant side of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims in Bangladesh are, they always uphold the spirit of inter-faith understanding and continue to confront religious extremism.
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Aga Khan arrives in Dhaka
The Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili Muslims, arrived in Dhaka Monday afternoon to a red carpet reception by private plane and was greeted by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed at the airport, reports bdnews24.com.
He was driven to Sonargaon Hotel, where he will be staying during his four-day visit. He is scheduled to have a meeting with the chief adviser at 3.30pm.
The Prince Aga Khan is visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of Fakhruddin Ahmed. The trip is also part of the commemoration of the Aga Khan's 50th anniversary as the hereditary and spiritual leader (imam) of the Shia Ismaili community.
He is expected to meet with president Iajuddin Ahmed, foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, law adviser AF Hassan Ariff, finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam and education adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman during his stay, the foreign ministry said.
source
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
He was driven to Sonargaon Hotel, where he will be staying during his four-day visit. He is scheduled to have a meeting with the chief adviser at 3.30pm.
The Prince Aga Khan is visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of Fakhruddin Ahmed. The trip is also part of the commemoration of the Aga Khan's 50th anniversary as the hereditary and spiritual leader (imam) of the Shia Ismaili community.
He is expected to meet with president Iajuddin Ahmed, foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, law adviser AF Hassan Ariff, finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam and education adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman during his stay, the foreign ministry said.
source
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Delicacy and Harmony in Persian Book Covers
The art of binding and the protection of scripts are as old as writing itself. The contribution made by Muslim craftsmen has been a significant element in the history of this craft and the contribution of Persian craftsmen is particularly important. Indeed, it was Persian binders who introduced a range of innovative ideas, both technical as well as artistic, and these were to have a profound impact on subsequent bookbindings made during the Ottoman and Mughal periods. In the earlier period of book production within the Islamic world and particularly during the artistically vibrant Mamluk period, book covers were generally decorated in a restrained and somewhat austere fashion. However, many display virtuoso designs that can often be linked to similar designs in other art forms such as woodwork or metalwork. Sometimes gold paint or gold-tooled decoration was added to highlight certain designs or features.
However, the onset of the 9th/15th century and the collapse of the Burji Mamluk dynasty in 1517 to the Ottoman Turks marked the beginning of a period of cultural stagnation within the Arab world; new influences in this craft tended subsequently to have a Turkish inspiration. Conversely, this was the beginning of a glorious period for Persian book crafts and it was Persia which effectively took up the mantle of artistic leadership from this time. New methods of book production and completely revolutionary techniques were introduced and these were to have a lasting impact on Islamic book production for centuries to come. But, there was a price to be paid and the resulting increase in book production and the accompanying book covers were to lead to a form of mass production through the introduction of block stamped covers. This was eventually to stifle much of the innovative approaches taken by Persian craftsmen.
The main areas of innovation centred on painted book covers, in effect treating many of these bindings as a vehicle for painting akin to that undertaken by miniaturists: elaborate gilding; stamped covers; filigree decoration usually for the inside covers; and lacquer painted covers. It is these areas that we shall now examine, using some examples that have not been published hitherto.
- Baisunghur Mirza’s Academy and Library
- Block Stamped Covers
- Cover Embossing
- The Legacy of Persian Bookbinding
Source
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
IIS Alumni present at International Conference
May 2008   During March 28th - 30th 2008 the University of Victoria hosted a remarkable conference sponsored by the International Centre for Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies (ICCMES), which brought together over 70 scholars from all over the globe, of whom nearly half were from Muslim societies. Organised around a general theme, ‘Muslim World and the West: Emerging Avenues for Convergence,’... |
| the conference papers encompassed a wide range of disciplines, from political science, anthropology, social work, film studies, economics, art history, to Islamic studies. This conference was unique due to the range of diverse yet politically engaged viewpoints represented in all the panels and plenary sessions. All the sessions were animated by vigorous and healthy debates on contemporary tensions shaping relations between the Muslim World and the West. Some of the most memorable discussions focused on the future of Iraq, Islamist political movements and the plight of Palestinians. In addition to presentations from Iraqi, Egyptian, Iranian, Indonesian and Palestinian scholars, there were also a number of senior representatives from U.N. agencies working in these regions. Issues and questions arising around representations of Islam was another major area of focus and debate. Several areas were discussed including whether all representations of Islam and Muslims are subject to ideological contestation, and moreover whether all such representations are entrapped within essentialist discourses, both in the West and inside Muslim societies. Dr. Farouk Mitha, (Class of 1986), presented a paper entitled ‘The Films of Abbas Kiarostami: Framing the Burdens of Contemporary Muslim Identities,” which addressed these questions by examining the effects of the politics of Muslim identity on the work of a major and internationally renowned Iranian filmmaker working in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Karim H. Karim (Class of 1984) also presented a paper at this conference entitled: “Media and Societal Discourses on Western-Muslim Relations”. This paper discussed the way in which the mass media draw on and amplify societal discourses that polarize conceptions of “the West” and “the Muslim world.” Dominant narrations of Western-Muslim interactions have emphasised conflict rather than the cultural, scientific and trading relations carried on over many centuries and into the present. Karim H. Karim noted that Christians have long been present in most majority-Muslim countries and recent migration has made Islam the second-largest religion in almost all Western states. Notwithstanding some journalists’ attempt to provide a broader picture, the media’s primary focus on conflict obscures the many points of harmony between the two civilisations and the possibilities for further convergence. The contested terrain of Muslim identities and the challenges of studying the contextual factors shaping these identities were eloquently mapped out in two keynote addresses at the conference: H.R.H. Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan’s taped speech at the opening reception and the banquet speech by Professor E. Roger Owen of Harvard University. The conference ended on a somewhat optimistic note, echoing His Highness the Aga Khan’s conviction that the conflicts between the Muslim World and the West are not inevitable but rooted in a ‘clash of ignorance’ that can be overcome through education and dialogue. |
Source
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
India visit 2008 -Theismaili.org
Friday, 16 May 2008 
Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Governor of Gujarat, Mr Nawal Kishore Sharma, in Ahmedabad. Photo: Gary Otte 
Mawlana Hazar Imam smiles as he looks at photographs of his visit to the Diamond Jubilee High School in 1958, and Princess Zahra’s inauguration of the new site of the school in 2007. Photo: Gary Otte 
Mawlana Hazar Imam waves at members of the Jamat who lined the streets around Hyderabad airport to welcome him. Photo: Hussain Jiwan 
Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Honourable President of India, Mrs Pratibha Patil. Photo: Gary Otte 
Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Photo: Gary Otte
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Governor of Gujarat, Mr Nawal Kishore Sharma, in Ahmedabad. Photo: Gary Otte
Departing Mumbai early in the morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Ahmedabad today. There he met with the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr Narendra Modi and the Governor of the state, Mr Nawal Kishore Sharma.
In the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam travelled by helicopter to the small Gujarat town of Sidhpur for the first of three Golden Jubilee Darbars. The Jamat from across the state of Gujarat, had travelled to Sidhpur for this Darbar which was held at a site specially constructed to accommodate over 50 000 people.
Following the Darbar, Mawlana Hazar Imam returned to Mumbai.
Additional photographs are available in the Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra / Gujarat galleries, and on the AKDN website. Further details about the visit will continue to be posted at www.TheIsmaili.org.
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam smiles as he looks at photographs of his visit to the Diamond Jubilee High School in 1958, and Princess Zahra’s inauguration of the new site of the school in 2007. Photo: Gary Otte
This morning Mawlana Hazar Imam visited the Prince Aly Khan Hospital in Mumbai.
Established in 1945, the hospital was named after Hazar Imam’s father, Prince Aly Khan, who donated the land upon which it was built. Thousands of members of the Jamat gathered outside the hospital, located on the Aga Hall Estate, to welcome Mawlana Hazar Imam.
During his visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam toured the facility. He also met with the Senior Management of the hospital and the Directors of the Aga Khan Health Services in India.
From the hospital, Mawlana Hazar Imam went to the Diamond Jubilee High School in Mumbai.
Originally established in 1947 following the Diamond Jubilee of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, the school was last visited by Mawlana Hazar Imam in 1958. In 2007, it moved to a new site which was inaugurated by Princess Zahra.
During his visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam reviewed the school facilities and met briefly with the Directors of the Aga Khan Education Service in India.
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam waves at members of the Jamat who lined the streets around Hyderabad airport to welcome him. Photo: Hussain JiwanToday, Mawlana Hazar Imam travelled to Hyderabad where he was greeted at the airport by Government representatives and leaders of the Jamat. The Jamat of Hyderabad lined the streets around the airport to welcome Hazar Imam.
While in Hyderabad, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and the Governor of the state, Mr Narayan Dutt Tiwari.
Mawlana Hazar Imam also visited the site of the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad, where he had laid the foundation stone of the Academy in 2006. At the site, he reviewed plans with the architects.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam flew to Mumbai where thousands of cheering members of the Jamat waved flags and greeted the Imam.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Honourable President of India, Mrs Pratibha Patil. Photo: Gary Otte
Mawlana Hazar Imam began his day by visiting the Sundar Nursery and Nila Gumbad.
In addition to housing and protecting hundreds of plants, the Sundar Nursery also includes a number of ancient monuments, many of which date back to the Mughal period. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is currently working on the preservation of these monuments.
Both Sundar Nursery and Nila Gunbad — also a historic monument which AKTC is helping to restore — are located around Humayun’s Tomb. The revitalisation of the Gardens of Humayun’s Tomb was the first privately funded restoration of a World Heritage Site in India. It was completed in 2003 through the joint efforts of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India under the aegis of the National Culture Fund.
Later in the day, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Honourable President of India, Mrs Pratibha Patil and with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Lal Krishna Advani.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam hosted a reception for the diplomatic corps of India.
Monday, 12 May 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Photo: Gary OtteThis morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam landed in New Delhi, commencing his eight-day Golden Jubilee visit of India. He was received at the airport by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr E. Ahmad, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Shivshankar Menon, the Chief of Protocol for the Government of India, Mr Sunil Lal, and leaders of the Jamat in India.
During the course of the day, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr E. Ahmad, the Honourable Vice President, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, Mrs Sonia Gandhi.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Vice President of India.
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
May 14, 2008
MHI india Visit --
Aga Khan meets President Patil The Cheers, Estonia - New Delhi, May 13 : Religious leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil here on Tuesday. ... |
 | Aga Khan seeks reforms in madrassa education Gulf Times, Qatar - NEW DELHI: The Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, yesterday called on President Pratibha Patil and discussed a host of issues, ... |
Aga Khan meets President Patil DailyIndia.com, FL - New Delhi, May 13: Religious leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil here on Tuesday. ... |
Aga Khan meets President Patil Thaindian.com, Thailand - New Delhi, May 13 (ANI): Religious leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil here on Tuesday. ... |
 | Aga Khan on week long visit to India All India Radio, India - The spiritual leader Aga Khan arrived New Delhi on Monday to commemorate his 50th year as the Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims. ... |
 | Aga Khan to meet President Patil today Thaindian.com, Thailand - New Delhi, May 13 (ANI): Religious leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan will meet President Pratibha Patil here this afternoon. ... |
The Aga Khan is back in city after 16 yrs Daily News & Analysis, India - MUMBAI: The top spiritual leader of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims is expected to reach Mumbai on May 14 as part of an eight-day official visit to the country. ... |
Muslim spiritual leader Aga Khan meets PM
Zee News, India -
During the meeting, Singh is understood to have apprised the Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims about the steps being taken by the government to improve the ...
Zee News, India -
During the meeting, Singh is understood to have apprised the Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims about the steps being taken by the government to improve the ...
Ismailiworld - Be Unite
ismailiworld@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
