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From the official website of the Ismaili Muslim community.

North America

A webcast for change in the developing world

The AKDN Speakers Series hosted a live webcast for volunteers wishing to offer a nazrana of time and knowledge. Moderated by Ali Velshi, it featured keynote speaker, Dr Tom Kessinger, General Manager of the Aga Khan Foundation and Deputy Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network.

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Europe

World Cup boccia champion determined to represent his country at the Paralympics

Hopeful of being able to compete in London in 2012 after he narrowly missed out on a place at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, Boccia World Cup gold medallist Ali Lalani discussed his sport, his inspirations, and his future aspirations with Zahid Lalani.

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Asia

Revival of traditional dress in Badakhshan mirrors shifting landscape of cultural influence

The evolution in choice of dress among the Ismailis of Gorno-Badakhshan in Tajikistan is reflective of wider changes and influences that have affected that society over the past decades. The recent re-emergence of Pamiri dress speaks to a rediscovery of local heritage.

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International Programmes

Heritage Discovery Programme: An exploration of Ismaili heritage

Earlier this year, 114 delegates from 20 countries participated in the Heritage Discovery Programme. This Golden Jubilee International Programme focused on the exploration of Ismaili heritage through travel in the Middle East, Central and South Asia and East Africa.

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Africa

Illustrated publication on Ismaili history launched in Kenya by The Institute of Ismaili Studies

Kenya hosted the first major launch of an Institute of Ismaili Studies publication outside North America and Europe. The authors and staff of The Institute recounted the journey of the making of the book, and its importance at this juncture in Ismaili history.

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Golden Jubilee

Syria visit

Friday, 29 August
The Syrian Prime Minister accompanied Mawlana Hazar Imam to the Aleppo airport to see him off, and leaders of the Jamat and the AKDN in Syria gathered to wish Hazar Imam farewell as his Golden Jubilee visit to Syria drew to a close.

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Middle East

Syrian Jamat prepares to welcome Mawlana Hazar Imam on his Golden Jubilee visit

It has been nearly seven years since Mawlana Hazar Imam last visited the Syrian Jamat, and the enthusiasm and excitement are building. Over 100 000 people are expected to attend Darbars in Salamieh and Al-Khawabi, including Jamati members from around the world.

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Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance Expands Operations in Madagascar

Antananarivo, September 15, 2008 - The Première Agence de MicroFinance has expanded its operations in Madagascar to new districts with the opening of branches in Analavory and Bealanana.

The Première Agence de MicroFinance (PAMF) began its operations in the Sofia district of Madagascar in December 2006 and has expanded rapidly throughout the island. With the addition of its new branches, PAMF is now operational in nine districts: Antananarivo, Mahajanga, Antsohihy, Port Bergé, Mandritsara, Befandriana, Mampikony, and now, Analavory, in the Itasy region. PAMF also inaugurated a new rural outlet in Bealanana and strengthened its existing presence in Sofia.

Expanding outreach to rural areas is particularly important as the microfinance penetration rate is still very low in these regions. The population mainly subsist on agricultural production and are in need of credit for farm inputs. In Sofia, PAMF supports rice growers in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation and has helped contribute to an increase in rice production from 1.5 to 5 tons per hectare, considerably improving household incomes.

At the end of June 2008, PAMF had disbursed over USD 2 million to more than 10'000 clients. Before the end of 2008, PAMF will also open another office in the outskirts of the capital city, Antananarivo, where people do not have any access to financial services. This office will support the local population in developing micro- and small-enterprises in retail and production.

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The Sayyidi Muhammad ‘Ali Hamdani Collection

The Sayyidi Muhammad ‘Ali Hamdani Collection came to The Institute of Ismaili Studies in 2006, thanks to the generosity of Professor and Mrs. Abbas Hamdani of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA). The Collection is extremely important, not only because of the rare and precious manuscripts it contains but because it was formed over generations by scholars in a single distinguished family. The manuscripts, mostly in Arabic with others in Persian, Urdu and Gujarati, were collected and often copied, in beautiful calligraphic hands, by Professor Hamdani’s ancestors, beginning in Yemen in the 18^th century and continuing from father to son into the twentieth century, particularly in Surat, Gujarat, where Professor Hamdani was born. Through seals and stamps of ownership, as well as handwritten notations, it is possible to trace the provenance of many of these manuscripts, beginning with Shaykh ‘Ali ibn Sa’id and continuing through Ibrahim, his son, and Fayd Allah, his grandson, to Muhammad ‘Ali Hamdani himself, in whose honour the collection has been named.

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IIS Publishes the First Volume of Encyclopaedia Islamica

September 2008
The IIS is pleased to announce the publication of Encyclopaedia Islamica by Brill of Leiden. This long-awaited publication is the first of a projected sixteen-volume edited and abridged translation of Da’irat al-Ma‘arif-i Buzurg-i Islami (The Great Islamic Encyclopaedia) by The Centre for Iranian and Islamic Studies in Tehran. Volume one comprises articles from Aba’ to Abu Hanifa and is available for purchase or online subscription from Brill.

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Muslim Spaces of Worship and Gathering

Muslim Spaces of Worship and Gathering

While the mosque is the site most often associated with Muslim expressions of piety, there are a range of spaces used by Muslim communities – Shi‘a and Sunni – for their worship and gathering. These range from the ashurkhana and zawiya to the khanqah and tekke. While some of these spaces are specific to particular Muslim communities, others are clustered geographically or are prominent amongst particular cultural groups. More

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Papers Presented at Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies

Papers Presented at Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies
September 2008

IIS scholar Dr S. J. Badakhchani and IIS PhD student, Maryam Rezaee, presented papers at the Seventh Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies held in Toronto, Canada. The conference, chaired by Professor Tavakoli-Taghi of the University of Toronto, brought together 250 scholars and artists to share their research on Iranian culture. More

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