Ismailiworld: Jamatkhana

Showing posts with label Jamatkhana. Show all posts

Jan 2, 2012

New jamatkhanas in Northern Pakistan serve as catalysts for improving quality of life

Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly known as the Northern Areas of Pakistan) is home to communities belonging to different cultures, ethnicities and language groups, who have historically lived together in peace and tranquillity. Ismaili Muslims are among those with a strong presence in the region, including in neighbouring Chitral in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and many jamatkhanas are located throughout the area.But Pakistan’s northern regions are also part of a seismically unstable zone, and are prone to earthquakes, floods, landslides and droughts. Living conditions are harsh, with temperatures fluctuating between -15 to +40 degrees Celsius. Perhaps one of the most tangible indicators of poverty is the deteriorating housing conditions.

Dec 21, 2011

India Jamatkhana Images

INDIA JAMATKHANA IMAGES - Click Below

SNAPSHOT

Magazine

Mosaic

Mar 28, 2011

Jamatkhana Images on Indiajk Jamatkhana Blog.

India Jamatkhana Images on Indiajk Blog

http://www.indiajk.blogspot.com/

Oct 24, 2009

Few Jamatkhana Old Images.

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Jan 19, 2009

New Chicago-area Jamatkhana described as the “Ruby of Glenview”

A view of the Glenview Jamatkhana front entrance. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for the USA

On 2 December 2008, 200 guests gathered for the opening of a new Jamatkhana in Glenview, Illinois. Construction of the project began a year ago, and its completion was eagerly anticipated by the Chicago-area Jamat.

The inaugural plaque is unveiled by Illinois First Lady Patricia Blagojevich and President Mahmoud Eboo of the Ismaili Council for the USA. Standing with them are President Mansoor Virani of the Ismaili Council for the Midwest United States, President Kerry Cummings of the Village of Glenview, and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Photo: Anwar Merchant

The inaugural plaque was unveiled by Illinois’ First Lady, Patricia Blagojevich. She was accompanied on stage by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Kerry Cummings, President of the Village of Glenview, Dr. Mahmoud Eboo, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA, and Dr. Mansoor Virani, President of the Ismaili Council for the Midwest United States. Also among the distinguished guests were consuls general, mayors, state representatives and leaders of other faith communities.

During his welcome address, President Eboo situated the Jamatkhana among the variety of spaces of worship in Islam. “The Jamatkhana in Glenview, as with all Ismaili Jamatkhanas around the world, reflects in its space and usage three dynamics,” he described. “The prayer hall for worship and contemplation, the social hall for engagement with others and the gardens to appreciate and enjoy God's creation and to which we welcome our neighbours.”

A lunch reception followed the ceremonies and guests had an opportunity to tour the facility. Set on 9.3 acres of land, the 26 000 square foot Jamatkhana includes a prayer hall, administrative offices, classrooms, and spaces for social gatherings. The social hall will be available for lectures and presentations to Glenview residents and other visitors, while tours of the building will be offered to the public.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, addresses guests during the opening ceremony. Photo: Anwar Merchant

“This is truly a beautiful building and I was struck by the serenity of the prayer hall and the care and thought that has been taken in its design,“ said the First Lady, following her tour. “I have no doubt that you will use the facility to reach out to others and be the valuable and valued community that you have become wherever you have established yourselves.”

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who had met Mawlana Hazar Imam when he received the Vincent Scully Prize in 2005, spoke of the work of the Aga Khan Development Network, referencing the Ismaili Centres and other major building projects around the world. Of the Glenview facility, she said: “This is clearly an oasis of calm within a bustling metropolis, and its architecture is fitting for Glenview.”

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and President Mahmoud Eboo admire a tapestry stitched by volunteers from the Jamat. Photo: Anwar Merchant

President Cummings appreciated the building’s design, describing it as the “Ruby of Glenview” — a reference to the eleventh century Ismaili Da’i and poet, Nasir Khusraw, sometimes remembered as the Ruby of Badakhshan. “I have no doubt, it will be visited by many and much will be written about its intrinsic beauty,” she said.

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Aug 21, 2008

Salamieh Syria Map

Point C: Salamieh centre where Homs street (south), Hama street (north west) and Thawra street (east) intersect. Point 1: Local Council of Salamieh and the mausoleum of Prince Aly Khan (0.5 km south west from centre)Point 2: Darbar site – Al zeraa (Agricultural School), located on 1.5 km west of city centre on Hama road. Point 3: Al-Hussaini Jamatkhana, near the AKES language center (Rawdah) 1.75 km north east of Salamieh centre, where the Registration Centre is situated, Point 4: Imam Ismail Mosque, where tomb of Imam Radiyyidin Abdallah is located (0.5 km from city centre)>

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Aug 17, 2008

First purpose-built Jamatkhana opens in the Ishkashim region of Afghan Badhakhshan

On 15 May 2008, the Jamat of Afghanistan celebrated a significant milestone with the opening of the first purpose-built Jamatkhana in the Ishkashim district of the province of Badakhshan. Set in a spectacular location, the Jamatkhana overlooks much of Ishkashim, with views of the Panj River and neighbouring Tajikistan. The Jamatkhana will house the offices of the Ismaili Council for Badakhshan and other local Jamati institutions.
Members of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps line up outside Ishkashim Jamatkhana and await the arrival of the guests. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
As hundreds of members of the Jamat gathered for the official opening, a small team from the Ismaili Volunteer Corps of Ishkashim gave the interior a final polish. The pride on their faces was evident as they prepared for the arrival of the dignitaries who had been invited for the opening.
From the Jamatkhana’s hilltop location, the convoy of vehicles carrying distinguished guests — including the Governor of the Badakhshan Province, the President of the Provincial Assembly, the Chairman of the Badakhshan Religious Affairs Department — as well as the President of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan, could be seen long before they reached the site, amplifying the excitement among members of the Jamat.
Following a recitation from the Qur’an-e-Sharif and the rendition of a beautiful qasida, the Governor of Badakhshan addressed the Jamat in the large prayer hall. The Governor, who had travelled for seven hours from the provincial capital city of Faizabad to attend the opening, spoke passionately about the freedom of religious practice in Afghanistan and the importance of faith in the lives of all people. In a moving analogy, he compared the diversity of interpretations in Islam to the differently coloured flowers in a beautiful garden, noting that it was this variety that made the garden so beautiful.
The Governor of Badakhshan and the President of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan approach the Jamatkhana. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
The Governor was followed by the President of the Provincial Assembly, who emphasised and built upon the theme of religious pluralism, observing that there are multiple, equally legitimate forms of prayer. The Chairman of the Badakhshan Religious Affairs Department also spoke, and encouraged the Jamat to be regular in their daily attendance at Jamatkhana.
Finally, the Governor’s spokesperson spoke about his profound admiration for Mawlana Hazar Imam’s work in Afghanistan and Badakhshan. He praised the Jamat in Badakhshan, and the district of Ishkashim in particular, for its reputation as a place of inter-communal tolerance and peace.
Following these speeches, Shair Baz Hakemy, President of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan, delivered a brief address, thanking the invited guests for their presence at the opening, and elaborating on the significance of the opening of this first Jamatkhana for the large Jamat in Badakhshan. Traditional gifts of Afghan chapans (robes) were then presented by various Jamati leaders to the large number of distinguished guests who had gathered for the opening, including District Governors and other senior government officials from across Badakhshan Province. To the sustained applause of the gathered Jamat, the Governor of Badakhshan, President Hakemy, and other leaders, Jamati and non-Jamati, cut a symbolic ribbon and declared the building opened.
In the afternoon, the Ismaili Council hosted a lunch for all of the guests, while the Jamat in turn celebrated the opening of the new Jamatkhana, and prepared to attend prayer services for the first time in their new building that evening.
Ishkashim Jamatkhana in Afghanistan, with the mountains of Tajikistan visible in the background. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan

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Apr 30, 2008

Maputo Jamatkhana evokes a long history of Ismailis in Mozambique

At the heart of the port city of Maputo, capital of Mozambique, stands a building that testifies to the long history of the Ismaili Muslim community in the region. The Maputo Jamatkhana is located a short distance from the heart of the old city’s baixa (commercial area). Flanked by two intricately carved glass-wall minarets, the concrete structure is easily identified by the words Edificio Sua Alteza Aga Khan (The Building of His Highness the Aga Khan) that adorn the central clock tower.