This year, on the 11 July 2017, the Ismaili Muslim Community around the world will mark the Diamond Jubilee - the 60th anniversary of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s ascension to the Imamat.
This is a global celebration, for which we are joined by millions of Ismailis worldwide to celebrate this momentous milestone, thus maintaining a cherished historical tradition dating back to the time of Mawlana Sultan Mahomad Shah, when thousands convened in different parts of the world to celebrate his Diamond and Platinum Jubilees. Over his six decades, Mawlana Hazar Imam has steered the community worldwide, navigating and leading us through many deep social, political and economic changes that the world has seen and which have affected the community everywhere.
To celebrate this wonderful occasion, the Jamat of the Gulf Jurisdiction will participate in the global celebrations to the fullest extent. Tuesday 11 July 2017 will commence with a flag hoisting ceremony to mark the occasion in the early morning at the Ismaili Centre, Dubai. The principal program of activities will commence in the afternoon and the entire Jamat of the United Arab Emirates will be invited to the Dubai World Trade Centre. Other Gulf Jurisdiction Jamats will be participating in this global celebration in their own regions.
The day is intended to be devotional and reflective, as well as celebratory and fun, and will consist of a number of activities signifying these twin objectives for the day. The culmination of the day will be the broadcast of the Homage Ceremony video from Aiglemont, France where Mawlana Hazar Imam will be receiving current and past leaders of the community which will be shared with the Jamat worldwide. This is an occasion of immense significance in the lives of both Mawlana Hazar Imam’s and his Jamat, since such an occasion is a rarity in history. The day will provide an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the values of faith. The evening will end with Dandia Raas program which will take us into the early hours. We will also come together to eat, celebrate and meet friends, both old and new.
The celebrations do not end on that day, the program continues on Friday, 14 July, 2017. Starting in the afternoon, the Jamat will once again gather at the Dubai World Trade Centre, where the festivities will continue through a wide variety of musical and educational activities. The Aga Khan Scouts and Guides’ Band will open the programs and activities. A special exhibition celebrating Mawlana Hazar Imam’s six decades of selected momentous achievements, prepared and curated in Dubai will also be unveiled. Various activities in arts and crafts such as tasbih making, arabic calligraphy and much more will be available throughout the afternoon. For the younger Jamat, activities by Support Educate Engage and Develop (SEEDs) will cover a range of early years topics, such as milestones, routines and play for early childhood development. Once again, we can expect much celebration on this day. Performances by our very own youth talent after dinner as they take us through a journey of our rich heritage will be followed by a Bollywood musical performance by artists Shadab and Altamash Faridi to round off a wonderful week for the Ismaili Community in the Gulf and around the world.
The following twelve months will be an exciting time for the community globally; a time of celebration and of reflection, as well as an opportunity to strengthen our relationships within our community locally and transnationally. It is equally a time to reflect on how we can re-affirm our commitment to the values exemplified by Mawlana Hazar Imam. We look forward to experiencing the beginning of this historic year together.
