What's New
18 September 2018 - Paris, France: President Emmanuel Macron today received Mawlana Hazar Imam at the Élysée Palace in Paris - the official office and residence of the President of France. A guard of honour by the Republican Guard was on display, as Hazar Imam was welcomed by the French President.
On the occasion of the centenary of the end of the First World War, the Ismaili Council for France represented the France jurisdiction Jamat at a ceremony to mark the memory of soldiers of South Asian origin, who lost their lives a century ago. Guests at the event came together to focus on unity and cohesion between all peoples.
The University of Central Asia’s Khorog campus in Tajikistan was officially inaugurated on 14 September 2018, joining the world-class centre for knowledge and learning, which connects isolated rural communities with the global community. The Khorog campus is the second to become operational after UCA's Naryn campus was inaugurated in Kyrgyzstan in 2016.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, at the invitation of the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, today joined world leaders at the funeral of former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. Mr Annan was laid to rest at a state funeral in Accra, Ghana earlier today. Hazar Imam was accompanied by Princess Zahra.
On 6 September 2018, The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) hosted a celebratory event at the Aga Khan Centre to commemorate the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between SOAS University of London and the IIS. The Memorandum of Agreement is a formal arrangement whereby SOAS will award MA degrees for the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH) and the Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP).
The very first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was a command to read. Thus, from the very beginning, learning and education has held a special place in Islam. For all communities and societies today, learning and education rests on literacy, or, the ability to read and write. The recently-established Gulshan-e-Noor Library and Reading Room in Pakistan aims to enhance the literacy of its visitors by providing them with access to knowledge, a space to hold educational programming, and a team of well-trained staff to facilitate learning.
Nestled just outside Austin, the city of Cedar Park is now home to a new, permanent Ismaili Jamatkhana. On 7 August 2018, state, city, and local leaders from across Texas joined Jamati leaders and volunteers to open the new purpose-built space, and share its vision.
The i-CERV initiative was launched in the United Kingdom jurisdiction Jamat during the Diamond Jubilee year with a great sense of excitement. i-CERV — Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering — is a programme first established in the United States, with a mission to offer its members an opportunity to serve the wider communities in which they reside.
The i-CERV initiative was launched in the United Kingdom jurisdiction Jamat during the Diamond Jubilee year with a great sense of excitement. i-CERV — Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering — is a programme first established in the United States, with a mission to offer its members an opportunity to serve the wider communities in which they reside.
His Excellency President Michael Higgins of Ireland and his wife Sabina Mary Coyne, today received Mawlana Hazar Imam at their official residence Áras an Uachtaráin. The occasion honoured Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee, which concluded last month.
As part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration, the inaugural Jubilee Arts International Film Festival was held in Lisbon last month. NOS Cinemas at the Vasco da Gama mall in Portugal’s capital hosted over 20,000 visitors, who watched film submissions screened in six movie theatres over the course of four days.
Two decades ago, on 11 July 1998, Mawlana Hazar Imam and then-President of Portugal Jorge Sampaio officially opened the Ismaili Centre Lisbon. The Centre’s 20th anniversary coincided with the Diamond Jubilee Celebration held in Lisbon earlier this month, during which thousands of visitors attended the building and its gardens for guided tours.