Ismaili Centres Archive
It was an uncharacteristically cold and windy Monday morning in Los Angeles on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 21, 2019. Most families were bundled warmly in their homes, but 48 volunteers in I-CERV shirts huddled together at George Washington Carver Middle School to help the community. This event attracted over a thousand volunteers from dozens of corporations and nonprofits, evidenced by the colorful company shirts sported throughout the school campus. The day marked an annual tradition when I-CERV partners with LA Works to participate in a school beautification project in downtown Los Angeles.
UK-based architect Farshid Moussavi has been selected to lead the design of the Ismaili Center, Houston — the first Ismaili Center in the USA.
Situated in six cities around the world, the Ismaili Centres are places of contemplation and congregation, peace and prayer, humility and hope, discovery and dialogue, and equanimity and enlightenment.
To mark World Cancer Day on 4 February, nutritionist and early childhood development specialist Shameera Somani highlights the efforts being made by the Aga Khan Health Board (AKHB) in India to educate the Jamat about cancer through its various awareness and screening programmes.
“The morning is crisp, the sun’s rays angular and sharp. The sky is an effervescent azure, a crystalline blue so piercing that an apology for such an unabashed celebration of splendor might be in order.”
Book-lovers and history buffs alike were transported to the world of medieval Islamic Spain as they gathered at the Ismaili Jamatkhana in Atlanta for the launch of Dr. John D. Cressler’s historical romance novel, Fortune’s Lament, set against the backdrop of Granada’s Alhambra Palace. The book is the third release in Cressler’s "Anthems of al-Andalus" series, which centers around love stories with a strong, interfaith theme, during pivotal historical events in Spain.
The Midwest Youth and Sports Board hosted its annual Midwest Regional Sports Tournament at the Libertyville Sports Complex on Saturday, November 24. Shaifali Lalani, Co-Project Manager of this year’s tournament, said she was most excited about the number of athletes this year. “We had originally planned for 100 to 150 at most, given the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We ended up doubling that with over 300 participants!” Additionally, over 100 volunteers and 300 spectators were in attendance making it one of the largest regional sports tournaments held in the region.
On 27 January 2019, The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) and the Aga Khan Foundation UK hosted a panel at the Jaipur Literature Festival in India, where the new IIS publication Islam: An Illustrated Journey was officially launched.
On 15 January 2019, world-renowned public intellectual Professor Mona Siddiqui, OBE, delivered the annual lecture commemorating Milad-un-Nabi, to an audience of over 250 government and community leaders, academics, and members of the Jamat on the topic of “Hospitality, Global Conflicts and Migration: From Divine Imperative to Social Conscience.”
An enthusiastic group of students at the Khorog campus of the University of Central Asia (UCA) have formed an initiative to promote awareness of ecological issues and encourage participation in environmentally sustainable practices.
Every December, students wind down by snuggling up in their favorite blankets, binge-watching television sitcoms, and soak in the merry holiday season with heaps of food and family gatherings to enjoy a break from essays and midterms. However, this year, 20 students volunteered to take a more alternative route to the traditional winter break.
On January 26, 2019, the Aga Khan Girls Guide, in association with the Bangladesh Girls Guide, extended its support during this hard winter season by donating blankets and other warm clothes to the patients of the Feroza Bari Disabled Children Hospital, which is a pioneer in physiotherapy.
How can someone on one side of the world affect an initiative on the other side? Or contribute to making an improvement to a large-scale process? Or share the knowledge they have acquired through years of education and experience? The stories of TKN volunteers Ali Thanawalla, Adam Jutha, and Huma Pabani are all examples of short-term, remote assignments with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), which have made a significant impact on the agency's work.
Within the Jamat, there is a significant number of people that live with some form of disability, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, and mental illness. Like everyone, this group of individuals have their own uniqueness, which needs to be understood and embraced. It can be done in an environment that promotes equality, inclusiveness, and mutual respect, free from prejudice.
Unity in Diversity – Let’s Embrace Our Differences’ was the theme of the sixth boy scouts and girl guides camporee organised by the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board, Pakistan. The camp was held at Pakistan Boys Scouts Association headquarters, Sumbal Park, Islamabad. An astounding 255 boy scouts and 286 girl guides from all over the country attended the camp.
Agile, talented professionals who engage with their communities are celebrated globally for their accomplishments. The 40 Under 40 award provides a platform for recognition of these young men and women who are making an incredible difference in their communities, cities and beyond. This platform is utilized by various distinguished institutions, be it academic in nature, financial or with a commitment to civic engagement. The last two years have seen five individuals from the Atlanta Jamat honored as proud recipients of this coveted award.
The digital age has changed our lives in many parts of the world, inextricably tethering them to the Internet for the simplest to the most sophisticated of tasks. In the first of a new series of articles on how to use digital media safely, Altaf Jiwa outlines the role that the Internet and social media have come to play in our daily lives.
