• Syed Ali Abbas Razawi, Director General of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, speaks during the Commemoration of Yaw’m-E-Ali at the Ismaili Centre, Burnaby
    30 March 2017 | Ismaili Centre Toronto

    Yaw’m-E-Ali – Celebrating the Spirit of Pluralism and the Birth of Hazrat Ali

    Syed Ali Abbas Razawi, Director General of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, speaks during the Commemoration of Yaw’m-E-Ali at the Ismaili Centre, Burnaby PHOTO: Farouq Manji
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Ismaili Centre Toronto
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Burnaby, 30 March 2017 – Yawm-e-Ali is the celebration of the birthday of Hazrat Ali, the first Shia Imam and the last of the four “rightly‐guided caliphs”. In commemorating Yaw’m-e-Ali, Syed Ali Abbas Razawi, Director General of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, shared a moving and inspiring talk at the Ismaili Centre, Burnaby about the principals of leadership, pluralism, respect and authority through examples set by Imam Ali.  Two days later, Mr. Razawi addressed a full audience at the Ismaili Centre, Toronto.  Mr. Razawi’s Toronto lecture was also webcast live on theIsmaili.org.

Mr. Razawi spoke eloquently about Imam Ali and the example that he set to all, with his leadership style of forgiveness and inclusivity and discussed the impact of the famous letter written by Imam Ali to then Governor of Egypt, Malik al-Ashtar. He presented a quote from the letter in which Imam Ali stated “I’m sending you to a country where you will find diversity, but know one thing, either the people will be of your faith, brothers in faith, or brothers in humanity”. Mr. Razawi spoke about how the Imam’s words and guidance in this letter continue to inspire leaders of today by sharing how, during his tenure, past Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Anan referenced this letter in a statement he delivered on the fiftieth anniversary of the declaration of Human Rights. Mr. Razawi also shared how, in its 2002 Arab Human Development Reports, the United Nations referenced sayings of Imam Ali about the notion of ideal governance. Mr. Razawi reflected on Imam Ali’s leadership and how he exemplified the need to respect one another, and how these lessons continue to be relevant today.

Mr. Razawi is a leading Cleric and Theologian and has represented Muslim communities in various European Community countries at several high level religious leaders meetings.  He is also a faculty member of the University of Cambridge-affiliated Senior Leaders Leadership Program, which gives training to senior Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders in the UK.  In 2016, Mr. Razawi was appointed by Prime Minister Theresa May as an advisor on the Sharia Review.  

In Toronto, Mr. Razawi’s presentation was followed by an insightful moderated discussion with Professor Liyakat Takim, the Sharjah Chair in Global Islam at McMaster University and author of hundreds of scholarly works on reformation in Islam, Islam in the western diaspora and Islamophobia.  

Members of both audiences included academics, faith and civil society leaders and the broader Muslim community.