Content Tagged with Global

Mawlana Hazar Imam and Prime Minister Stephen Harper shake hands after unveiling the plaque commemorating the Foundation of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park.

Mawlana Hazar Imam and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper mark the Foundation of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park situated in Toronto’s Don Mills area. The Prime Minister used the occasion to formally announce the Canadian Parliament’s unanimous decision to make Mawlana Hazar Imam an Honorary Canadian Citizen.

Speech by The Right Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada At the Foundation Ceremony of The Ismaili Centre, Toronto, The Aga Khan Museum and their Park Friday, 28 May 2010.

Mawlana Hazar Imam receives a certificate of Honorary Canadian Citizenship from Prime Minister Harper.

Toronto, 28 May 2010 – Mawlana Hazar Imam and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper were in Toronto today to mark the Foundation of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park situated in the city’s Don Mills area. The Prime Minister used the occasion to formally announce the Canadian Parliament’s unanimous decision to make Mawlana Hazar Imam an Honorary Canadian Citizen.

At his arrival in Toronto, Mawlana Hazar Imam is greeted by James Moore, the Federal Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Kathleen Wynne, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation.

Toronto, 27 May 2010 – Following a short visit to Ottawa, Mawlana Hazar Imam landed in Toronto this afternoon, where he will participate in tomorrow’s Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, the first-ever Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and the park where they will be situated in the city’s Don Mills neighbourhood.

An aerial view of the Wynford Drive site, which is being developed into a park where the Ismaili Centre, Toronto and the Aga Khan Museum will be situated. The site is clearly visible from the adjacent Don Valley Parkway thoroughfare.

Toronto, 26 May, 2010 — On Friday, May 28, 2010, His Highness the Aga Khan will participate in the Foundation Ceremony to mark the beginning of the development of the Ismaili Centre, the first-ever Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and the park where they will be situated in Toronto’s Don Mills area.

Upon his arrival in Ottawa, Mawlana Hazar Imam was welcomed by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon, Ismaili Council for Canada President Mohamed Manji, and other leaders of the Jamat and AKDN institutions in Canada.

Ottawa, 26 May 2010 – Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Ottawa this afternoon, marking the start of a two-day visit to Canada during which he will participate in the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, the first-ever Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and the park where they will be situated in Toronto’s Don Mills neighbourhood.

An aerial view of the Don Mills neighbourhood, looking towards the future site of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their park. The Foundation Ceremony for the three projects is due to take place on 28 May.

Over the decades, the Toronto neighbourhood of Don Mills has opened its welcoming arms and helped many new immigrants make Canada their home, including Ismailis and other Muslims. On 28 May, Mawlana Hazar Imam will lay the foundation for three important new projects that will invite Canadians – Muslim and non-Muslim – to explore their connected heritage and celebrate their unique backgrounds.

A sign posted at an Ashram run by an Indian NGO that helps child labourers decries child exploitation.

It is believed to be one of the fastest growing forms of organised crime in the world, though most people ignore it or are simply unaware. But through a five-part series currently being aired on BBC World Television, executive producer Faridoun Hemani and researcher Jazzmin Jiwa hope to change that. They assert that human trafficking is a modern form of slavery.

17 May 2010 – An update from Focus Humanitarian Assistance on FOCUS’ collaboration with Jamati institutions and national agencies in response to the devastating landslide that occurred in the Attabad village of Hunza Valley in Pakistan on 4 January 2010.

This Qur’an bifolium is written in gold kufic script on blue parchment. Created by the Fatimids during their rule in Kairouan, it is considered to be one of the most lavish Qur’anic scripts ever created.

The Aga Khan Museum Collection, which has been travelling across Europe since 2007, will ultimately find its permanent home in a new museum being established in Toronto. Reflecting the diversity and pluralism that characterises the Muslim world, the artwork and objects that comprise the Collection are helping to foster a greater appreciation of our collective human heritage and shared history.

A scene from the Shahnama: Rustam pursues Akvan the Onager-Div.

This year marks the 1 000th anniversary of the completion of Shahnama, The Book of Kings by Abu´l-Qasim Firdawsi. Consisting of some 60 000 verses, it is considered one of the longest and most important epic poems ever written. To commemorate its millenary, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston hosted a lecture that was co-sponsored by the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern USA.

An aerial view of Port-au-Prince's downtown area demonstrates the extent of damage inflicted by the powerful earthquake that hit the Haitian capital on 12 January.

In January, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake shattered the Republic of Haiti. Horrified by the disaster, countries, civil society organisations and individual donors responded with desperately needed help. Among them were many Ismailis who used their resources and skills to find creative ways to provide timely assistance to Haitians.

Entrance into the Ismaili Centre, Dubai — a plurality of perspectives.

The Ismaili Centre, Dubai was recently recognised by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority with the inaugural Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Award. The award honours individuals and organisations that have made a significant contribution towards the development of Dubai’s cultural sector.

The outer Entrance Hall of the Ismaili Centre, London, provides a calming welcomes to visitors from the bustling city streets.

A visual journey through photographs and quotations that highlights memorable moments and images from the past 25 years of the Ismaili Centre, London.

The title deeds of the Cromwell Gardens were presented to the National Theatre Committee in 1938 by Bernard Shaw as part of a custom known as “The Ceremony of the Twig and the Sod”.

In the 1990s, the Ismaili Centre, London hosted two major theatrical productions, but it wasn’t the first time that the grounds of the Centre had entertained thespian ambitions. TheIsmaili.org traces the history of the present-day site, which was once earmarked for the National Theatre.

The Uganda Jamat is committed to provide sustained support to the affected people. Volunteers and resources will continue to be mobilised until the people of the affected region are resettled.

When the fertile farming district of Bududa was devastated by mud-slides that swept away hundreds of lives, the Ismaili community of Uganda were quick to mobilise assistance. Within a week, donations of food, medical supplies, clothing, and sanitary supplies – together with volunteers – quickly made their way to Bulucheke Camp.

Zain Verjee of CNN International hosts an on-stage conversation with Dr Amyn B. Sajoo about his book, “A Companion to the Muslim World”.

The Institute of Ismaili Studies recently launched A Companion to the Muslim World, the first book in a new series of publications on essential themes of Muslim heritage. Intelligently written, yet easy to read, the book aims to assist the non-specialist reader to better understand the Muslim world.

Book club members gather at a book signing event. (L to R: Shabina Premji, Zahra Dedhar, Shyna Dhanani and Shairose Gulamani.)

It is a little past three in the morning on a foggy, Seattle Sunday, but a group of women are already armed and ready with a carpool list, tea, and that month’s novel tucked under their arms. Since February 2009, the book club’s members meet every first Sunday of the month to discuss books as varied and diverse as the women in their group.

Women who survived the landslide rest in one of the schools that was re-purposed as a camp for internally displaced persons.

Life in the Hunza valley was changed forever when a landslide buried the entire village of Attabad in the Northern Pakistan territory of Gilgit-Baltistan earlier this year. Despite extensive relief efforts, the future remains uncertain as a lake resulting from the landslide swallows villages and threatens the lives of thousands downstream.

A biennial flagship event of the United Kingdom Jamat that is now in its 26th year, NSF is much more than a sports festival. It is a celebration of Ismaili Muslim values, and an affirmation of the bonds that unite the Jamat.

The National Sports Festival – a flagship event of the Ismaili Muslim community in the United Kingdom – renewed itself during the weekend of 2–5 April 2010 at Loughborough University. With over 1 000 participants playing 11 sports and competing in 37 categories, NSF 2010 was the biggest edition in the biennial sports festival’s 26-year history.