Content Tagged with Global

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

Over the past decade since its opening, the Ismaili Centre Dubai has become established as a multidisciplinary hub of culture, faith, education, and community identity. Exemplifying the core values of Ismaili Muslims, the Centre offers a platform for dialogue, unity, and progress within the Jamat and the wider community.

In this age of constant connectivity, there is both an expectation and perhaps a desire to always be contactable, in a plethora of ways.

It is estimated that at the end of 2018, 51.2 per cent of the global population, or 3.9 billion people, were using the Internet. While the Internet has brought about many positive changes, there have also been some undesirable effects of its growth and increased usage.

During the Diamond Jubilee year, Khudododova Tursunmo established 60 Community Based Savings Groups for Ismaili women who had dreams of uplifting the quality of life for their families.

Seated in a Pamiri home in Khorog, Tajikistan, 73-year-old Khudododova Tursunmo listened intently to a presentation on Nazrana. She learned that Ismailis worldwide would have the opportunity to pledge a Diamond Jubilee gift of time and knowledge to Mawlana Hazar Imam. A retiree and grandmother of five, Khudododova wondered what gift she could give the Imam to show her love.

His Excellency Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic, surrounded by young Ismailis in the Garden of Fruits at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon.

Along with serving as symbols of the presence of the Ismaili community around the world, Ismaili Centres also act as meeting points for youth in the Jamat to connect, learn from, and interact with one another. 

An early evening view of Gitch Jamatkhana in Singal, Puniyal.

Situated in the mountains of Northern Pakistan, two new Jamatkhanas were opened last month in the valleys of Ishkoman and Puniyal in Gilgit-Baltistan. The inauguration ceremonies were attended by over 5,000 members of the Jamat. 

The.Ismaili is pleased to announce that, due to popular demand, selected items from the Diamond Jubilee Memorabilia Collection are now available for purchase online at The.Ismaili Shop.

The Jamat singing traditional songs at the Roz-e-Nur event in New York.

Jamatkhanas and Ismaili Centres play an important role in the lives of the Ismaili community in the USA but they also play a very important role in promoting diversity and pluralism in the communities where they exist.

Late last year, a diverse group of interfaith leaders visited the Aga Khan Museum to explore its exhibitions, architecture, and facilities. As the United Nations has decreed the first week of February World Interfaith Harmony Week, The.Ismaili is pleased to share the experiences of these visitors in an article written by Ruth Broyde Sharone, first published on 15 November 2018 by The Interfaith Observer.

The Sanctuary of Fátima is one of the most significant and symbolic sites of pilgrimage in Portugal.

To mark World Interfaith Harmony Week, The.Ismaili is pleased to share a story from Portugal, where last year, a group of Ismaili students and their Catholic friends and neighbours came together to visit the Sanctuary of Fátima, one of the most significant holy sites in the country.

The ensemble weaved together a selection of well-known qawwali, original compositions, poems, and stories from a variety of cultural traditions.

The songs and stories of the Middle East and South Asia are infused with sensations, fragrances, tastes, and colours; the depth of which were conveyed by Harvard Professor Ali Asani, and Pakistani singer and author Ali Sethi, in a unique format at the Ismaili Centre London.

Acclaimed singer and author Ali Sethi performs at Misaq e Ishq, at the Ismaili Centre London.
On a cold and crisp winter evening, a buzz of anticipation filled the air as crowds filtered into the social hall at the Ismaili Centre on 16 January for Misaq e Ishq — an evening of poetry, music, and storytelling on the theme of love.

UK-based architect Farshid Moussavi has been selected to lead the design of the Ismaili Center, Houston — the first Ismaili Center in the USA.

A façade of interspersed openings facing the courtyard at the Ismaili Centre, Dubai

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.

Due to new advances in diagnosis and treatment, if detected early, cancer can be treatable.

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.

Illustrated with more than 250 spectacular images, Islam: An Illustrated Journey explores the rich pluralistic heritage of Islam in a clear and accessible way. The book takes readers on a visual journey from the advent of Islam up to the present day, and across the landscapes of the Middle East, the Mediterranean, South and Central Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, and Europe.

The Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Aga Khan Foundation UK hosted a panel at the Jaipur Literature Festival entitled Islam: Multiple Histories.

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.

Professor Mona Siddiqui delivers the annual lecture commemorating Milad-un-Nabi on the topic of “Hospitality, Global Conflicts and Migration: From Divine Imperative to Social Conscience.”

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.” 

Established recently, UCA’s Green Community Club promote awareness of ecological issues and encourage environmentally sustainable practices.

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.

By participating in the design of an education app, volunteers have helped AKF leapfrog quality teaching and learning through technology, including in Mombasa, Kenya.

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.

Our days can become inundated by frivolous scrolling through endless social media feeds, and responding to a constant stream of messages.

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.