Several key messages were carefully placed inside a pocket-sized notebook, the Jubilee Passport, and distributed to the Jamat during the Diamond Jubilee Opening Ceremony. The Jubilee Passport encouraged us all of us to embark on a personal and spiritual journey to further discover and strengthen our relationship with Mawlana Hazar Imam, and to reflect upon our voluntary services. Additionally, the Diamond Jubilee ceremony gave us a rare opportunity to physically see members of our worldwide Jamat, and to wish for the betterment of those experiencing adversity during this occasion.
The Jubilee Passport, which was given to us as a keepsake provided a beautiful vehicle for reflection. It contained prompts that encouraged us to record our favorite moments of the day. It also had space dedicated for family and friends to share their messages with us, and several additional blank pages reserved for us to take our own notes. During the walkthrough of the various impactful displays, volunteers placed “stamps” in the passports with specific prompts for reflection. For example, volunteers asked the Jamat to discuss memories of past deedars or Jubilees, to illustrate the location and to record their sentiments on a word map while walking through the My Journey to Homage exhibit. During the Takht Nashini portion of the exhibit, volunteers placed a sticker on the relevant page, and asked viewers to reflect and record their first memories of Hazar Imam.
At the Reflection Lounge, Akbar Amin, a guide from Naperville Jamatkhana, explained the importance of reflecting upon our faith, saying that speaking with and understanding others who have different perspectives "can give us a better understanding of who we are, what we are doing, what the Imam’s role is, and how we can make a difference in some capacity to him, and to the global Jamat.”
In addition to encouraging reflection, one unique aspect of our the Passport was the Jubilee Appreciation card. Throughout the day, there were many Jamati members writing wrote personal sentiments on these cards and handing handed them to volunteers to thank them for their hard work and wonderful services.
Thousands of Midwest Jamati members asked for the opportunity to provide seva in the days and hours leading up to the Diamond Jubilee celebration. On the day, the Jubilee volunteer armband was prominent throughout the hall. Zafreen Somani, a lead volunteer coordinator from Naperville Jamatkhana, stated how “there have been so many people who showed up today just wanting to do some sort of seva, even if it was just for a few minutes.” She added that not only were they asking to do seva, but they were excited about contributing. She was further inspired when she saw the Jamat’s passion to serve, saying, “that smile on their faces that showed they want to do seva and they want to do it for him.”
When asked why she spent the entire day volunteering, Binish Qamruddin, from Glenview Jamatkhana, stated that this is how she dedicates herself to the Imam. and this is her way of showing love and appreciation. Many others shared that sentiment. Zafreen herself was not only a lead volunteer coordinator, but was also a dancer in the One Jamat performance.
Although the Midwest Jamat joyfully and openly celebrated the commencement of the Diamond Jubilee, it was a day not without some concern. Some spent time reflecting and praying for our unsettled Ismaili brothers and sisters who are experiencing adversities in other countries. One emotional scene was the playing of th4e video of the Jamat around the world wishing other Jamats "Diamond Jubilee Mubarak" at the beginning of the day. The scenes depicting a father and son from Aleppo, Syria, giving us their wishes while standing in front of a crumbling monument moved many. Jamil Khoury, an interfaith spouse, was particularly moved by this moment. He spoke on behalf of many of us when he said, “I lost it when we saw the father and son from Syria. I started crying and I don’t think I stopped crying after that. I was so moved by so many different parts of it.”
Many members of our Jamat were also using their Diamond Jubilee wish for the betterment of our Ismailis members in these communities. When asked about her one Diamond Jubilee wish, Minaz Gillani, a lead volunteer for Journey for Health from Chicago Jamatkhana, said stated that “there is a lot of disruption around the world, and a lot of Ismailis are displaced, are refugees, and are not at peace. My wish is for them to have peace, I really want them to have peace.”
Although there were many Ismaili brothers and sisters under duress during this time, the Midwest Jamat had the opportunity to welcome some families from those countries. Within the past month, Farishta Faqiri and her family moved from Afghanistan to Michigan. Although they lived through other Jubilees, this was their first time openly celebrating it with other members of the Jamat. Farishta stated, “Back in Afghanistan, the situation was not good enough for Ismailis to celebrate this special day. I wish we can always have this type of day so that we can see our Ismailis everywhere celebrating.”
This Diamond Jubilee celebration offered us a rare opportunity to to pause our incredibly busy lives, and spend the entire day in reflection of our present Imam, our services, and our global Jamat. Although this celebration has passed, it is imperative that we continue our reflection. Faisal Hemani, a Naperville Jamati member and Jubilee volunteer, summed up this sentiment: “I have a lot to reflect upon when I go home tonight. There are a lot of messages to dissect and sleep on. Hazar Imam talked a lot about education, energy, water, and the state of third world countries, and I’m Interested to see what programs they roll out this year to further help out with that.”
