www.chitraltimes.com

Golden Jubilee of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan

July 11^th, 2007 marks the Golden Jubilee of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan—the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.  Fifty years ago, at the age of 20, the present Aga Khan succeeded His grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, as the 49^th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.  Nearly 20 million Ismailis living in over 25 countries of the world will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of their Imam with both religious and public celebrations, which are symbolic affirmations of the ties that link the Ismaili community and their Imam.

 The Ismailis have a living tradition of celebrating the Jubilees of their Imams to express their appreciation, love and affection, respect and gratitude towards the Imams.  These Jubilees are celebrated by the Ismailis across the world through having religious congregations, public ceremonies, and offering special prayers and voluntary services throughout a Jubilee year.  In addition, every Ismaili offers a voluntary and unconditional “Nazrana” (gift) to the Imam on the epochal occasion of the Imam’s Jubilee.   

The Jubilees of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah—Aga Khan III—were celebrated with great reverence and respect.  During His 72 years of Imamat (1885—1957), the Ismaili community celebrated His Golden Jubilee (1936—37), Diamond Jubilee (1946), and Platinum Jubilee (1954).  The proceeds (Nazrana) of these Jubilees were used to establish social development institutions for, in the words of the late Aga Khan, “relief of humanity”.  These institutions included, for example, the Diamond Jubilee Trust, the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited, the Diamond Jubilee Schools, Jubilee Insurance Companies, Cooperative Societies and hospitals in East Africa and South Asia.  In addition, scholarship programs established at the time the Golden Jubilee to support needy students were progressively expanded.  The Diamond Jubilee schools were established throughout the remote Northern Areas (Gilgit and Chitral) of Pakistan.  All these institutions were established on the Muslim tradition of service to the humanity. 

Similarly, the Silver Jubilee of the present Imam—His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan—was celebrated during 1982—1983 to mark the 25^th anniversary of His accession to the Imamat.  Just as His grandfather had done in His Jubilees, the present Imam also contributed the Silver Jubilee proceeds to establishing a number of institutions and projects around the globe.  Most of these institutions and projects were built in Pakistan which included, the Aga Khan University in Karachi (which has now become one of the leading international universities, operating in nine countries), the Aga Khan Rural Support Programs in Northern Areas and Chitral, the Aga Khan Girls Academy in Hunza, the Aga Khan School in Sherqilla, the Aga Khan Medical Centre Singal, Northern Areas, and the establishment of Aga Khan schools and health units in Chitral, Pakistan.  Other institutions and projects included the Aga Khan Hospital in Tanzania, the Aga Khan Rural Support Program in India, the Rural Medical Centre in Kenya, the Immunization Clinics in Bangladesh, and the Ismaili Centres in London, UK, and Burnaby, Canada.

 The institutions established during these Jubilee years and later have now become an expanding network of development agencies known as the Aga Khan Development Network—AKDN—with mandates ranging from health and education to architecture, culture, microfinance, disaster reduction, rural development, the promotion of private-sector enterprise, and the revitalization of historic cities.  Under the visionary leadership of the present Aga Khan, these institutions have engaged in improving living conditions and opportunities for the poor in over 30 countries, without regard to their faith, ethnicity, origin, or gender. 

Throughout His fifty years of Imamat, the present Aga Khan has diligently pursued His world-wide commitment to the improvement of the quality of human life, especially in the developing world.  As spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, He has emphasized the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith, one that teaches compassion and tolerance and that upholds the dignity of man, Allah’s noblest creation.  It is this commitment to man’s dignity and relief of humanity that inspires the Aga Khan’s commitment to establishing philanthropic institutions.  According to the guidance of the present Aga Khan and His predecessors, the Ismailis’ allegiance to their country is a fundamental obligation which should be discharged not by passive affirmation but through active engagement and commitment to uphold the national integrity and contribute to peaceful development. It is this guidance that has engendered in the Ismaili community an ethos of self-reliance, unity, and philanthropy.       

One of the most prominent aspects of the 50 years of the present Aga Khan’s Imamat is the vast network of civil society institutions which, according to the Aga Khan, make significant contributions to human development.  In His keynote address at the Annual Conference of German Ambassadors held in Berlin on September 06, 2004, He emphasized, “When democracies are failing, or have failed, it is the institutions of civil society that can carry an added burden to help sustain improvements in quality of life”.  Another significant aspect of His 50 years of Imamat is His vision for and emphasis on pluralism across religions, cultures, and societies.  He has been one of the greatest advocates of interfaiths dialogue, tolerance and respect, and mutual understanding between the West and the Muslim world.  He has made it very clear to the world leaders and scholars that the increasing distance and misunderstanding between the west and he Muslim world is not because of the “clash of civilizations” but because of the “clash of ignorance”—ignorance about each other’s religion and culture.  The Aga Khan has therefore established the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations in London, UK, the Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, Canada, and an Islamic Museum is being built in Toronto, Canada.  These institutions will play a key role in addressing the “ignorance” in the west about Islam and the Muslim civilizations.

Thus, the Golden Jubilee is an opportunity not only to acknowledge and appreciate the magnificent work done by His Highness the Aga Khan but also to contribute to His vision and mission for raising the ‘dignity of man’ and ‘relief of humanity’ and for making the world a better place to live in peace and harmony.  Through celebrating the Golden Jubilee of their Imam, the Ismailis around the globe will reaffirm not only their spiritual allegiance, affection, respect, and gratitude towards the Imam, but they will also renew their unconditional commitment to contribute to the Imam’s vision—Unity, Peace and Service to humanity. 

[Mir Afzal Tajik]