Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

"January 13, 1962 : Won the Roberts of Kandhar challenge cup at Davos, Switzerland, the oldest challenge cup in the world for downhill ski racing.

1987 : King Juan Carlos presented the Medalla del Oro del Consojo Superior de Colegios de Arquitectos, at a ceremony at the Royal Palace in the presence of members of the Spanish Architectural Association.

1980 : The School of Nursing of the Aga Khan Hospital and Medical College in Karachi won an Award of Excellence from the Boston Society of Architects.

April 7, 1982 : Received The Gold Mercury AD PERSONAM Award

March 23, 1983 : Received Pakistan's highest Civil Award, The Nishan in Order of Pakistan by President Zia-ul-Haq.

April 13,1984 : Was honoured as Patron of Architecture and became the 19th recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Architecture Award, at the university of Virginia.

1991 : Received the Medaille d'Argent of the Academie d'Architecture de France.

October 28, 1996 : Received the Prestigious Hadrian Award from the World Monument Fund.

June 7, 2001 : Received the prestigious Archon Award from the International Nursing Honour Society, Sigma Theta Tau International.

January 25, 2005 : The Smithsonian Institution's National Building Museum presented its annual Vincent Scully Prize in Washington.

October 3, 2005 : The Afghan President Hamid Karzai presented the Quadriga Award, United We Care award during a ceremony in Berlin.

October 4, 2005 : The Scottish Parliament honoured the Carnegie Medal, known as the Noble Prizes of Philanthropy in Scotland.

The Present 49th Hazar Imam of the Shi'a Ismaili Muslims has been responsible not only for guiding a progressive community of Shi'a Ismaili Muslims scattered all over the world, but he has also managed a vast complex of administrative, social, economical and cultural enterprises in the world today. In 1976, he moved his headquarters from Switzerland to Aiglemont, Gouvieux, near Paris.

The Imam married Lady James Crichton-Stuart, nee Sarah Crocker-Poole; known as Begum Salima in Paris on October 28, 1969. The Imam's first child, Princess Zahra was born on September 18, 1970. The second child, Prince Rahim was born on October 12, 1971 and the third son, Prince Husayn was born on April 10, 1974. Princess Zahra married to Mark Boyden on June 21, 1997. She gave birth of a daughter, named Sara on November 13, 2000; and a son, IIiyan on May 8, 2002.

The separation of the Imam with his wife, Begum Salima took place at the end of 1994. The Imam asked his lawyers to start divorce proceeding against his wife on September 30, 1994. The Swiss Court officially declared the divorce on March 23, 1995. The second marriage of the Imam was performed with Begum Inaara on May 30, 1998. She gave birth of a son, named Aly Muhammad on March 7, 2000.

On May 26, 1996, the Imam was specially invited to address at Brown University, where he delivered the baccalaureate address to the Class in the Meeting Home of the First Baptist in United States, near the Brown University Campus. He was the first Muslim ever to give the Baccalaureate address at a Brown commencement in the school's illustrious 232-years history. In his speech, Mr. Vartan Gregorian, President of Brown University, said that the Imam embodied the ecumenical spirit that links the three great monotheistic religion: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. He went on to say that as a major activist for civilized humanity and universal values, the Imam's leadership has brought about flourishing systems for welfare, learning, housing and culture. Equally vital are his faith in education and his ability to tap the resources of European, Asian and American institutions of higher learning to enhance the well-being of human kind. "To see how well these enlightened actions succeeded, you need only visit the Aga Khan University and the Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi, where people of different faiths, races and classes receive the same high quality education and care - for that University and that Hospital are the best in the region."

In his Baccalaureate address, the Imam sought to correct the misperceptions about Islam and its followers which exist in the collective consciousness of most Western cultures. He stressed the great need for increase mutual understanding between the Islamic World and the West. He said that such understanding is more essential today because the Muslim World is one of the only two potential geo-political forces, vis-a-vis the West, on the world stage: the other being the East Asian Tigers, and also because in the wake of the Cold War, violence and cruelty are becoming rampant around the world. The Imam also said that "violence is not a function of faith" but rather an effect of demographic economic and political problems in the Muslim World leading to civil unrest and discontent. The Imam further said that "universities in the West" can help "build a bridge across the gulf of knowledge which separates the Islamic World from the West." This bridge, he said could be built upon a common Abrahamic monotheistic tradition and common ethical principles, founded on shared human values. It could help to adapt proven Western method of development to the specific contexts of Islamic countries.

On October 17, 1996, he delivered a keynote address in The Commonwealth Press Union Conference at Cape Town, South Africa. Other speakers at the Conference included South Africa's Executive Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, former President and Leader of the National Party, F.W. De Klerk, and Britain's Leader of the Opposition, Tony Blair.

Being the founder and principal shareholder of Nation Printers and Publishers in Kenya, East Africa's leading publishing group, the Imam said in his address that, "The media can help prevent cultural conflicts arising out of the communication revolution of 21st century." He spoke of a spirit of "creative encounter" that the media would need to engender if "the growing demand for cultural integrity was to be reconciled with the dazzling rise of the global village." Explaining to an audience of 300 representatives of the media from some 40 countries of the Commonwealth that the communications revolution was "a two-edged sword, opening doors to the future, but also threatening cultures and traditional values."

The World Monuments Fund honoured him with its prestigious Hadrian Award for his vigorous and fruitful efforts to preserve and revitalize historic cities in the Islamic world on October 28, 1996 at New York. In his keynote speech at the presentation ceremony, Cyrus Vance, a former US Secretary of State spoke of the Imam's commitment to "the preservation and renewal of societies," noting that "the Aga Khan has laboured through out his career....to bridge divisions between the Muslim world and other communities, reminding us that we cannot regard Islamic society as separate from the larger community of nations." It was an endeavour which, he said "is especially vital today, as we face conflicts between nations and cultures." Acknowledging the honour, the Imam expressed the hope that his "efforts for cultural rehabilitation in Islamic societies through architecture will, due to the very diversity of their world address such a wide spectrum of issues, covering such a large number of peoples and places that the lessons learned will in many cases be both universal and replicable for other societies and their inherited cultures."

It must be known that the previous recipients of the Hadrian Award include Prince Charles, David Rockefeller, Dominique de Menil, Paul Mellon, and Marella and Giovanni Agnelli. The Imam is the first Muslim leader ever to receive the Hadrian Award.

The Imam attended the International Islamic Conference, Amman, Jordan held between July 4, 2005 and July 6, 2005. In his speech, he said, "I am happy that we have been invited to participate in the International Islamic Conference being held in Amman, from the 4th to the 6th of July, 2005, under the auspices of the Hashemite Kingdom. In light of the purpose of the Conference, I find it appropriate to reiterate, in my message of greetings, the statement that I made in a keynote address at a gathering of eminent Muslim scholars from 48 countries who attended the Seerat Conference in Karachi on Friday, 12th March, 1976, nearly 30 years ago, which I had the honour to preside at the invitation of the then Minister for Religious Affairs, Government of Pakistan.

In my presidential address, I appealed to our ulema not to delay the search for the answers to the issues of a rapidly evolving modernity which Muslims of the world face because we have the knowledge that Islam is Allah's final message to mankind, the Holy Quran His final Book, and Muhammad, may peace be upon him, His last and final Prophet.

These are the fundamental principles of faith enshrined in the Shahada and the Tawhid therein, which bind the Ummah in an eternal bond of unity. With other Muslims, they are continuously reaffirmed by the Shi'a Ismaili Muslims of whom I am the 49th hereditary Imam in direct lineal descent from the first Shi'a Imam, Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib through his marriage to Bibi Fatimat-az-Zahra, our beloved Prophet's daughter.

I applaud Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, for the foresight in hosting and organizing this International Islamic Conference for the purpose of fostering unity in the Ummah and promoting the good reputation of our faith of Islam. Let this Conference be part of a continuous process of dialogue in the true spirit of Muslim brotherhood so that the entire wealth of our pluralist heritage bears fruit for the Muslim world, and indeed the whole of humanity; for ours is the heritage which permeates human dignity, transcending bounds of creed, ethnicity, language, gender or nationality.

Our historic adherence is to the Jafari Madhhab and other Madhahib of close affinity, and it continues, under the leadership of the hereditary Ismaili Imam of the time. This adherence is in harmony also with our acceptance of Sufi principles of personal search and balance between the zahir and the spirit or the intellect which the zahir signifies.

I agree with our distinguished hosts and conference participants that there is a need today to define which Madhahib will apply to the Ummah. This clarity is critical for modem life in Islam as is evident in areas such as law, access to Islamic banking, or in dealing with the challenges of the rapid generation of new knowledge such as in bio-medical and other scientific fields.

In keeping with our historic tradition of ever abiding commitment to Muslim unity, we reaffirm our respect for the historical interpretation of Islam by our brother Muslims as an equally earnest endeavour to practise the faith in Allah and emulate the example of our Holy Prophet, may peace be upon him, which illuminates Muslim lives and which, Inshallah, will elevate all Muslim souls.

Once again, I congratulate His Majesty and the Hashemite Kingdom for this timely initiative, and I pray for the successful deliberations of the Conference in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood."

The Ismailis are spread almost in every corner of the world at present under the spiritual leadership of the Present Imam. Most of the Ismailis live in their countries with their old traditions. About four distinct traditions are prevalent in the world Ismailis. In Syria, the Fatimid tradition is practiced. In Central Asia, the tradition of Nasir Khusaro is followed. The Khoja Ismailis adhered to the tradition of the Indian pirs, and the Ismailis of Iran are attached to the Alamut tradition. Above all, the fundamental principle of these Ismailis is to recognize the Imam of the Age. During his first visit to Moscow, the Imam said to his followers on January 29, 1995 that:- "First, let me remind you, that for all murids of the Imam, whether they are from Central Asia, from India, from Pakistan, from the Western World, the fundamental principle is the recognition of the Imam of the Time. It is he who interprets the faith. It is he who guides the jamat in the interpretation of its faith at any time during its lifetime. It is he who supports the jamats in various parts of the world, to seek , with the jamat and others, to improve the quality of life of the murids wherever they may be."