Mawlana Hazar Imam arrives in the United States 2025-11-05

Posted November 6th, 2025 by librarian-hd

Mawlana Hazar Imam is presented with a key to the City of Houston by Mayor John Whitmire.photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim

Date:

Wednesday, 2025, November 5

Location:

Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Houston, Texas, earlier today, marking his first official visit to the United States of America as our 50th Imam. He was accompanied by Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad.

Hazar Imam was received by the Honorable Carol McCutcheon, Sugar Land’s Mayor; Rick Miller, the Mayor Pro Tem of Sugar Land; Al-Karim Alidina, President of the Ismaili Council for USA and a delegation of Jamati leaders.

In the afternoon, Hazar Imam visited Houston City Hall to meet with the city’s Mayor, the Honorable John Whitmire, who also presented him with a Key to the City of Houston, and who will be the Chief Guest at tomorrow’s Opening Ceremony of the Ismaili Center in Houston.

The Ismaili Center, Houston marks a major milestone for the Jamat in the USA. Open to the broader public, it will feature a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for reflection, learning, and civic engagement. It will also contain a Jamatkhana, the place of prayer for Ismailis.

Speech

Remarks by Mawlana Hazar Imam, opening of the Ismaili Center, Houston 2025-11-06

Posted November 7th, 2025 by librarian-hd

Mawlana Shah Rahim speaking at the opening of the Houston Ismaili Center 2025-11-06

Source:

ismaili tv

Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim

I think I will start by saying that Houston is the friendliest city that I have ever visited and you, Sir, are a tough act to follow but I will go through the steps. Thank you very much for these remarks. We are deeply touched. (addressing John Whitmore, Mayor)

Honorable Members of the United States Congress,

Honorable Members of the Texas Legislature,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Elected Officials,

The Honorable John Whitmire, Mayor of Houston,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

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Houston’s Ismaili Center, the first in the U.S., holds opening ceremony 2025-11-06

Posted November 8th, 2025 by librarian-hd

Ismaili Center Houston opened by Hazar Imam November 6, 2025

Source:

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/

The five-story structure, years in the making, was the site of an opening ceremony Thursday that included Houston Mayor John Whitmire and His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the worldwide spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims.

Overlooking Buffalo Bayou, Houston's Ismaili Center hosted an opening ceremony Thursday as the first such center in the United States and the seventh worldwide. It’s been nearly 20 years in the making and serves as an ambassadorial building for the Shia Ismaili branch of Islam.

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