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

Prince Aly Muhammad attended the 19th Al Burda Award ceremony on 18 November 2025 at Louvre Abu Dhabi, hosted by the UAE Ministry of Culture under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

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.

The relationships between Ismailis and the communities in which they live have always been grounded in understanding and common purpose. Today, we honor that tradition, extending the hand of friendship to all, regardless of background or faith. This building may be called an Ismaili Center, but it is not here for Ismailis only. It is for all Houstonians to use; a place open to all who seek knowledge, reflection, and dialogue.

The Ismaili Center Houston is the seventh in a family of buildings spanning Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North America. They serve many purposes. While daily congregational prayer is a primary focus, they also seek to enable a vibrant exchange of ideas, and to nurture understanding amongst peoples of diverse communities and faiths

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,

ver the course of nearly 50 years, Prince Sadruddin and Princess Catherine Aga Khan managed to amass quite the collection of Indian and Islamic paintings. The couple boasted everything from paintings and manuscripts to drawings and miniatures, spanning the 16th to 19th centuries and each of indelible quality. On October 28, 2025, the Aga Khan collection broke records at auction, becoming the highest-value sale of South Asian art across any category in history.

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.

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.

Speech by His Highness Shah Karim Aga Khan at the Dinner hosted by H.E. Governor of Punjab

Lahore, Pakistan

March 3, 1976

Your Excellency the Governor, Mr. Chief Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.

The Aga Khan Music Awards reflect values that lie at the heart of the Aga Khan Development Network: pluralism, intercultural dialogue and the spiritual connection that communities around the world find in music. In many of the regions we serve, music is an integral part of daily life, woven into the rhythms of prayer, celebration, memory and identity.

The Aga Khan Music Programme today announced the eleven winners of the prestigious 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards, which will be held in the United Kingdom for the first time later this month.

The Awards honour individuals, groups, and institutions whose work sustains and reimagines living musical heritage shaped by Islam while promoting spiritual insight, community vitality, and cultural resilience.

AKDN has pledged 10 million euro toward the Paris Peace Forum’s new endowment fund to support the long-term financial stability and ambitious growth strategy for the Forum.

AKDN is a founding member of the Paris Peace Forum, which opened for its 8th edition today. International organisations, civil society and the private sector have gathered to seek “New Coalitions for Peace, People and the Planet.” In a time marked by fragmentation and conflict, this year’s Paris Peace Forum underscores the urgency of forging new alliances for collective action.

At the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, an exhibition celebrating the past 20 years of Islamic art features works that brim with inspiration from ancient traditions while remaining inseparable from the contemporary context in which they were made.

Filtered through modern perspectives, the show’s spectacular calligraphy, ornamentation, painting and poetry depict artistic tradition as an evolving form of contemporary expression, says Ulrike Al‑Khamis, the museum’s director and CEO, who also co-curated the exhibition.

Chicago, US | THE INDEPENDENT | Prince Rahim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community and head of one of the world’s most diverse transnational networks, marked his 54th birthday on Sunday by completing the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The Ismaili Imam finished the 26.2-mile (42.2 km) race in just under five hours, joining tens of thousands of participants at one of the world’s premier distance-running events.

The word shah didar or shah’jo didar means may (you bless with) Lord’s glimpse. Its noun becomes Shah Didar jo Panjo means the palm and fingers for the didar of the Lord.

It is a taslim (greeting) in the Ismaili tariqah, where the believers greet each other at the end of the prayer, beholding face to face, both pronounce shah didar by shaking right hand. This is an act of humble wish to refresh their spiritual relation. The Koran says, “Whosoever surrenders his face to God, being a doer of good, has verily grasped the firm hand-hold” (31:22)

Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster ManagementSyria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management and the Aga Khan Foundation signed on Sunday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation in disaster preparedness, humanitarian response, and sustainable development.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Ahmad Qaziz, Assistant Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, and Mohannad Obeido, Executive Director of the Aga Khan Foundation in Syria.

BERKSHIRE - Calandagan continued his love affair with Ascot when putting up a sublime performance to defeat Ombudsman in the £1,417,500 (S$2.46 million) Group 1 Qipco Champion Stakes (2,000m) for Francis-Henri Graffard on Oct 18.

Just a fortnight after Daryz carried the same famous silks of the late Aga Khan to victory in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2,400m), Calandagan returned to Ascot looking to complete a Group 1 hat-trick following victories in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2,400m) and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,400m).

The Muslim Council of Elders and Mawlana Hazar Imam held a meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Sunday 19 October to enhance joint cooperation in promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue, empowering youth, fostering moderation, and raising awareness on the ethical use of artificial intelligence to serve humanity. Hazar Imam was accompanied by Prince Aly Muhammad.

he Qatar Gr1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe lived up to all expectations on Sunday at ParisLongchamp, with a thrilling battle in the final 200 metres between the Irish favourite Minnie Hauk (Frankel) and the French contender Daryz, whose sire Sea The Stars won the Arc in 2009.
After enjoying a perfect trip behind the early leaders Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot) and Croix du Nord (Kitasan Black), Minnie Hauk was the first to make her move — closely tracked all the while by Daryz.

The Qatar Gr1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe lived up to all expectations on Sunday at ParisLongchamp, with a thrilling battle in the final 200 metres between the Irish favourite Minnie Hauk (Frankel) and the French contender Daryz, whose sire Sea The Stars won the Arc in 2009.

After enjoying a perfect trip behind the early leaders Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot) and Croix du Nord (Kitasan Black), Minnie Hauk was the first to make her move — closely tracked all the while by Daryz.

Princess Zahra Aga Khan, owner