Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s) told mankind first that the infinite sustainer and container of all existence had justice, mercy and love as well; Secondly, that man through these qualities and through gentleness and kindness, prayer, awe or wonder could get in howsoever infinitesimal proportion - direct communion with the All-embracing power in which he lived and moved and had his being.

First of all you must win the right to prayers, then win your right to equality in production industrial service and in office work… …Oh my sisters, agitate! Leave no peace to the men till they give you religious freedom by opening mosques for prayers, not side by side with men, but in reserved quarters attached to all the mosques, to that the habit of praying public and self respect and self-confidence becomes general amongst women.

Ladies believe me, if Pakistan does not rise to modern idea of the equal position of women, you will find not only Europe but all the other countries of Asia going ahead of you. I am heart broken when I see how little many of our men realise what it is, and how little the women contribute, compared to what they could contribute to moral and material happiness and prosperity of the country.

The spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan is the forty-ninth in a hereditary line extending back to the Prophet Muhammad. I don’t believe there many of us in this room who could trace, in any direction, anything like that kind of heritage.

The Aga Khan Deve­lopment Net­work is proud to be a Founding Partner of the Earthshot Prize. It is our collective responsibility to be good stewards of the planet. At this critical moment, we must all nurture and invest in solutions that can repair our planet before it is too late