Hasan bin Sabbah was born in A.H. 432 in the Iranian region of Ray in the city of Qom. His complete name was Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Jafar bin al-Husayn bin as-Sabbah al-Humeri. Thus it was known that Hasan bin Sabbah was from the royal family of the Humeri from Yemen. Hasan bin Sabbah was born during the time of Imam Mustansir Billah

Our 19th Holy Imam Shah Nizar was born in Cairo in A.H 437 on the 10th of Rabbiul Awwal. His name was Hazrat Sayyid Mustafa al-Nizar. Imam Nizar was named "Waliahad" during the time of Imam Mustansir Billah. He ascended to the Masnad of Imamat at the age of 50.

Our 16th Pir Mahmud Shah the son of our 15th Pir Muhammad Shah was born in the Iranian city of Subzwar in A.H. 443 on Friday the 12th of Shaban. His mother's name was "Bibi Anwar". Pir Mahmud Shah was appointed as Pir by our Holy Imam Mustansir Billah. Pir Mahmud Shah also played a leading role in the "dar-ul-Hikmat" in Cairo.

Government, while critical, can only take us so far. At a time of democratic disappointment, we must re-emphasise the immense potential of those non-governmental institutions that we call “civil society.”

I believe that the progress of democracy in our world is fundamentally linked to improving the quality of human life. The promise of democracy is that the people themselves best know how to achieve such progress. But if that promise is disappointed, then democracy is endangered