A lifetime commitment to improving Quality of Life for all
Reflection on the Diamond Jubilee Celebration in Lisbon, Portugal.
Gulabuddin Sukhanwar
Gulabuddin Sukhanwar
I boarded an early morning flight Saturday 13th July from Lisbon to Oslo. As soon as the aircraft departed, a young child beside me got my attention while speaking in Norwegian to his mother. Mamma hvorfor reiser vi tilbake? Det var hyggelig å være her, mye sol og…Mamma, why are we travelling back? It was nice to be here with more sun and …, I looked at the little boy and told his mum that he was quite right because Portugal also offered me an amazing experience and everlasting memories.
The celebration took place in Parque das Nações, Portugal, where a warm welcome was offered to 45,000 Ismailis for such a historic occasion.
A full week of joy and happiness (5th- 11th July) marked a remarkable milestone in the contemporary history of the Ismaili community.
This unique occasion brought back memories as I had heard from my father about the Jubilee celebrations of our previous Imam, Aga Khan III. During that time my father could only follow the news from the radio as he did not have the chance to participate in celebrations. Even today Afghanistan was among those few countries where hardly any officials attended the ceremony.
This unique occasion brought back memories as I had heard from my father about the Jubilee celebrations of our previous Imam, Aga Khan III. During that time my father could only follow the news from the radio as he did not have the chance to participate in celebrations. Even today Afghanistan was among those few countries where hardly any officials attended the ceremony.
Aga Khan III symbolically weighted himself with diamond and gold on the occasion of his Imamat Jubilees and invested the value on the economic and educational institutions, such as banks, insurance companies, and schools to donate their profit to improve the quality of life of the Ismailis and other communities among them.
Our present Imam, among many other goals, has set poverty alleviation and early childhood education as his top priorities for his Diamond Jubilee Celebration. The Ismailis also had the chance to contribute to his vision by offering Time, Knowledge and material resources which are described in Ismaili terminology as TKN- Time and Knowledge Nazrana.
The Lisbon celebration scheduled a variety of cultural activities, concerts, a film festival, an art exhibition and talent showcase as well as religious ceremonies.
We had a chance to hear devotion songs from India, or to see the traditional Pamiri dance, listening to a musical instrument from an Arabic background or visual arts from the United Kingdom, paintings from Persian cultur, and handicrafts from East African countries and many other offerings from around the world, which represented our community’s beautiful diversity. Our days were full of lights, joy, and friendship, with countless Ismaili volunteers who had served around the clock to make this unique occasion possible. Luckily I was also part of the team.
During the week our Imam’s family members joined several ceremonies which added extraordinary joy to our time, as we witnessed their love, care, and commitment to their larger family, the Ismaili community.
July 11th was so important that everyone’s heart was beating hard with anticipation and excitement. This was the Imamat’s 61st anniversary, a day we were scheduled to meet our Imam in person. A rare opportunity in an Ismaili-ndividual’s life to be present in such a great spiritual assembly.
And finally the day came, everyone with smiles on their face and joy in their heart as we got the privilege to be graced with our beloved Imam’s Darbar (presence) where he gave us guidelines and advice about spiritual and worldly issues. As always, his words focused on the importance of education, unity, promoting peace and pluralism, and working to improve the quality of life for the Ismailis and the communities that we live in.
During his visit in Lisbon, His Highness the Aga Khan met with high-level officials, and also addressed the Portuguese parliament where he shared his vision of peace and pluralism, including an overview of the Ismaili Imamat’s history.
On the occasion of his 61st Imamat anniversary, our Imam designated a Seat (Diwan) of Ismaili Imamat in Lisbon, an office that is going to serve as the Headquarters of the Ismaili Imamat.
The installation of the Imamat Diwan is recognized as a crucial moment in the contemporary history of the community.
His Highness the Aga Khan highlighted the importance of this decision in his historic address to the Portuguese parliament.
“Through the centuries, the Seat of the Ismaili Imamat has been formally designated in one or more locations by the Imam of the time, depending on the requirements of the day. It has known many homes over the years – throughout the Arabian Peninsula, in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa. It moved to Cairo in the tenth century, when my ancestors founded that city. The decision to establish a new Seat here in Portugal, at the gracious invitation of your Government, is one that has been taken after much reflection and consultation. It represents a true milestone moment in the long history of the Imamat.”
A blessed week of unity, friendship, smiles, and diversity is over and we are all travelling back home with new commitments to act upon of the advice of our Imam-of-the-Time and multiply our efforts to foster peace and pluralism while building bridges between different communities.
Such a great experience would have been impossible without the warm welcome, generosity and kind hospitality of Portuguese people.
Facts:
Ismaili: The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as the Ismailis, belong to the Shia branch of Islam. The Shia form one of the two major branches of Islam, Sunni being the other. Ismailis live in over 25 different countries, mainly in Central and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia, and number approximately 20 million. The Ismailis are thus a trans-national community who are responsible citizens of the countries where they live.
Ismaili Imamat: The Ismaili Imamat is a supra-national entity representing the succession of Imams since the time of the Prophet. Today, the Ismailis are the only Shia community, who throughout their history have been led by a living hereditary Imam, in direct descent from the Prophet.
Ismaili Imamat: The Ismaili Imamat is a supra-national entity representing the succession of Imams since the time of the Prophet. Today, the Ismailis are the only Shia community, who throughout their history have been led by a living hereditary Imam, in direct descent from the Prophet.
Aga Khan: His Highness the Aga Khan became Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims on 11 July 1957 at the age of 20, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan. He is the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims and a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet's daughter.
For more information please visit: https://the.ismaili/
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