Pakistan: Aga Khan stresses role of civil society

GOUVIEUX (France), July 13: Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili community, has pledged to support democratic processes, find means to help the people living below the poverty line and address political and theological tensions through consensus among all Muslims.

The Aga Khan was speaking at a ceremony held here on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of his accession to the Ismaili Imamat. The ceremony was attended by over 250 leaders representing the 12-15 million strong community from some 25 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

Speaking about the development of various institutions which constitute the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the largest non-profit development networks in the world, the Aga Khan praised the service rendered by members of the community throughout the world.

He expressed the hope that his golden jubilee would enable the institutions of the AKDN to consolidate themselves and continue their service in the countries where the Ismaili community was settled and that these institutions would create opportunities for future generations.

He highlighted the role of civil society in effectively contributing to better processes of democratic government. In many countries of Asia and Africa, the Aga Khan said, “Democracy is young and still relatively ineffective in support of modern development activities. While a strong civil society can and does help to counter-balance such ineffectiveness, the processes of democratic government must also receive more attention and support.”

He thanked the community for the generosity and support that helped him turn a system of local projects into one of the world?s largest private development networks that served people of all faiths.

Turning to the current conflict situation in the world, the Aga Khan emphasised that Muslims themselves were best suited to address some of the issues facing them in the modern context. He called for revitalisation of the essential values of Islam which, he said, could be done only through greater collaboration among different interpretations of the faith.

“Political situations with a theological overlay are causing disaffection or antagonism between communities of the same faith, and even more so among different faiths,” he said. “At the centre of this turbulence is Islam. We cannot let this continue. On the other hand, the sheer scale of the problem added to its complexity, making it an issue which the Ummah in its entirety can better address, rather than individual schools of interpretation within it.”

The Aga Khan is the founder and chairman of the AKDN comprising nine agencies with mandates ranging from health and education to architecture, microfinance, disaster reduction, rural development and promotion of private-sector enterprise and revitalisation of historic cities -? all of which are catalysts for development.

“Guided by the Islamic ethic of compassion for those less fortunate, the AKDN works for the common good of all citizens, regardless of their gender, origin or religion,” a press release said.

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