Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan
Remarks by His Highness the Aga Khan
at the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary
of the Madrasa Programme
Mombasa – 14 August 2007
The Honorable Noah Wakesa, Minister for Science and Technology
Honourable Minister Haroun Suleiman
Leaders of the Ummah
Distinguished Guests
My thanks go out to all of you – not only for joining us here today, but for making this day possible. For some of you, this event marks the culmination of a 25 year story – a story that began with the sowing of some very small but well selected seeds a quarter of a century ago – seeds which took root and now have blossomed into an educational success story which can serve as an inspiring example to educators everywhere.
As you know, I have completed 50 years as Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. Sometimes it’s not so easy these days to remember all the way back to 1957. But I have no problem at all remembering my initial meetings 25 years ago here in Mombassa with the Ummah leadership – with leaders of the Aga Khan Foundation, and with others of you who shared what was then an innovative insight. You shared a conviction that the way in which children are educated in their earliest years is a key which can unlock the doors of opportunity for the rest of their lives.
A deep concern for Knowledge – and the best ways of sharing Knowledge – goes back to the very roots of the Islamic tradition. When we think of our proud educational traditions, however, we often think first about the great Universities and Libraries which became centers of Islamic culture down through the centuries – including in our time the Aga Khan University which now has teaching centres in eight different countries. Or we think of schools which prepare students for university life – as our Aga Khan Academy programme is designed to do.
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