After crisscrossing the world for the past year, the Aga Khan arrived in Canada last week for the Canadian leg of his Golden Jubilee world tour.
In celebration of 50 years as imam of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan has visited dozens of countries in the past year across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.
As he touched down in Ottawa, he was received by a group of MPs, including Transport Minister John Baird and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
The Aga Khan also had a meeting with Governor General Michaëlle Jean, who hurried back from delivering the Speech from the Throne to receive him.
After a brief stay in Ottawa, he continued on to Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
In Toronto, he signed an MOU to enhance co-operation between Hamilton’s McMaster University and the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan.
Khalil Shariff, the CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, said McMaster helped establish AKU in 1983, and now increased co-operation and exchanges are being planned between the two school’s nursing faculties.
The Aga Khan will be back in Canada on Dec. 6 for the opening of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, the Ismaili diplomatic base in Canada. The striking building occupies a choice piece of real estate on Sussex Drive.
Ismailimail 