Drawing on archival sources, this article seeks to demonstrate that the migration of the Ismaili diaspora from Mozambique to Portugal in the 1970s did not simply come about as a result of the April 1974 Revolution and of the decolonization process; rather, it was a carefully prepared and orchestrated event that was perceived in different ways by those taking part in it. Thus, on the one hand, the article provides an account of the means and circumstances of the departure of this community, as well as of the ways in which the Portuguese colonial authorities regarded these movements; on the other hand, an assessment is made of the ‘traumatic’ dimension of the departure of a community characterized by strong internal cohesion. This traumatic dimension comprehends a variety of individual experiences, which were eventually to undergo significant reconfiguration upon arriving in Portugal.
Ismailimail 