Jan Mohamed was a thin but vigorous man of 78 who had lived his entire life in Tanzania. As a result he had made and lost many fortunes over the years. “I build, and the government takes it away,” he once told me over a bowl of yogurt served by his proud wife, referring to the policy of “ujamaa” or collectivization that had left one of Africa’s richest countries in terms of raw materials one of the poorest. “So I build again, and they take again. Eventually, one of us will tire of the game.” Jan sent his children to school abroad where they eventually settled and became successful. In my view that, and the fact that Jan had yet another thriving business in town, showed me who the real winner was.
Jan was a member of the small Ismaili sect of Shi’a Islam that recognizes the Aga Khan as a direct descendant of the Prophet Himself. Pictures of the Aga Khan hung throughout his shop and house, including a large life-size portrait that hung in his living room. When in town I made it a point to visit with Jan and his wife to discuss politics, sports – anything really. Jan’s views of his faith were my first direct experience with Islam, and his opinions showed me that the Ismaili view of Islam was not opposed to modernity. His Islam was tolerant of other faiths, treated men and women equally, and didn’t oppose modernity.
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