Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, writes at Huffington Post’s Religion Blog.
Toronto’s New Jewel: Beauty and Pluralism at the Ismaili Centre, Toronto
Ancient and modern, traditional and forward-looking, stark and ornate, spiritual and practical: Contrasting adjectives aptly describe the brand-new Ismaili Centre in Toronto. Adjacent to the Centre, its white Brazilian granite façade reflected in pools of water, is a state-of-the-art museum. Both structures highlight the diversity and depth of Islamic history and culture and offer a place that serves both the global, diverse Ismaili Muslim community and the Toronto community at large. As the Aga Khan put it during the opening ceremonies, traditional elements of Muslim architecture are given a confident, forward-looking vocabulary. Perhaps its most striking feature is light, “symbolising the spirit of enlightenment that will always be at the heart of the Centre’s life.” It offers an important, inspiring, and all too rare vision of Islam.
I was privileged to be invited last weekend as part of a group of Americans, from various cities, to visit and learn about the Toronto Centre. It was a festive visit, organized by a solicitous and proud group of Ismaili community leaders in both Canada and the United States.
More Toronto’s New Jewel: Beauty and Pluralism at the Ismaili Centre | Katherine Marshall.
Katherine Marshall is a senior fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, where she leads the Center’s program on Religion and Global Development. After a long career in the development field, including several leadership positions at the World Bank, Marshall moved to Georgetown in 2006, where she also serves as a visiting professor in the School of Foreign Service. She helped to create and now serves as the executive director of the World Faiths Development Dialogue.
All related Aga Khan Museum & Ismaili Centre, Toronto:
- Canada | Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson: The Aga Khan believed in Canada – “He thought very highly of Canada and had a great belief in our values”
- Global: Why the World Celebrates His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV | Constellation of Honours: Over 300 Accolades from 55 Countries
- UK: The Rest is Politics – The Influence of Aga Khan IV
- Light: Visionary Perspectives | Aga Khan Museum
- In One Year, Kiana Rawji Makes Two Award-Winning Films
- Multi-Million-Dollar Gift From the Nanji Family Foundation to Expand the Aga Khan Museum’s Global Impact
- The crown jewel of a museum in Toronto that almost wasn’t
Ismaili Centres at TheIsmaili.org
Related Ismailimail in Toronto:
- Humbled and Grateful: Ismailimail invited to momentous occasion
- Discovering Aga Khan Museum: The Gift Shop
- Discovering Ismaili Centre, Toronto: An Architectural and Engineering Gem
- Happy Birthday Prince Amyn and Thank You for all your gifts towards the Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre, Toronto!
- Mawlana Shah Karim, Aga Khan IV’s Family at Ismaili Centre, Toronto and Aga Khan Museum inauguration: Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prince Amyn, Prince Rahim with Princess Salwa, and Prince Hussain
- Aga Khan Museum: Welcomes the World – Doors Open to the Public
- Discovering the Aga Khan Museum: Bellerive Room – Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection
Be the First to Know – Join Ismailimail
Get breaking news related to the Ismaili Imamat, the Noorani Family, the world wide Ismaili Jamat and all their endeavors and successes.
Learn how to subscribe and join 15,000 + other amazing people – Subscribe now!
Ismailimail 