On July 11, 2007, leaders of the global Jamat paid homage to Mawlana Hazar Imam at his residence in Aiglemont to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of his Imamat. Mawlana Hazar Imam granted mulaqats to the global Jamat, meeting with government leaders, launching and enhancing various social development, health, and education initiatives.
“As I observe this Jubilee year, I plan to use this occasion to do two things: first, to visit places and people that have been particularly important to the Ismaili community and to me throughout this last half century, and, secondly, to discuss issues which have been particularly important to us, with a special effort to put them into historical perspective, and to build for the future.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam
at the State Banquet, Nairobi, Kenya, August 13, 2007
Speech
The Golden Jubilee Journey – July 11, 2007 to December 13, 2008
Mawlana Hazar Imam opened the Spirit and Life exhibition at the Ismaili Centre, London, UK on July 12, 2007. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales attended the opening of the exhibition, which ran from July 12 to August 31, 2007.
East Africa Visit – August 12-23, 2007
Video
- Inaugurated the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Aga Khan University. Video
- Announced plans to build a major new university campus in Arusha, Tanzania.
- Laid the foundation stone
- for the construction of the new residential campus at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa, Kenya.
- of Aga Khan Academy Kampala, Uganda.
- of the Bujagali Hydroelectric Power Project in Jinja, Uganda.
The project is the country’s first private hydroelectric power project, and is expected to significantly lower the price of electricity in Uganda. The plant is also one of the largest independent power plants in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Commemorated 25 years of Aga Khan Foundation’s Madrasa Programme in Mombasa, Kenya.
The Madrasa Programme began as a pilot project at the request of the Muslim community in Kenya, who wanted to improve the overall educational achievement of their children while at the same time promoting a secular, integrated curriculum based on the universal ethics and values of Islam and local cultural traditions. AKDN - Commemorative postage stamps issued by the postal agencies in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, to acknowledge the work of the Aga Khan Development Network in the respective countries.
- Awarded Kenya’s highest medal of honour – the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya – by His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki.
- Darbars
- Nairobi – August 15
- Dar es Salaam – August 17
- Kampala – August 23
Mozambique – November 20-26, 2007
- Visited Cabo Delgado and Ibo Island to review projects being supported by Aga Khan Foundation Mozambique.
- Announced that AKDN will expand its involvement in Mozambique to establish a garment factory, as well as the country’s first microfinance bank.
- Announced the construction of a new undersea high-speed fibre optic cable to link Southern and Eastern Africa with Mumbai in India and Marseille in France – a project co-financed by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. The cable would serve Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Rwanda.
- Commemorative stamps issued by Government of Mozambique. The five postage stamps portray images of the Maputo Jamatkhana and projects supported by AKDN in Mozambique.
- Darbar in Maputo on November 22.
Mawlana Hazar Imam walks through the village of Natugo, in Cabo Delgado, passing the village mosque, the primary school supported by Aga Khan Foundation and the Literacy Centre. Photo: AKDN/Gary Otte
Mawlana Hazar Imam looks at a display of calligraphy produced by children from the Jamat of Mozambique before entering the darbar hall. Copyright: Photo: Aziz Islamshah
Madagascar – November 26-30, 2007
- Visited the Sofia region in the north, where he met with representatives from villages who have been supported by the Aga Khan Foundation’s Rural Support programmes. AKDN initiatives in Madagascar.
- Visited the Palais du Rova, one of the most important symbols of Madagascar’s national heritage.
- Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance expanded operations in Madagascar.
- Darbar in Antananarivo on November 29.
United Arab Emirates – March 23-27, 2008
- Inaugurated the Ismaili Centre Dubai. Video.
- Inaugurated Dubai Park located adjacent to the Centre. Presented as a gift from Mawlana Hazar Imam to the City of Dubai, the park was developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
- Prince Amyn opened the first Ismaili Economic Forum.
- Darbar in Dubai on March 25.
United States of America – April 11-19, 2008
- A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the University of Texas and the Aga Khan University to strengthen collaborations between the two institutions.
- Mawlana Hazar Imam
- announced the establishment of new Ismaili Centre in Houston, Texas.
- delivered the annual Peterson Lecture to the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Atlanta.
- Darbars:
- San Antonio on April 13
- Los Angeles on April 15
- Chicago on April 16
- Atlanta on April 17
West Africa – April 24-May 2, 2008
- Inaugurated the Komoguel Mosque, in Mopti, Mali, which was restored by Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
- Announced the creation of an urban park in Bamako, Mali.
- Travelled to Banfora to visit the Sosuco sugar plant, a project of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and one of the largest employers in the country.
- In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, launched the Premiere Agence de Microfinance (PAMF).
- Mawlana Hazar Imam visited
- the Filtisac grounds in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
- the medical clinic at Filtisac.
- Filtisac Côte d’Ivoire – a manufacturer of jute, polypropylene and polyethylene bags for the agricultural trade. Filtisac is one of the oldest entities of AKFED in the region – Mawlana Hazar Imam was present at its opening in 1965.
- Djingerey ber Mosque in Timbuktu which was restored by AKTC.
- Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to review projects of the AKDN.
- Made a brief visit to Dakar, Senegal. In Senegal, AKFED operates enterprises that provide packaging for agricultural products, metal drums and plastic molded products.
- Awarded the Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali by President Amadou Toumani Touré.
- Presented with the title of Honorary Citizen of the Islamic Community of Timbuktu and received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Sankoré.
India – May 12-19, 2008
- Visited the the Sundar Nursery and Nila Gumbad. The Sundar Nursery includes a number of ancient monuments, many of which date back to the Mughal period. [The Aga Khan Trust for Culture worked on preservation of these monuments].
- Reviewed plans of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, with the architects.
- Visited Prince Aly Khan Hospital and Diamond Jubilee High School, both in Mumbai.
- Stamps issued by India Post to commemorate Aga Khan Foundation’s work in India.
- Darbars
- Sidhpur on May 16
- Mumbai on May 17
Bangladesh – May 19-22, 2008
- Laid the foundation stone of
- Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Dhaka. Video
- Laid a wreath at the Savar National Martyr’s Memorial in Bangladesh.
- Commemorative stamps issued.
- Darbar in Dhaka on May 22.
United Kingdom – July 2-8, 2008
- Her Majesty the Queen hosted a dinner in honour of Mawlana Hazar Imam at Buckingham Palace.
- Leaders of The Institute of Ismaili Studies presented Mawlana Hazar Imam with a copy of their latest publication titled The Ismailis: An Illustrated History.
- Darbar in London on July 5.
Portugal – July 10-14, 2008
- Signed an Agreement of International Cooperation between the Ismaili Imamat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Portuguese Republic.
- Signed a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Catholic University of Portugal and the Aga Khan University.
- Correios de Portugal (Portuguese Mail Services) issued commemorative stamps featuring photos of the Centro Ismaili, Lisbon.
- Darbar in Lisbon on July 13.
Syria – August 24-29, 2008
- Inaugurated the restored Aleppo Citadel Project. Video
- Signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Health and Higher Education of the Government of Syria and Aga Khan University to enhance capacity in the health sector.
- An agreement signed to
- launch the First MicroFinance Institution (FMFI) in Syria.The FMFI is the first entity of its kind in the country.
- build a five-star hotel through the preservation and restoration of four heritage buildings in Old Damascus.
- create an urban park in Aleppo. The Park at Bab Qinnesrine, was planned to be built on waste ground owned by the Aleppo Municipality, creating a vast new public green space for the citizens of Aleppo.
- develop a hotel in Aleppo.
- Visited the site for the proposed Aga Khan Academy in Damascus.
- Darbar
- in Salamieh on August 26
- in Al-Khawabi on August 27
Mawlana Hazar Imam and Prime Minister Naji Al-Otri are accompanied by Prince Amyn and other leaders during a tour of Bab Qinnesrine in Aleppo, the site of a new urban park being developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Photo: Gary Otte/The Ismaili
Mawlana Hazar Imam and Syrian Minister for Tourism, Sadallah Agha Al-Qala, tour the site of a future hotel to be developed by the AKDN’s Tourism Promotion Services in Old Damascus. Photo: Akbar Hakim/The Ismaili
Mawlana Hazar Imam reviews plans at the proposed site of the Aga Khan Academy in Damascus. Photo: Akbar Hakim/The Ismaili
Central Asia – October 28-November 7, 2008
- Mawlana Hazar Imam
- laid the foundation stone for the first Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Khorog.
- was presented with the title deeds for land in the Rayon, Kazakhstan, presented to University of Central Asia’s Director General, for the construction of the Kazakhstan campus.
- was bestowed the title of “Honoured Educator of the Republic of Kazakhstan” in Astana, Kazakhstan, by the Minister of Education and Science, Dr. Zhanseit Tuimebayev, in recognition of Imam’s services to Education.
- Darbar
- in Ishkashim on November 4
- in Porshinev in November 5
Canada – November 18-25 and December 5-7, 2008
- Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Aga Khan University and McMaster University to address objectives shared by both institutions in the health sciences, the social sciences, humanities and in business.
- A 15-acre piece of land in Burnaby, British Columbia, was gifted to Mawlana Hazar Imam. The park will be developed in partnership with AKDN and the City of Burnaby.
- Inauguration of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa. Video
- Darbars:
- Toronto on November 22 & 23
- Calgary – November 24
- Vancouver – November 25
Far East – December 1-3, 2008
- Mawlana Hazar Imam
- attended a meeting with President S R Nathan at the Istana, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, George Yeo.
- visited Singapore City Gallery, Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum.
- Darbar in Singapore on December 3.
France – December 8-11, 2008
- Mawlana Hazar Imam took in A Mystical Journey: Musique Soufie et Autres Expressions de Dévotion en Islam at Théâtre Mogador in Paris, along with his family and Jamati leaders.
- A partnership agreement was signed with the Government of France for development of AKDN projects.
- Announced the established of an Ismaili Centre in Paris.
- Darbar in Paris on December 11.
Compiled by Nimira Dewji
Ismailimail 