Daily Hive December 13, 2018
Today, thousands of Canadians and millions of Ismailis around the world celebrate His Highness the Aga Khan’s 82nd birthday.
The 49th hereditary spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims is no stranger to Canada.
In May 2010, he became the fifth person to be granted honourary Canadian Citizenship, in February 2014 addressed the Canadian Parliament, in September 2016 was awarded the Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship, in April 2017 announced a new $25-million garden at the University of Alberta, and in May 2017 opened the global headquarters of the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa.
Most recently, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Calgary and opened the Aga Khan Garden in Alberta, and received honorary doctorate degrees from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University in a historic joint conferral ceremony.
But the Aga Khan’s relationship with Canada is one that dates back many decades. In the early 1970s, Idi Amin began forcing South Asians out of Uganda, many of whom were Ismailis. A friend of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the Aga Khan asked for Canada to open its doors and become a home for Ismailis, and thousands of them began immigrating from East Africa.
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To get to know the Aga Khan more, watch this video introducing him prior to receiving the Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship:
Ismailimail 