Buckingham Palace Dinner July 8, 2008
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Queen lays on Golden Jubilee banquet for the Aga Khan and family July 8, 2008
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Both are ardent fans of horse racing and share an understanding of what it’s like to hold an important ceremonial role. So the Queen was particularly glad to be hosting a glittering banquet for the Aga Khan’s Golden Jubilee, which he celebrated last year.
Her guest at Monday’s dinner in Buckingham Palace is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and the leader of the world’s 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims. They’ve met up on several occasions since the Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather to the title in 1957.
To honour the milestone anniversary, the Queen wore an elegant gown adorned with golden sequins, as well as jewellery in gold and silver.
The golden theme was also picked up by the Aga Khan’s sister Yasmin, the daughter of his father Prince Aly and Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth. She was resplendent in a shimmering metallic floor-length creation, accessorised with a matching clutch.
Completing the family group at the gala was the Muslim leader’s son Prince Hussain, with his American-born wife Kristin, who took the name Princess Khaliya on their marriage two years ago.
Yahoo News – M&C – PR-Inside
http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2008/07/08/queen-aga-khan/
Queen celebrates Golden Jubilee of His Highness the Aga Khan July 7, 2008
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and The Aga Khan share a smile at a dinner at Buckingham Palace, London, to mark the Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee, Monday July 7, 2008. The Aga Khan is the Imam of the world's 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims and a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.Last year he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his succession to the title held by his grandfather.The Aga Khan is coming to the end of a seven-day visit to the United Kingdom held to mark the milestone. (AP Photo/PA, Dominic Lipinski)
Queen hosts dinner for Aga Khan July 7, 2008
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The Queen is hosting a dinner party in honour of billionaire racehorse owner the Aga Khan.
Senior members of the Royal Family will attend the Buckingham Palace dinner on Monday for the long-term friend of the Queen.
The Queen, 82, and the Aga Khan, 71, are both ardent fans of horse racing and in the past they have watched the sport together at Royal Ascot.
The Aga Khan was the owner of Shergar, the Derby-winning racehorse who was kidnapped from his Irish stud farm in 1983 and never seen again.
He is also the Imam of the world’s 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims and a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
Last year he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his succession to the title held by his grandfather.
The Aga Khan is coming to the end of a seven-day visit to the UK held to mark the milestone.
In 2005 he became one of six people given the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for his efforts improving living conditions in the developed world.
His Aga Khan Development Network is a group of agencies working in health, education, culture and rural and economic development, in 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, south and central Asia, and the Middle East.
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Banquet in London, United Kingdom 3 July 2008 July 4, 2008
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http://akdn.org/speeches/2008july3.html
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Banquet in London, United Kingdom 3 July 2008
(Please also see Related Material)
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Baroness Thatcher
Secretary of State John Denham
High Representative Solana
Your Excellencies
My Lords
Ladies and Gentlemen
What a great pleasure it is for me to welcome you tonight – to greet so many friends, old and new – and to acknowledge how much your friendship – and that of this country – has meant to me.
I am deeply grateful for your warm welcome. I am no stranger to London, but this is a very special visit, as it is part of a year-long celebration – the Golden Jubilee anniversary of my Imamat.
I came to this office in 1957 upon the passing away of my grandfather. I was an undergraduate university student at that time – and perhaps I seemed a rather unusual student, when I showed up for the next school term with two secretaries and a personal assistant!
In Islamic thought and practice, the world of the spirit and the world of daily life are inseparably intertwined. This is why, over a half century, my role as a spiritual leader has also required me to act in a host of social, economic and cultural endeavours, in order to secure and enhance the well being of the Ismailis and the communities amongst which they live. The Aga Khan Development Network has grown out of those efforts, and I am happy to say, the size of its staff has also grown just a bit since my undergraduate days!
In all of these endeavours, we have developed wonderful partnerships with many institutions around the world. And many of our most effective partners have come from this country.
These partnerships have involved many collaborators – governmental and private, academic and charitable, non-profit and commercial, religious and secular, national and international – providing not only financial resources but also human resources and intellectual capital. London has also been an important base for our work with Governments around Europe, and with the European Union itself.
Many of our partners – from the UK and other parts of Europe – are represented here tonight. We have been fortunate in these relationships, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to all those who have made them possible.
Our spirit of partnership here has deep roots. Over a century ago, my grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, worked closely with Her Majesty Queen Victoria and her governments in the pursuit of common ideals. These ties were further strengthened by the strong presence of the Ismaili community – initially in places which later became Commonwealth countries, and later, here in the United Kingdom.
Many of the developing countries in which Ismailis lived were just coming into independent nationhood when I took office fifty years ago. Since that time, my attention has been focused on their challenges. My goal has been to improve the quality of life and to build new opportunity for Ismailis and the peoples amongst whom they live, while strongly supporting their pluralism and diversity.
The approach we take in the Aga Khan Development Network is non-denominational and holistic. It encompasses both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. We seek to catalyze the creation of necessary basic infrastructure, together with the provision of good quality education and healthcare. We are concerned with ensuring access to appropriate credit for the poor at the same time as we are working to sustain the arts and culture.
It is particularly in the field of rural development in East Africa, South East Asia and Central Asia that we have established long standing and successful programmes with the Department for International Development. This has been born of a common philosophy and approach, and has resulted in an improvement in the quality of life for tens of millions of people in some of the poorest regions in the world.
It is striking to me that in 1957, there were only about 100 Ismaili residents in this country, and most of them were students. Today, there are fourteen thousand Ismailis permanently living here and of all ages and walks of life.
Our story in this country is a case study in the settlement of an immigrant community – one which originated from East Africa, the Indian subcontinent and now Central Asia. Upheavals in their native lands – wars of independence, civil wars, collapsed economies and other dislocations affected the Ismailis and millions of others around them. Today almost one third of my community in this country have been born in the United Kingdom. They have maintained their religious and cultural identity and they are well integrated into their local environment. It is a community in which over 90 per cent of the university age population participate in tertiary education. The average household income is a third higher than the national average – although I say this with some trepidation as I hope we are not being overheard by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs!
Britain has been an enabling environment. As a result, the community is now making a meaningful contribution to the economy and civic society, whilst also providing a resource to support initiatives in other parts of the world.
In 1957, there was only one Ismaili space here for congregational prayer – and that was on leased premises! Creating places of prayer as centres for community life was fundamental to ensuring the cohesion of the community, and there are now over 40 such places. Among them, of course, a central focal point is The Ismaili Centre, located in South Kensington. Having Baroness Thatcher with us tonight is particularly significant because The Ismaili Centre was opened by her in 1985.
Like other Ismaili Centres around the world, the London Centre serves not only as a gathering place for Ismailis, but as an active participant in local society, sponsoring a variety of cultural initiatives – exhibitions, lectures and other public events. These efforts reflect our pride in our heritage and our eagerness to share it with others.
We have also, in these recent decades, established two new institutions of higher learning here, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, and The Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations, which is part of the Aga Khan University. They both offer Masters level teaching programmes, they engage in research and publication, and they also develop curriculum materials for children in primary and secondary schools. In all these efforts, they take a holistic, civilizational approach to Islamic studies, rather than emphasizing the more narrow domain of theological dialectic.
What some describe as a clash of civilizations in our modern world is, in my view, a clash of ignorances. This is why education about religious and cultural heritage is so critically important—and why we will continue to invest in these institutions. We deeply believe that scholarship, publication and instruction—of high quality and generous breadth– can provide important pathways toward a more pluralistic and peaceful world.
All of these comments, then, speak to the context in which we gather tonight– a rich history of partnership reaching deeply into the past – and extending, we hope and trust, into an even more productive future.
Thank you very much.
From UK Prime Minister’s official briefings July 4, 2008
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…..Asked what was discussed at the Prime Minister’s meeting with the Aga Khan, the PMS said that they had discussed the cooperation between the Government and the Aga Khan Development Network, which supported projects in health, education, poverty alleviation, peace and stability. The Prime Minister had also congratulated the Aga Khan on his golden jubilee.
HH The Aga Khan in London: Photographs from British Foreign and Commonwealth Office July 3, 2008
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From The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s photostream at Flickr. All photos link to original source.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw meeting His Highness the Aga Khan at Lancaster House, London, 3 July 2008.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband meeting His Highness the Aga Khan in London, 3 July 2008.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown meets His Highness the Aga Khan July 3, 2008
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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) meets the Aga Khan, who is visiting the United Kingdom to mark the fiftieth anniversary of becoming the Imam of the Shia Ismaili community, at 10 Downing Street, in London, on July 3, 2008. The Aga Khan is expected to attend a dinner hosted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II during his visit. Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in United Kingdom July 3, 2008
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Thursday, July 3: This morning, on the first full day of his Golden Jubilee visit to the United Kingdom, His Highness the Aga Khan met with the British Government’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, The Rt Hon David Miliband MP at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
His Highness was a guest of honor at a luncheon hosted by The Rt Hon Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Justice and the Lord Chancellor. After lunch he met with British Prime Minister The Rt Hon Gordon Brown.
Wednesday July 2: His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in London, England, commencing his seven-day Golden Jubilee visit to the United Kingdom. He was greeted at the airport by officials of the British Government and leaders of the UK Jamat.
His Highness the Aga Khan in the United Kingdom to mark Golden Jubilee visit July 2, 2008
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Official seven-day trip will mark 50 years of becoming Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and the Aga Khan Development Network’s long-standing partnership with the British Government
2 July 2008, London, United Kingdom – His Highness the Aga Khan, arrives later today on an official seven-day visit to the United Kingdom on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee.
During this visit, the Imam (Spiritual Leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims will attend a dinner hosted by Her Majesty the Queen to mark his Golden Jubilee and to acknowledge the close relationship he and his family have had over generations with the British Monarchy and the UK.
The Aga Khan is scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary as well as the Secretary of State for International Development. The Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice, will host a lunch in his honour. He will also meet with the Leader of the Opposition and the Mayor of London. During his visit, the Aga Khan will meet with members of the Ismaili community.
The Aga Khan Development Network has had a longstanding relationship with development partners in the United Kingdom. Over the past 25 years, AKDN has received approximately $100m in complementary support of its development activities from UK institutions, primarily the Department for International Development (DfID) and its predecessors. The geographic areas of cooperation between the British Government and AKDN include Africa, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, where UK support has played an important role in making a difference in the quality of life of tens of millions of people.
During his visit to the United Kingdom, the Aga Khan will host a dinner for senior members of the Government, diplomats, distinguished leaders from industry, academia, the arts, faith communities, the NGO sector as well as leaders of the Ismaili community. The evening will provide an opportunity for the Aga Khan to thank the British Government and the civil society representatives for their unwavering support and commitment.
During the past 50 years, the Aga Khan has fostered and overseen the growth of one of the largest private development networks in the world. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is engaged in a wide range of activities in education, healthcare, rural development, cultural and economic development. These activities are undertaken for the common good of all citizens, regardless of their gender, origin or religion in some of the poorest regions of the world. The work of the
Aga Khan Development Network is undertaken through its nine agencies in partnership with Governments and leading multilateral agencies.
The Aga Khan has received numerous awards and decorations. The title ‘His Highness’ was bestowed to him by Her Majesty the Queen in 1957.
This visit to the United Kingdom is one of many that the Aga Khan is undertaking around the world in commemoration of his Golden Jubilee year – the 50th anniversary of becoming the Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims – an ethnically diverse community whose members reside in some 25 countries, including the UK. He is founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network.
London: Ismaili religious leader celebrates Golden Jubilee June 26, 2008
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June 26, 2008 10:29 AM
Jon Sarpong – InsideToronto.com column
Individuals from Canada, the United States and around the globe will converge on London, England, to commemorate the golden jubilee of Prince Karim Aga Khan, the 71-year-old spiritual and temporal leader of Shi’a Imami Nizari ‘Ismaili’ Muslims.
The observance of this anniversary began in France on July 11, 2007, exactly 50 years to the day he became the 49th hereditary imam (Living Guide) of the pluralistic and pacifist minority Shi’a community.
Today, close to 15 million Ismailis practice their faith in more than 50 countries around the world.
The Ismaili branch of Islam is the second largest part of the Shi’a community, after the Twelvers. The Ismaili get their name from their acceptance of Ismail bin Jafar as the divinely appointed spiritual successor (imam) to Jafar al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelvers, who accept Musa al-Kazim, younger brother of Ismail, as the true Imam.
The Ismaili and the Twelvers both accept the same initial imams from the descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima Zahra and therefore share much of their early history.
As Muslims, the Ismailis affirm the fundamental Islamic testimony of truth, the Shahada, that there is no God but God (Allah in Arabic) and that Muhammad is His messenger. They believe that Muhammad was the last and final Prophet of Allah, and that the Holy Qur’an, Allah’s final message to mankind, was revealed through him.
Muslims hold this revelation to be the culmination of the message that had been revealed through other prophets of the tradition before Muhammad, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus, all of whom Muslims revere as prophets of Allah.
During his week-long stay in the United Kingdom, the Aga Khan will be involved in meeting with representatives from various non-governmental organizations and charities with whom his global Aga Khan Development Network has been involved in humanitarian projects in various countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and South Africa.
The pinnacle of celebration will be the special get together (Mulaquat) in solemn and tranquil surroundings with his spiritual followers at ExCel Centre in the London Docklands.
About 30,000 followers are expected to welcome Prince Aga Khan in jubilation of this monumental event. Adorned in a ceremonial religious robe and cap, and in possession of the Sword of Justice, Prince Aga Khan will wear the chain of office, which displays 49 links that inclusively symbolize his predecessors. With the signet ring used as the seal of the imam as far back as the 12th century, the Aga Khan will enter the Congregational Hall to continuous unified supplications, beseeching the creator to shower blessings on the Prophet Muhammad and his progeny (from whom The Aga Khan’s ancestors originated more than 1,400 years ago).
Affectionately referred to by his devout followers as ‘Hazar Imam’ (Present and Living Guide), the Aga Khan will be imparting spiritual and worldly advice as to how his followers should live and conduct themselves in their personal environment and impart religious knowledge and directives that reflect the ethics of their esoteric faith.
This historic event will mark a milestone in the lives of millions around the globe, as well as thousands of Toronto Ismailis participating in this event.
Visit www.akdn.org for details on the celebration of Prince Karim Aga Khan’s golden jubilee.
