Thank You Letter to Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan for Aiding the Ugandan Asian Refugees by Vali Jamal @Simerg

Abstract: The late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, as Mohezin Tejani noted in his recent Thank You letter, was “a man for all seasons.” Tejani thanked the late Prince for a multitude of activities ranging from being a collector of Islamic art, to speaking about Islam, to being an environmentalist, to the important role he played as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees – the role of the Prince that truly inspired Tejani.

Vali Jamal’s focus in his thank you letter is on the part that Prince Sadruddin and the UN played worldwide in ensuring the safety, well-being and resettlement of thousands of Asian refugees who were forced to flee Uganda on Idi Amin’s orders. Jamal in this highly absorbing letter notes:

“Idi Amin had that dream in which he believed divine instructions were given him to cleanse Uganda of the resident Asian community.”

In his candid style, Jamal who is publishing later this year a book about the Asian expulsion, reveals some interesting details which led to the settlement thousands of Asians in Canada including a memo that the Prince wrote to Mr George Ignatieff, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN.

Read at the source: http://simerg.com/thanking-ismaili-historical-figures/

Book Review by Vali Jamal: Race, rail and society: Roots of modern Kenya reviewed

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19438192.2012.675728

Old Memory…picture of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah and Begum Andre (Prince Sadrudin’s Mother)

Shared by Vali Jamal: http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/tag/vali-jamal/

Vali Jamal: Sherali Bandali Jaffer, former MP gets heroes medal, lauded for liberalisation

I am very pleased to forward this press article on the honour bestowed upon Hon Sherali Bandali Jaffer, MP, by the government of Uganda. It’s in the first place an honour to him for his long service in all walks of life in Uganda, but it is also an honour to the whole Uganda Asian community, here and there. I am beginning to sense that the present Uganda government is reaching out to us Asians in many ways. Just a month ago H.E. the President endorsed the book below as a “national asset”, which again I see as a recognition of our past, present and future role in Uganda.

Needless to say the Jaffer family are covered in my book in three glorious generations: Patriarch Bandali Jaffer, who was one of the early itinerant traders collecting cotton from farmers on his bike and cart; Honourable SBJ himself as an MP and benefactor of several Muslim schools; and daughter Mobina as the youngest (until then) senator in the Canadian government as the senator for British Columbia.

Click here to read the article: https://docs.google.com/open?id=1lD_A9m_WUnKu0Qv_gIbmKjZlMzS9M19G2yGLl4RscLpC_Dgert3Bq0ehyCvL

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Author: Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1250 pp+-, 5.2 kg, $72.50), forthcoming Sep 2012 in three parts. “The book is a national asset in Uganda’s Golden Jubilee year” – HE President Museveni. All related Vali Jamal: http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/tag/vali-jamal/

President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni commends Dr Vali Jamal’s Book

The book’s called Uganda Asians: Then and and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute. It should be forthcoming by August 2012.

All related: http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/tag/vali-jamal/

Vali Jamal: Canada and the Imam’s role in the 1972 Uganda expulsion crisis

Dr Vali Jamal writes from Kampala, Uganda. His book has been long in the writing and promises of good things to come.

Attached are 6 pages from my book Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11, forthcoming June 2012) about Canada and the Imam’s role in the 1972 Uganda expulsion crisis. I have summarised from the 80-pp diary of the Chief of the Canadian refugee mission, Roger St Vincent, Quebequios, whose deputy was Mr Mike Molloy (seconded from the Beirut office; later on went on to be Canada’s ambassador to Jordan). In other pages not shown are contained discussions about the criteria used in selecting the applicants, were Ismailis favoured, etc. Who got the first visa is noted – Miss Semin Muradali Kassam on Sep 11. It’s like a movie and on the final page (shown) the statistics are rolled out, ending with THANK YOU CANADA MERCI INFINIMENT. Keep tissues handy.

In the other attachments shown here I look at what was going on in Canada at that time. Our hero Trudeau is there. One series of events had repurcussions for us – the World Series of Hockey between USSR and Canada. It is Canada’s WWYW moment for anyone >50 today. From several accounts I piece together the final 37 minutes of the game when Hendersen scoooored and whole of Canada erupted. Did hockey intervene in our favour? Read on! And who when I was researching this book had just been appointed Executive Producer of Hockey Night in Canada? Uganda Asian Sherali Najak, from a humble family, who couldn’t tell apart a puck from Puck the Fairy in 1972.

Click here to view: https://docs.google.com/document/

When Aga Khan XI won the Lowis/Lewis Cup, 1952

The Lowis Cup (sometimes also spelt Lewis) was donated for a cricket competition by a Goan person of that name. It was the most keenly fought club-level tournament in Uganda until the 1972 expulsion.

It was the Ismailia community’s WWYW (where were you when) moment. Prayers were said at dawn jamatkhana. Women came to the grounds, defying the purdah. At tea-time they offered samosas to all and sundry. The newspaper cutting was sent by Hassni Rasool, passed away just last year. In his own story he recalls that the great Guste sprained his ankle at practice the previous evening and was reset by Fazal Abdulla, the homeo-osteopath. Guste’s story is in the book and was posted on this blog. He passed away in Kampala in 08. Indian Recreation Club won a string of the Cup. Jai and Azad recorded wins too. Premji was the captain. His story is being filled in.

Pictures sent by Sadru Tarmohamed.

Read here: https://docs.google.com/

Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, RIP, Kampala, by Dr. Vali Jamal

From Vali Jamal …

These pages on Dr Mukhtar Ahmad who passed away at Kampala today should be of interest to many of the readers as he and his father were physicians to several families in Uganda. Additionally both of them were physicians to the late and present Imam.

 

As we mark the passing away of one of Uganda’s noble sons, I am pleased to circulate pages pertaining to the departed one in our book. I interviewed him at his clinic over a couple of sessions in 2007 when this was going to be a mere magazine for Chogm. Dr Ahmad went over the draft meticulously and added and deleted several details. Over the last four years I went to see him periodically to show him my drafts and ensure him I was “2 months” from finishing. He encouraged me on every time, saying this was an important story to tell for all our sake’s. Last time I met him, just a week ago, he gave me the picture of his investiture with the Star of Pakistan by President Zardari.

He died at his clinic itself this morning. The burial was at 5 pm, attended by people from all walks of life in Uganda. His story in the book becomes a celebration of his life, in the footsteps of his illustrious father. Ismaili readers will be pleasaed to learn that both his father and he were physicians to the late Imam Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah, Prince Aly Shah, and the present Imam himself. Dr Mukhtar during the dark days of Uganda’s history was the appointed physician for the UN. I met him on every of my missions for the UN-ILO from 1982 on. His life exemplified courage as he never left Uganda through the expulsion and four regime changes. It is a regret in my life that he didn’t live to see the publication of this book.

I pray for the eternal rest of his soul and for fortitude to his family to overcome this sad and sudden loss.

Page 1 – Page 2 – Page 3 – Page 4 – Page 5

Vali Jamal: Life in UNHCR camps for Uganda Asians expelled in 1972

Thank you to Nilesh. He is/was from Jinja. At the expulsion he first ended up in Geneva. He went and saw Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan at the UNHCR and with an assist from our own Perviz Mitha (Mbale) ended up at the famous (for the 1956 Hungarian refugee intake and before that for being built by the Nazis; it still exists and houses Afghan refugees, among others) Traiskerchen camp in Austria. It was L@1stSight (you know about instant love?!) for him with Austria. Austria had offered to take in >100 of our people. Some 70 or so availed of the offer. He’s proudly Austrian now and has contributed a lovely piece for the book below, being a writer.

Vali Jamal, Uganda Asian book @ September 5, 2011

viva! east africa: Vali Jamal, Uganda Asian book @ September 5, 2011.

UNHCR 1972 role in Uganda for PoUN (people of undefined nationality) – viva! east africa

I was sent the above UNHCR in-house report written in June 1973 by Janak Thanki on the Ugandan Asians FB page. It tells the story of “How they did it” – meaning how the refugees were faring within six months in the various countries they had been resettled from HCR camps at the behest of the refugee agency. We get stories of over 20 refugee familie in 7 countries. How were they faring? Well, very well, as may be seen from the picture of the eagre pupil in USA and the family in Norway. The kid’s name is Shailesh M (as per HCR practice family names aren’t divulged). He not only beat all students at math (9 x 7 = ?) but even at baseball, modifying his cricket action. The report’s also a record of how the UNHCR “did it” – how they processed around 4,000 PoUNs in 10 days before the headline. I have extracted from the report in my book.

via viva! east africa: UNHCR 1972 role in Uganda for PoUN (people of undefined nationality) – bragging rights VIVJ and son AVIVJ.

Ismaili girls and ladies outing in Kampala circa 1945

Dr Vali Jamal has shared this picture of an Ismaili girls and ladies outing in Kampala, c 1945. They have come to (Count) Hassan Kassim-Lakha’s house. Some faces have been IDd. Please help complete the list. The picture appears in Dr Jamal’s book about Uganda Asians, scheduled for publication in 2012, which is also the 40th anniversary of Uganda Asians’ expulsion.

http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/tag/vali-jamal/

Ugandan Asians: A hundred Asians defied Amin’s decree (Vali Jamal)

THE story of Idi Amin’s expulsion of Ugandan Asians from the country in 1972 has been told and retold several times. A new book by Dr Vali Jamal is another tale of that story, yes, but it proceeds past just telling the story and goes on to investigate and narrate what became of those expelled Asians, Joseph Ssemutooke takes us through the book.

Jamal, who refers to himself as an oligino Uganda Asian, is one of the Ugandan Asians who were expelled by Amin and gives his account in a book. In a preface, Jamal explains his qualifications for writing the book — he was in Uganda in 1972 during the expulsion, that he grew up in Uganda in the late 1940s, and that he came back to live in Uganda. The book’s passion derives from that “virtuous triangle.”

via New Vision Online : Ugandan Asians: A hundred Asians defied Amin�s decree.

Seth Allidina Visram in Vali Jamal’s forthcoming book: Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute

Dr Vali Jamal has kindly shared pages from his forthcoming book Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute on the great Ismaili pioneer Seth Allidina Visram. Dr Jamal brings together references to Varas Allidina in several books and people. The mausoleum still exists in the Muslim cemetery at Kampala. For feedback vali.jamal@yahoo.com

http://ismailimail.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/allidina-visram-pgs.pdf

5 Palace Gate when it was a privilege to be in England « Simerg

Vali Jamal and friends outside Uganda House, London, summer 1962.

Writes Vali Jamal:

I came to England in 1958. It was a Friday and my brother took me to Palace Gate. The prayer room was full by the time we arrived and so we just stayed out in the foyer. I was very nervous as the jamat were mostly from the upper classes, with “accents” to go with, whereas we were from the early democratic crowd, trailblazing in A-levels and university…. I came to London for weekends for shopping at Cecil Gee and later on Carnaby Street, but always one goal was to be at Palace Gate for the Friday services….

Read more of this article in Simerg’s special series “The Jamatkhana – A Place of Spiritual and Social Convergence”

5 Palace Gate when it was a privilege to be in England « Simerg.

Simerg: Remembering Kampala Jamatkhana

Vali Jamal’s piece “Remembering Kampala Jamatkhana – Special in so many ways” launches Simerg’s special series, The Jamatkhana – A Place of Spiritual and Social Convergence as the Web site celebrates its 2nd anniversary. Dr. Jamal who is completing his monumental work on the Ugandan Asians goes back as far as he can remember and recounts his childhood memories of the unique Kampala Jamatkhana.

Writes Jamal: “Kampala Jamatkhana was special because most Kampala Ismailis lived within a mile-circle of it until the mid-1950s, making it the centre of our social as well as religious life. To top it all it’s one jamatkhana that for most of the jamat lives only in their memories because of the expulsion.” Jamal’s description of some of the details of the Jamatkhana life is bound to evoke nostalgia. We look forward to receiving accounts from other readers about their own Jamatkhanas.

Source: http://simerg.com/the-jamatkhana/remembering-kampala-jamatkhana-special-in-so-many-ways/

viva! east africa: Foresight: The Aga Khan’s vision for East Africa, 1961

Some of you may have already come across this extremely interesting link, which was posted on Ismailimail a few days ago. It’s a selection of photographs, and a reproduction of the briefing note prepared by Secretary of State Dean Rusk (or rather, one of his staffers), pertaining to a meeting between US President John F. Kennedy and His Highness the Aga Khan at the White House fifty years ago, almost to the day. Rusk describes the Ismaili community as a ‘force for stability’ in East Africa, Pakistan, Iran and Egypt, and notes their integration efforts and charity work.

It’s interesting to note that the Aga Khan wished to speak to the President on two topics: (i) ‘the desirability of an independent federation of the now dependent territories of British East Africa (Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, Zanzibar) and the Belgian trust territory of Ruanda Urundi; and (ii) the need to exercise a ‘moderating influence on nationalist African leaders’.

More: viva! east africa: Foresight: The Aga Khan’s vision for East Africa, 1961.

Cairo diary: Reflections on the current situation – viva! east africa

I went back to Egypt in January after first having traveled there half a century ago. At that time, I was hitch-hiking my way back from studies in the UK to home in Uganda. Then, as now, I did it DIY, travelling all over – east (Port Said, Ismailia, Suez), west (the black and white deserts), north (Alexandria and the delta), and south (Aswan/Luxor) – using Cairo as my base. My son joined me for a few days from Amman, and we walked all over the historic Fatimid quarter

More: viva! east africa: Cairo diary: Reflections on the current situation.

Vali Jamal in Egypt: viva! east africa

I spent two weeks in Egypt just two weeks ago. It was DIY and I travelled all over – east (Suez Canal), west (the desert), north (Alexandria), south (Aswan/Luxor). The Tunisia turmoil was gathering pace and Mohamed Bouazizi’s name was being whispered. Yes, I did speak to the Egyptian street and they were surprisingly forthcoming. Yes, I did speak to the Egyptian street and they were surprisingly forthcoming. In a country where literacy is only 66 percent (in Arabic; in English I estimate no more than 25 percent and on the street barely 10 percent) it was mostly one-syllable answers or sign language. To Nasser they gave two thumbs up, Sadat one. Mubarak one thumb down, Gamal Mubarak two thumbs down. They said “it’s the family”, meaning corruption at the high ends.

More: viva! east africa: Egypt: big macs, felafels, and the dynasty.
via HuffingtonPost: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Vali_Jamal/

viva! east africa: Some Tusks – photos from Mohamed Ismail

Photos by Mohamed Ismail – At Vali Jamal’s blog:

Big tuskers have very large sockets in the skull to support heavy tusks. The biggest tusks (world record were found by a slave caravan about 130 years ago on the lower slopes of Kilimanajro). They were taken to Zanzibar and were bought by the British Consul there. The Consul took them to London and they can now be viewed at the British Museum by appointment only.

Sir Mbarak Ali Hinawy was a charismatic figure at the Kenya Coast and entertained royalty. Photo shows him with the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth wife of King George VI.

viva! east africa: Some Tusks — photos from Mohamed Ismail.

Tunisia: Rural labour and structural transformation, by Samir Muḥammad Raḍwan, Vali Jamal, Ajit Kumar Ghose

Samīr Muḥammad Raḍwān, Vali Jamal, Ajit Kumar Ghose

At the end of the 1970s, Tunisia was hailed among developing countries as the perfect example of the economic miracle. A decade later, Tunisia has become the perfect example of the economic tragedy. The rapid development and industrialization of the seventies and eighties were so great as to double per capita income and prompted the World Bank to promote Tunisia to the “middle income” league. Tunisia identifies the reasons for this spectacular growth and explains the economic decline which followed. The central aim of this book is to analyze this transformation, its social implications, and the consequent problems facing the Tunisian people with specific regard to labor-market adjustments and equity and welfare issues. Drawing on a vast body of research, these eminent ILO economists are authors well qualified to examine these complex issues. Concise but comprehensive, the book is the first to address this subject, and should be of interest to anyone concerned with the economicfuture of Tunisia and North Africa, as well as students of development.

http://books.google.ca/books

Historical Photograph: The Investiture of Aga Khan the Fourth – with commentary by Mohamed Ismail and Vali Jamal

Notice the Fez worn by his Highness. In those days the best Fez caps or Tarboosh were made by two Ismaili business people in Mombasa. I am talking about the early 1940′s to the mid-1950′s. Both shops were on the road along Majestic Cinema. Many of us wore the Fez and some schools had the Fez as part of the uniform! Girls and ladies wore a beaded version with “zari”.

The photo shows on extreme right in white, Sir Karimjee Karimbhai who was later speaker of the house in Tanzania under Julius Nyerere, and next to him, Sir Mbarak Ali Hinawy, who was the Liwali (governor) for the Kenya Coast.

I don’t know the other two, but can only guess that next to Sir Mbarak could be Mr. Musa Jetha.

-Mohamed Ismail

Mohamed Ismail is originally from Kenya, Mombasa, in that order, as the family started in Mombasa. He is a member of the Baluch community, big-time big-game hunters, himself amongst them, apart from being an ecologist by education. Books to his name. He can tell the weight of a tusk from just its photograph. He’s been helping me with stories of their community in East Africa for my book below, as leaders of pre-British expeditions to the interior, soldiers, trusted chiefs for Sultans, and businessmen. Idi Amin just loved them even after the expulsion.

-Vali Jamal

http://www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com/
Photo collection: Salim Nasher

Pambazuka – ‘Ugandan Asians: Then and Now’ by Vali Jamal

The ‘forthcoming’ bit gave me lots of problems as it changed several times. It was going to be a magazine for the Commonwealth Conference in Uganda in November 2007. Prior to that I had done one for the Aga Khan’s Golden Jubilee in August (2007) in ‘three weeks of writing and three days of designing and printing’. So I thought three months should be ample for this effort. Power went off for hours at a time, the designer ran away with the flash one night, the printer took advance money for buying paper and disappeared. I ran around all the print shops on Nkrumah Road. All said sure they could do it, just give us the advance.

More: Pambazuka – ‘Ugandan Asians: Then and Now’.

Vali Jamal: Letters – Road upsets Diaspora Ugandan Asians

Writing from a jam-free Vancouver, Canada, the article, A walk on Kampala’s worst road (Daily Monitor, October 21), brought back bitter-sweet memories of not long ago.

I used to drive on that road, shall I just say, business, on Kampala Road, opposite City Square (Constitution Square) for three years (2005-08). Those depressions were more like pot-valleys, pot-craters or pot-lakes.

It was either that or Bombo Road. If I hit that road between 8 am and 10 am, I could be in a jam stretching all the way from the Pentecostal/Odeon junction to Bat Valley.

The fact is that there are 30 times more cars on Kampala’s roads today than in 1972

via Daily Monitor:  - Letters |Road upsets Diaspora Ugandan Asians.

Vali Jamal: Moses Kipsiro 2010; Akii-Bua 1972

Do you remember when Akii-Bua won the gold at Munich and even though we were packing our bags in sorrow and worries of the unknown we cheered with the people? 14 Asians were in the hockey team. Gian Prashar was the manager. On return they were lined up on the tarmac – and shot? No, Amin awarded them honorary citizenship and asked them to stay. All that in my book, of course. Akii-Bua gets a full page with pictures of him crossing the line and kissing his medal.

via viva! east africa: Moses Kipsiro 2010; Akii-Bua 1972.