The Other Islam. The Peaceful Revolution of the Ismaili Shiites

presented in London by the imam Karim Aga Khan. For a fruitful relationship between the great Muslim tradition and Western civilization

ROMA – Last October 19, the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London celebrated its 25th anniversary – like the pontificate of Karol Wojtyla – and for the occasion, the imam of all the Shia Ismaili Muslims in the world, Prince Karim Aga Khan (see photo) gave a speech on the interpretation of the Koran that sounds revolutionary in comparison to the thinking dominant in the Muslim world.

It is revolutionary, but perfectly orthodox. The Ismaili are part of Shiite Islam, the strain according to which – in opposition to Sunni Islam – the interpretation and historical application of the Koran is a never-ending work, always open to new solutions. The Khomeini revolution came from Shiite Islam, but it can also give rise to humanistic and liberal interpretations of the same Muslim faith. It is not an accident that, in the history of Islamic thought, the most original authors and those most open to other faiths and cultures have been, for the most part, Shiites and Ismaili.

Nor should it be overlooked that Iraq – the Muslim country now undergoing the trial of a dramatic passage from tyranny to democracy – has a majority Shiite population, and the one best equipped culturally to meet this challenge.

And so, in the speech with which he began the London seminar on the theme “Word of God, Art of Man: The Qur’an and its Creative Expressions” on October 19, Aga Khan began:

“Rich in parable and allegory, metaphor and symbol, the Qur’an-e-Sharif has been an inexhaustible well-spring of inspiration, lending itself to a wide spectrum of interpretations. This freedom of interpretation is a generosity which the Qur'an confers upon all believers.”

“As a result, the Holy Book continues to guide and illuminate the thought and conduct of Muslims belonging to different communities of interpretation and spiritual affiliation, in diverse cultural environments. The Noble Qur’an extends its principle of pluralism also to adherents of other faiths. It affirms that each has a direction and path to which they turn so that all should strive for good works, in the belief that, wheresoever they may be, Allah will bring them together.”

“The power of its message is reflected in its gracious disposition to differences of interpretation; its respect for other faiths and societies; its affirmation of the primacy of the intellect; its insistence that knowledge is worthy when it is used to serve Allah’s creation; and, above all, its emphasis on our common humanity.”

Aga Khan has insisted greatly upon the primacy of knowledge – which is consistent with the Gnostic character of Ismaili thought. He cited the 11th-century Persian poet and philosopher Nasir Khusraw, for whom the true jihad, the real holy war, is fought with the light of knowledge against the darkness of ignorance and intolerance.

And Aga Khan said he was certain that “the light of revelation granted to the Holy Prophet Muhammad” will be victorious. “Its message is still potent in the Muslim world today, although it is sometimes clouded over, distorted and deformed by political interests and by struggles for power over the minds and hearts of people. There are attempts at transforming what are meant to be fluid, progressive, open-ended, intellectually informed and spiritually inspired traditions of thought, into hardened, monolithic, absolutist and obscurantist positions.”

In a later speech, also on October 19, Aga Khan addressed the students of the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

He painted for them a contrasted picture of the ummah, the worldwide Muslim community:

“There are the ultra-rich and the ultra-poor, the Shia and the Sunni, the Arab and the non-Arab, the theocracies and the secular states, the search for normatisation versus the valuing of pluralism, those who search for and are keen to adopt modern, participatory forms of government versus those who wish to re-impose supposedly ancient forms of governance. What should have been brotherhood has become rivalry, generosity has been replaced by greed and ambition, the right to think is held to be the enemy of real faith, and anything we might hope to do to expand the frontiers of human knowledge through research is doomed to failure for, in most of the Muslim world, there are neither the structures nor the resources to develop meaningful intellectual leadership.”

“Yet,” he continued, “there are many across the length and breadth of the Muslim world today, who care for their history and heritage, who are keenly sensitive to the radically altered conditions of the modern world. They are convinced that the idea that there is some inherent, permanent division between their heritage and the world of today is a profoundly mistaken idea; and that the choice it suggests between an Islamic identity on one hand and on the other hand, full participation in the global order of today is a false choice indeed.”

As proof of this integration of Islamic identity and modernity, Aga Khan cited some of his avant-garde initiatives in the field of education: Aga Khan University, based in Karachi; the brand-new University of Central Asia, with campuses in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kirgisistan; and the international network of primary and secondary schools in Africa and Asia, all of high quality and with a particular emphasis on humanistic subjects, attended by students from every social level and from various ethnic and religious backgrounds.

But, in conclusion, the imam of the Ismaili Shiites asked the West to take a step in the same direction:

“As more and more nations develop increasingly multi-cultural profiles and as the process of globalisation continues apace, educators are confronted by the challenge to provide to the mainstream population of their society, an informed understanding of the culture and history of minorities domiciled in their midst, as well as other major civilisations beyond their shores. In particular, the West should fill the lack, in its systems of education, of a nuanced knowledge or appreciation of the traditions of the Muslim world.” In this connection, Aga Khan said that he was in contact with American universities to try to get them to develop their courses related to Islam. He also announced the upcoming opening of a museum of Islamic art in Toronto.

These words spoken by Aga Khan on October 19 are unusually clear for the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, which always tends toward an understandable reserve in such matters.

The Ismaili, who number about fifteen million in twentyfive countries, live for the most part in areas dominated by Sunni Muslims and are frequently threatened by acts of hostility on the part of fundamentalist groups.

The area in which they are most numerous is the north of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They also have a significant presence in Zanzibar and eastern Africa.

They have always tended to be reserved in relations with the Catholic Church, as well. The Ismaili imamate has never taken part in interreligious dialogue, much less at the meetings of prayer called for in Assisi by Pope John Paul II.

This general reserve has been balanced during the last few decades with important public initiatives by the Ismaili imamate in the fields of education, social development, and the arts. These initiatives are principally aimed at elevating the quality of life of extremely poor populations in scattered regions, but they are also intended to establish a fertile relationship between the great Islamic tradition and the heights of Western civilization.

It is these actions that make good the words spoken by Aga Khan on October 19. Some Muslim leaders who join in interreligious meetings with representatives of the Catholic Church are masters in producing statements all about dialogue, peace, and pluralism. But their actions, in their respective countries, do not correspond to their words.

For the Ismaili, it is different. The words presented above and their actions are in harmony. Is the Vatican taking notice?

The center of studies in London where Aga Khan gave the speech presented above:

The website of the Ismaili imamate, with all the information and links to their various activities around the world:

The brand-new university being constructed in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kirgisistan, intended for the development of the mountain communities in central Asia:

On this site, on an initiative that is bringing Harvard and MIT to the remotest villages of Africa and Asia:

On activities on behalf of the Ismaili community in northern Pakistan, from the November 7, 1993 edition of “L’espresso”:

The Ismaili are the (hopefully less warlike)descendants of the hashish-driven ninja sect of the medieval period of Islam. These are the guys who give the Aga Khan his weight in gold on his birthday.

Apparently, the publishers of this Jesuit-published, Vatican-based news magazine have received the go-ahead to get tougher on the Muslims. The Vatican wants to know why they refuse to permit Christianity in the lands they control, and kill, torture and enslave Christians. They also are actively seeking dialog with anyone they can get from the Muslims camp.

Translation is a little rough.

Yes--and any religious document/or State Constitution that
is a work in progress-- and dependant upon the interpretation of the moment by the cultic elite to be
considered valid-- is still a dangeorus Cult and NOT the
infallible Word of God-nor fit to be the Rule of Law.
Problem is in America we have too many politicians and
Judges(same-same) who think our Constitution is a work in
progress. These guys is so lame they think Darwin was a
Prophet, and Education and politics -true religion.

What are you talking about? I'm quite happy that Christianity has taken a different interpretation of the Bible than it had five hundred years ago. It is now a much more peaceful religion, generally well-integrated into modern times.

I don't think the Bible was historically interpreted to require warlike actions or violence on the part of its adherents. The fighting to extend or preserve different sects' interpretations of the bible were not justified bythe bible itself. The Koran has many straight out kill-the-unbeliever passages. The Bible has nothing like that.Spreading the Faith was used as excuse for war but no one made war because they interpreted the bible o require it.

"These are the guys who give the Aga Khan his weight in gold on his birthday."

Where do you get this from?
Ismailis tithe their income to him. It's called "Dassondh", the minimum is 12.5% of gross income. Many give 25%.
Do you have a source for the "weight in gold" claim?

A few years ago I spent a very happy and enlightening time climbing in Baltistan in the far north-east of Pakistan, where the local version of Islam is Ismaili. An astonishing contrast with the hard-line Shiites just down the road in Skardu - a pretty laid-back and relaxed people, I found, where most strikingly the women seemed to live and work on more or less equal terms with the men, mingled with all and sundry (including us friendly culture-shocked westerners) and went about bare-headed.

Funny, I couldn't find the word "peace" in the Khan's speech.

Must be the translation. We all know Islam means "peace."

Well yeah. It is fairly common knowledge that these guys used to weigh their AGA, an hereditary title, and give the old boy his weight in gold in a rather elaborate ceremony. Check your National Geographic files.

Honest, I don't make this stuff up.

Funny, I couldn't find the word "peace" in the Khan's speech. </>

Me neither Joe, but somehow I was encouraged that this Aga fellow was at least talking about stuff, I guess. I am just looking for a sign from Islam that it really belongs on the planet and can coexist with others in the same place. A sign, Joe, any sign.....

Funny, I couldn't find the word "peace" in the Khan's speech. </>

Sorry but I have the National Geographic set 1883 to 2000.
The Aga Khan III received his weight in diamonds for the Diamond Jubilee of the Imamate, March 10, 1946, but he didn't get that on birthdays.
And, the actual subject of this article is the Aga Khan IV. His grandson BTW.

Ismailis do tithe 12.5% - 25% of their gross income to him but I have never found any reference to a 'birthday present'. The tithe is called Dassondh. The majority of Ismailis pay their Dassondh on Chandrat(new moon). So it's paid (in cash) monthly. I have read where at a wedding the dowry and gifts were assessed and the tithe had to paid before the ceremony began.

Perhaps a weighing is planned for the current one's Golden Jubilee but I have never seen any reference to that (2007?).

Thanks for the link. (it seems to have been corrected in the post)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.