Author Archives: Malik Merchant, Editor

Founding publisher and editor of www.barakah.com, www.simerg.com and www.simergphotos.com.

Passings: Noorunisa Maherali (1929 – 2015) – A Remarkable Ismaili Woman of Faith, Talent and Courage

8 April 2016

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“…When she was still in her early to mid-twenties,  she was involved in a remarkable rescue operation involving her best friend’s two children who had been forcibly abducted from Singapore to Karachi. Risking her own life, she made her way to Karachi, located the boys and delivered them safely to their uncle’s home…” — 1950’s

“…As is so often the case the Imam of the Time, at an appropriate time, found an opportunity to recognize her entire family during a special audience…” — 1982-83, Silver Jubilee

PLEASE CLICK: Noorunisa Maherali (1929 – 2015)

The late Noorunisa Maherali (1929-2015)

The late Noorunisa Maherali (1929-2015)

Simerg encourages readers to submit tributes or death notices for deceased members of their families. For submission details, please click Obituaries and Tributes.

Date posted: April 8, 2016.

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The Work of the Ismaili Imamat at a Glance, and the Most Famous Logos of the Aga Khan Development Network

7 April 2016

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University of Ottawa confers an Honorary Degree on His Highness the Aga Khan

“His Highness has used his own faith background to speak directly to the goodness of all people.” — President Alan Rock, University of Ottawa, January 13, 2012. Photo: University of Ottawa. Copyright.

For over 60 years the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), under the leadership of His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismailis in direct lineal descent of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him), has been building institutions and delivering essential services by creating schools and hospitals, newspapers and electricity generation plants, and social programmes of all kinds. These services have helped improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people of all races and faiths in places as varied as Cairo, Kabul, Delhi and Bamako.

We provide an organizational chart highlighting the breadth of the work of the Ismaili Imamat, and compile a piece about the most identifiable emblems, logos and seals of the AKDN.

Please click on image to enlarge

Work of Ismaili Imamat and AKDN

Credit AKDN*

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FAMOUS LOGOS, SEALS AND EMBLEMS OF AKDN AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS

1. Aga Khan University (AKU)

aku-seal

The Seal of Aga Khan University is a visual representation of the principles which underlie the founding of the University. The circular form of the Seal, with its different levels of imagery contained in concentric circles, has its visual roots in the rosettes of early Islamic periods. The circle also symbolises the world and reflects the international presence of the University.

At the centre of the Seal is a star, or sun. Light is a universal symbol for the enlightenment that education provides.The light emanating from the star is also symbolic of Nur (Divine light).

The star incorporates 49 points to commemorate the University’s founding by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan. The outer ring circumscribes a Qur’anic ayat rendered in classic thuluth script and reads as follows:

“And hold fast, All together, by the rope
Which God (stretches out for you),
And be not divided among yourselves,
And remember with gratitude
God’s favour on you:
For ye were enemies
And He joined your hearts
In love, so that by His grace
Ye became brethren” — Sura 3, Ayat 103.

2. Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)

akf-logos

In every language there are idioms and proverbs illustrating the importance of the right hand as an instrument of human skill, achievement and caring.

The Aga Khan Foundation logo is based on the right hand, and represents the humanitarian and positive philosophy underlying the Foundation and its activities.

In Islam, the hand has a number of meanings: its shape reflects its comprehensive and positive character, while its constituents represent the five principles of Islam and the five senses of the human body. The stylized fingers represent “Allah” in the Kufic script, and the interlacing beneath the fingers correspond to the anatomy of the hand and also delineates the sign, which in Chinese stands for Wisdom.

The logo of the Aga Khan Foundation was designed by Mr. Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq of Pakistan.

3. Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS)

Aga Khan Health Services

Photo: Isabelle Prondzynski. Copyright.

The emblem of the Aga Khan Health Services shown on the cup and saucer represents health care and compassion. The crescent is an ancient icon which, when used in red, has become the equivalent of the International Red Cross. The three-crescent design in its simple, poetic form creates an internal space symbolising how institutions and programmes using the symbol surround, attend and care for those in need.

4. Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA)

AKAA Logo

The logo of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture was designed by Karl Schlamminger, a German Muslim of the Shia tradition.

The Name of Allah in Kufic script, reflecting Itself and repeating Itself, forms the basis of the logo design.

Date posted: April 7, 2016.

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*For original chart and related material please visit the Aga Khan Development Network link at http://www.akdn.org/publications/2015_akdn_overview.pdf.

Simerg Collection: Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s “Diving Into Wildlife” – A Rare Opportunity for Readers to Acquire Signed Copies of the Book

28 March 2016

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“From the first Costeau film I saw and the fish I started keeping at the age of five, the first octopus and cuttlefish that squirted ink at me….I knew I couldn’t, wouldn’t stop exploring the sea” — Prince Hussain Aga Khan, from foreword to the book Diving Into Wildlife.

Front Cover Diving Into Wildlife by Hussain Aga Khan

“The work of Hussain Aga Khan is visual poetry created in the sea that seduces the viewer to discover her mysteries and leads people to care. And when people care, change becomes possible” — Brian Skerry

BY ABDULMALIK J. MERCHANT
Publisher/Editor, Simerg

In 2015, Prince Hussain Aga Khan published his latest book, Diving Into Wildlife, a collection of extraordinary underwater photographs taken by the Prince in the Maldives, Tonga, Malaysia, Bahamas, Mexico and Egypt.

Diving Into Wildlife is published under the auspices of Focused on Nature (FON), an agency founded and established by Prince Hussain to “assist in the conservation and protection of threatened and endangered species, as well as habitat conservation efforts when and where possible.”

Focused on Nature seeks to fulfill this mission by providing grants to projects around the world which the FON team has identified and vetted as having immediate impacts in wildlife conservation, protection, preservation, and education. The funds distributed by FON to deserving organizations are raised by either direct contributions to FON or from the sale of unique and fine objects including limited edition photographs, art, clothing articles and books such as Diving Into Wildlife.

It gives us great pleasure to inform our readers that the Office of Prince Hussain has made available to Simerg copies of Diving Into Wildlife, as follows:

1. SPECIAL EDITION LIMITED NUMBERED AND SIGNED BY PRINCE HUSSAIN AGA KHAN

Prince Hussain personally signed and numbered sixty copies of Diving Into Wildlife as a special edition for worldwide distribution. Out of these sixty copies, Simerg has been assigned 12 copies, with numbers in the 20-34 range. Each limited numbered special edition is enhanced by an embossed logo of FON and includes a 9″ x 6″ unique photo insert.

Each of the 12 numbered and signed copies is being offered at US$285.00 (plus packaging and shipping of US$25.00, and applicable GST/PST/HST taxes in Canada), and only within North America. Each shipment will be trackable through Canada Post’s website.

As only 12 numbered and signed copies are available, a limit of one copy of this signed/limited numbered edition will be made available to any single individual. We shall try and process orders strictly as they are received via email requests.

The name of each purchaser of this special limited numbered edition copy will be submitted to FON. We therefore request buyers to provide their full name and address for submission to FON.

2. COPIES OF DIVING INTO WILDLIFE SIGNED BY PRINCE HUSSAIN AGA KHAN

Fifty copies of Diving Into Wildlife, personally signed by Prince Hussain, have also been made available to Simerg.

Each of the fifty signed copies is being offered at US$125.00 (plus a packaging and shipping cost of US$25.00, and applicable GST/PST/HST taxes in Canada), and only within North America. Each shipment will be trackable through Canada Post’s website.

The name of each purchaser of this signed copy will be submitted to FON. We therefore request buyers to provide their full name and address for submission to FON.

The pricing of both the special numbered and signed copies, as well as the signed copies, has not been requested by the author or the publisher, but is an initiative of Simerg.

As readers will recall, some seven years ago, Simerg offered both signed and unsigned copies of Prince Hussain’s book of animal photos entitled Animal Voyage. Prince Hussain had dedicated the book to Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, and the proceeds from the sale of Animal Voyage went to the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Fund for the Environment. In a personally signed copy of the book, Prince Hussain thanked the publisher and editor of Simerg for assisting the fund by placing a large order.

Similarly, with Diving Into Wildlife, Simerg will contribute all proceeds (excluding packaging/postage/taxes) to FON. This initiative to ask a premium for numbered/signed copies and to submit this premium to FON has not been requested by the author or the publisher, but is a personal one.

A GREAT HONOUR

It is a great honour for Simerg to offer these special limited editions signed by Prince Hussain, and Simerg is delighted to support the work of Focused on Nature.

3. UNSIGNED COPIES OF DIVING INTO WILDLIFE

In addition to the special numbered/signed edition of Diving Into Wildlife, Simerg has also received copies of the unsigned edition. Interested individuals who are not able to acquire a signed copy may wish to consider purchasing the unsigned copy of this beautiful volume. Or, indeed, those who have acquired a copy of the special numbered/signed edition may wish to acquire a copy of the unsigned edition as a gift.

The unsigned copies are being offered at US$30.00 (plus a packaging and shipping cost of US$25.00, and applicable GST/PST/HST taxes in Canada), and only within North America. Each shipment will be trackable through Canada Post’s website.

All request for orders for delivery outside of North America will be considered, and these will be forwarded to FON for shipment from Europe, provided the book is still available.

HOW TO PURCHASE THE BOOK

Payment Methods:

Paypal: Simergbooks has been verified by Paypal. To purchase a copy, please send a request to  simergbooks@aol.com and an invoice will be generated from Paypal provided we have the book in stock in North America. In view of the limited quantities, payment should then be received within 24 hours after the invoice.

Email Transfer: To purchase a copy via email fund transfer, please send a request to simergbooks@aol.com. Once we have confirmed to you via email that a book is available, we will request you to submit a payment via email transfer. In view of the limited quantities payment should then be received within 24 hours after the invoice.

Note: Prices listed for the different versions of the book are in US dollars. For Canadian orders, the exchange rate in effect will be used to establish the purchase price in Canadian dollars.

BOOK DETAILS

Back Cover Photos Diving Into Wildlife by Hussain Aga Khan

“Diving Into Wildlife” by Hussain Aga Khan, published by Focused on Nature, June 2015, has a foreword by Prince Hussain Aga Khan, and is introduced by Brian Skerry, a world-renowned photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. The 70 page hardback has a landscape format, appx. 13.25″ x 8.75″ (33cm x 22cm), and features 41 photos. ISBN: 978-2-35137-052-0.

SIMERG’S EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

Over the years, Simerg has offered numerous collection items including Prince Hussain’s Animal Voyage and limited edition Golden Jubilee Stamp Frames to a very high level of customer satisfaction. Here are comments from some of our readers:

“My son was delighted with the excellent photography by Prince Hussain. We as a family will cherish this volume for a long time. Once again, thank you Simerg for making this book available in North America and your outstanding customer service and support.” Shamim Rajan, Richmond Hill, Ontario

“This is a beautiful piece of work!! The service was excellent. Very quick, safe and efficient turnaround and follow up. I recommend everyone to have a copy.” Nazir Alibhai, Markham, Ontario

“Thank you so much for the shipment – I received it today! I am impressed at how quickly the transaction went from the time of my order to the delivery. Great job!!” Zarah K.

We look forward to serving our readers with the same high level of satisfaction as before, with Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s new book “Diving Into Wildlife.”

Date posted: Monday, March 28, 2016.
Last updated: December 23, 2018.

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To reserve, purchase or inquire about Diving Into Wildlife, please write to simergbooks@aol.com.

We welcome your comments. Please click Leave a comment.

On Legal Debates, Ismaili Hermeneutics and the Etiquette of Borrowing in the Fatimid Empire: An Interview with Devin Stewart on al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān

26 March 2016

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“…In the Ismaili tradition, al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān is the most famous author…He debated this Ḥanafī jurist about ijtihād and thought that he’d won, and then he heard afterwards that the man had written a fascicle still arguing his point against al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān. So then he thought: I really need to write a serious refutation to put an end to this…” — Professor Stewart, Emory College, Atlanta, USA.

PLEASE CLICK: An Interview with Dr. Devin Stewart of Emory College on Translating the Fatimid Ismaili Jurist al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān

Qadi Numan's Disagreements of the Jurists by Devin StewartM. Lynx Qualey, an Arabic literature blogger based in Egypt, conducted an interview with Professor Devin Stewart of Emory College on the Fatimid jurist Qadi al-Nu’mān, who served four Ismaili Imams for more than sixty years. The interview is based on Disagreements of the Jurists, one of the foundational legal texts of Ismaili Islam, which was translated recently by Dr. Stewart. Among other interesting matters, Qualey asks Professor Stewart about why al-Nu’mān’s book is important in understanding Islamic legal traditions and the Fatimid Empire, why medieval scholars thought it was classier not to cite their sources, and why a minority tradition would feel the need to conform to the shape of the majority….Read the interview.

Date posted: March 26, 2016.

For Navroz, How Volunteers and Young Ismailis Inspire the Aged and the Sick: And Thank you Ali of Grade 4

19 March 2016

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By Abdulmalek Merchant
Publisher-Editor, http://www.simerg.com

Navroz greeting from an Ismaili student
A greeting and prayer for my parents from an Ismaili student in Vancouver.

On auspicious occasions such as Navroz, Imamat Day and Salgirah a team of volunteers sets out to deliver trays of delicious food around the Greater Vancouver area to the aged and the sick who cannot attend the jamati functions due to ill-health and other limitations. These deliveries remind the recipients they are part and parcel of a greater brotherhood which has not forgotten them. The volunteer who came by to my mum was in his last leg of deliveries to 84 homes – this is just from one out of several Vancouver area jamatkhanas.

Navroz greeting from an Ismaili student 2

Along with the food comes a card designed by a young Ismaili. For my mum, the card delivered with the food moments ago was the highlight (the spicy food is for me! lol) and her face lit up as she read it. “See Malik,” she tells me, “different students write cards for us which brings joys to our hearts. This is done everytime.”

Thank you to the volunteers for preparing the food, and delivering it to hundreds of homes, and to students who design beautiful cards with good wishes and prayers. Keep up the excellent work of lighting up the hearts and souls of hundreds of jamati members on this most auspicious occasion of Navroz.

On behalf of everyone whose hearts you have warmed up, we say to you and your families Navroz Mubarak, and may you be blessed with happiness and success in all walks of life.

Date posted: March 19, 2016.

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 We welcome your feedback, please click Leave a comment.

Equinox on a Spinning Earth, the Earliest Spring (Navroz) Since 1896, and a Delightful Spring Like Day for 2 Little Girls at a Beach in Vancouver

18 March 2016

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Equinox on a Spinning Earth. Image Credit: NASA, Meteosat, Robert Simmon. Please click to watch a 12 second time-lapse video (see explanation below).

When does the line between day and night become vertical? In 2016, the spring equinox in the Northern hemisphere ( it is the start of autumn in the Southern hemisphere) comes on March 20 at 4:30 UTC (March 19 at 11:30 p.m. CDT). Also, according to http://www.earthsky.org, the 2016 spring is the earliest spring since 1896. The website explains:

“The March equinox can come on March 19, 20 or 21. And 2016 has the earliest March equinox since the year 1896. Is it a coincidence that 2012 also had the earliest spring since 1896? No. Recall that both 2012 and 2016 are leap years. But 2016’s spring comes even earlier than the spring of 2012.” [1]

At that time the day and night are most nearly equal. At an equinox, the Earth’s terminator — the dividing line between day and night — becomes vertical and connects the north and south poles. The above time-lapse video from 2010-2011 demonstrates this by displaying an entire year on planet Earth in twelve seconds. From geosynchronous orbit, the Meteosat satellite recorded these infrared images of the Earth every day at the same local time. [2]

The video started at the September 2010 equinox with the terminator line being vertical. As the Earth revolved around the Sun, the terminator was seen to tilt in a way that provides less daily sunlight to the northern hemisphere, causing winter in the north. As the year progressed, the March 2011 equinox arrived halfway through the video, followed by the terminator tilting the other way, causing winter in the southern hemisphere — and summer in the north. The captured year ends again with the September equinox, concluding another of billions of trips the Earth has taken — and will take — around the Sun. [2]

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SPRING TIME PLEASURE FOR LITTLE GIRLS AT A VANCOUVER BEACH

Kitsilano Beach Vancouver 2016On a lovely spring like day at the Kitsilano beach in Vancouver, Canada, a little girl attempts to “pop” one of the several soap-bubbles released moments earlier by her mother. Photo: Nurin Merchant, Guelph, Canada.

Kitsilano Beach Vancouver 3 2016This long stretch of soap-bubble eludes the girl, as her sister watches her but…

Kitsilano Beach Vancouver 2 2016

…then a similar dolphin like bubble reaches her at the right height which she is about to pop to her delight. Photo: Nurin Merchant, Guelph, Canada.

Kitsilano Beach Vancouver 4 2016After a very brief explanation by the mother, the keen girl wastes no time in learning the art of  creating a soap-bubble, and manages to release a little bubble of her own as her sister watches her. Photo: Nurin Merchant, Guelph, Canada.

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NAVROZ MUBARAK

Navroz+flower+grass+border+flattened

Conceived and created by Nurin Merchant of the University of Guelph, this Navroz greeting incorporates the rose and jasmine flowers which are extremely popular in Iran during the celebration of Navroz. The base of the picture shows shoots of wheat grass signifying robust evergreen health throughout the year. Image: Nurin Merchant. Copyright.

Date posted: March 18, 2016.

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[1] Read more at http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox
[2] Please visit http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140319.html

The Daily Nation: Fond Memories of Former Reporter Bill Fairbairn

16 March 2016

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Aga Khan Daily Nation Kenya Visit March 2016

His Highness the Aga Khan, Mawlana Hazar Imam signs the visitor’s book upon his arrival in Nairobi, Kenya on March 16, 2016. Looking on are (l to r) Aga Khan Ismaili Council Vice-President Shamira Dostmohamed, AKDN Resident Representative Aziz Bhaloo, Aga Khan Ismaili Council President Nawaaz Gulam and Kenya’s Chairman of the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, Hon Ndung’u Gethenj. Photo Aziz Islamshah/The Ismaili.

Editor’s Note: On the 50th anniversary of Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper in March 2010, Mr. Bill Fairbairn, a former reporter with the paper, dug into his memory and photo archives and contributed a story and photographs for Simerg readers. We are pleased to share this slightly edited version of his lively piece as His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in Kenya (see photo, above) to inaugurate  the Nation Media Group’s new state-of-the-art printing press on Thursday, March 17, 2016.

BY BILL FAIRBAIRN

Special to Simerg. Copyright.

"Daily Nation" Staff

Staff of the “Daily Nation” and “Taifa Leo” in a jovial mood as the Mayor of Mombasa (white cap) visits their Nairobi office in 1964. The Mayor is seen talking to Harry Sambo of Taifa, while Joe Rodrigues of the Nation watches from across. Bill Fairbairn is seen next to the Mayor looking straight ahead. Photo: Bill Fairbairn Archives, Ottawa

My name is Bill Fairbairn and I arrived in Nairobi looking for a newspaper job in 1964. I had worked on the Rhodesia Herald in Salisbury and the Northern News in Ndola, Zambia. Things were dangerous for a reporter working across the border from the war in Katanga. So I left the Copperbelt to tour South Africa, and return home by ship to Scotland.

When I arrived at a Cape Town youth hostel, a fellow hosteller said he had just come down from Nairobi and that white journalists were leaving since Kenya had become independent. He said newspapers were looking for staff. I did an about turn mainly because I was not at all keen on leaving Africa.

I hitchhiked to Durban, took a passenger ship to Dar-es-Salaam and arrived by bus in Nairobi as a stringer/correspondent working for the American magazine Newsweek. The Newsweek bureau had no fulltime openings and the East African Standard’s publisher was in Britain recruiting journalists.

President Jomo Kenyatta addressing a political rally in Kenya.

The late Kenyan President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, addressing hundreds of thousands of supporters at a political rally in Kenya at which Mr. Fairbairn was present. The photo appeared in the “Daily Nation” around the 20th of October, 1965. Photo from Bill Fairbairn Archives, Ottawa.

So with my resume I went across to the Daily Nation office and they told me to sit down at the editing desk to show them what I could do.

Michael Curtis and Jack Beverley hired me on a two-year contract on the spot. I was soon enjoying my work on the Nation but disturbed by its biblical slogan The truth will set you free on the front page. To my delight a few months later, the slogan was removed from the newspaper.

Memorable for me was interviewing President Jomo Kenyatta, who had a train reconstructed for his personal needs travelling from Nairobi to Mombasa. Mr Kenyatta told me he disliked flying and enjoyed a big bed aboard the train.

One of the alarming experiences was my attempt to photograph Elsa, the lioness of the movie Born Free, starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. The Open Roads Film Company of London had fenced off the beach at Malindi for film purposes, so I hired an African boatman to row me to the nearby island to which Elsa was supposed to swim. But I had chosen the wrong day for the event. So eventually we rowed to the beach. Who but Bill Travers and the lioness should walk toward me. My camera clicked and the lion’s ears flickered as they passed by. The film director came racing up saying I was trespassing. He ordered me on my way. I told him I was from the Nation and sought a photograph of Elsa swimming in the sea. He said that would not be possible since they wanted that photograph for billboards when the film went to the cinemas.

My photograph of Elsa on the beach appeared in the Daily Nation along with an article saying Elsa had never been more a prisoner. It prompted a letter from the film company inviting news photographers to their camp to take pictures. They did so from inside a cage with the lions outside!

Socially, I was the only white player on the Daily Nation cricket team and a keen visiting snooker player at the Aga Khan Club in Nairobi.

1969.03.20 - The Nation, first issue front page

Seen above is an image of the Number 1 issue of The Nation, dated March 20, 1960. Price 50 cts. Initially the paper started off as a weekend Sunday paper. The daily weekday edition was introduced later in the year on October 3. Image: Mohib Ebrahim Archives, Vancouver

A standing joke that was repeated many times was when the Nation was getting ready to begin publishing. Publisher Michael Curtis was awaiting a key item of machinery for the rotary press. When a plywood box arrived he assumed that was it. He called the staff downstairs to ceremoniously open it. It contained stationary items such as pencils, pens and rulers! However the key gadget did arrive some time later.

I must say that the first two African editors of the Nation were extremely capable. Hilary Ng’weno and James Githi, I believe, were their names. They built for the future.

For my own part I have completed almost 60 years in newspaper work on three continents and written books, including one on Africa, which I sent to His Highness the Aga Khan.

Date posted: March 16, 2016.

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About the writer: Bill Fairbairn, journalist and author, is currently a (volunteer) features editor for Riverviews Park Review, an independent community newspaper in Canada’s capital, Ottawa, where he lives with his wife Janina. His journalism career since 1950 took in stints in Britain, Africa, France and Canada. He has worked for several newspapers including The Sheffield Telegraph, The Sun, The Scotsman and The Vancouver Province and has taught journalism in British Columbia and recently in Ottawa. In his latest book The Printer’s Devil, Fairbairn outlines some of the people and events he encountered across Canada working for newspapers, radio and magazine.

Exclusive Photos of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan’s Visit to Dar-es-Salaam by Rai Abdul M. Ismaily @Simergphotos

15 March 2016

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Please click: Exclusive: Photos of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan’s Visit to Dar-es-Salaam by the Late Abdul M. Ismaily (“Papa Jaan”)

Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, UNHCR, visit to Tanzania

Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan being greeted by President Shamshu Tejapr of the Ismailia Association for Tanzania during a visit to Dar-es-Salaam in the 1960’s. Please click on image for more photos of the Prince’s visit.

Date posted: March 16, 2016.

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Princess Yasmin Aga Khan on President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan Championing the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

10 March 2016

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Editor’s note: On Sunday, March 6, 2016, Mrs. Nancy Reagan, who served at the White House as the First Lady during the term of her husband’s Presidential reign from 1981 until 1989, died of congestive heart failure at the age of 94 at her home in Los Angeles.

Newlyweds Ronald and Nancy Reagan, March 4, 1952.

Newlyweds Ronald and Nancy Reagan, March 4, 1952.

The Former First Lady, who once reminisced that “my life really began when I married my husband,” was the principal caregiver during President Reagan’s decade long twilight with Alzheimer’s disease. When the President first learned that he was diagnosed with  Alzheimer’s, he issued an open letter to the American people  on November 5, 1994 writing:

“I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. ….In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it….as the disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience.”

Following this brave announcement of the diagnosis, Mrs. Reagan used her voice to represent families and increase awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. According to Newsweek magazine, the Former First Lady had also begun talking to Princess Yasmin Aga Khan about her husband’s Alzheimer’s. The princess, whose mother Rita Hayworth also had Alzheimer’s which contributed to the actress’s death at the age of 68, told Mrs. Reagan what to expect in the years to come: the mood changes, what it would be like when your loved one can no longer talk and doesn’t recognize you, how to care for someone who has grown incontinent, how to stimulate swallowing by patting the throat or touching the chin. Nancy was, “of course, devastated, but very brave,” Princess Yasmin told Newsweek.

In mourning the loss of Mrs. Regan last Sunday, the Alzheimer’s Association, of which Princess Yasmin Aga Khan is an Honorary Director, said that “The Alzheimer’s Association mourns the loss of first lady Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Reagan and President Reagan bravely shared his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease with the world in 1994….The public disclosure of their Alzheimer’s experience created an enormous and much-needed upsurge of interest in the disease…It was our honor to work with Mrs. Reagan over the years to raise awareness and inspire progress in Alzheimer’s research.”

The late President’s and Mrs. Regan’s advocacy in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease for more than 20 years had been noted much earlier by Princess Yasmin Aga Khan when President Reagan died in 2004. The Princess, daughter of Prince Aly Khan and Rita Hayworth and younger sister of the current 49th Ismaili Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, has striven for the past 30 years to raise awareness — and much-needed funds — through Alzheimer’s galas honouring her mother. Princess Yasmin’s efforts have raised over $68 million, which combined with other donations, have helped the Alzheimer’s Association make significant progress toward their mission to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease.

STATEMENT BY PRINCESS YASMIN AGA KHAN FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

The late 48th Ismaili Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, seated on a wheelchair with members of his family with his successor, the present Imam, Prince Karim Aga Khan, standing at extreme right. Others in the photo (l to r), grandson Prince Amyn Muhammad, and the late Imams two sons, the late Prince Sadruddin and Prince Aly Khan, who is seen holding his daughter Princes Yasmin Aga Khan Photo: Zul Khoja Collection, Ottawa.

The late 48th Ismaili Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, seated on a wheelchair with members of his family with his successor, the present Imam, Prince Karim Aga Khan, standing at extreme right. Others in the photo (l to r), grandson Prince Amyn Muhammad, and the Imam’s two sons, the late Prince Sadruddin and Prince Aly Khan, who is seen holding his daughter Princes Yasmin Aga Khan Photo: Zul Khoja Collection, Ottawa.

“In 1983, I was honored to join my fellow Alzheimer’s Association board members in the Oval Office when President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Month. We talked with him about Alzheimer’s disease, and heard his concern for the need to support individuals with Alzheimer’s, their families and friends, and the need to eradicate the disease. In his proclamation, President Reagan said, “The emotional, financial and social consequences of Alzheimer’s disease are so devastating that it deserves special attention. Science and clinical medicine are striving to improve our understanding of what causes Alzheimer’s disease and how to treat it successfully. Right now, research is the only hope for victims and families.”

“As a member of the Alzheimer’s Association national board of directors and, as a family member who cared for my mother, Rita Hayworth, for so many years, I mourn the passing of former President of the United States Ronald Reagan and extend my own deepest sympathies to former First Lady Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family. President and Mrs. Reagan have been leading advocates in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease for more than 20 years, and millions of Americans have been helped by their dedication, compassion and efforts to support caregivers, raise public awareness about Alzheimer’s, and substantially increase our nation’s commitment to Alzheimer research. They proved their commitment again when they joined with the Alzheimer’s Association to create the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, to advance scientific knowledge leading to treatments.

Princess Yasmin at Rita Hayworth Gala.png

Princess Yasmin, 2nd from right, at a recent Alzheimer’s fund raising annual gala held in the memory of her mother Rita Hayworth, who was afflicted with the disease. Photo: Alzheimer’s Association.

“The Alzheimer’s Association is honored that the Reagan family has designated the Association as one of three organizations they recommend to receive contributions in his name. Those who wish to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, or to family support services, may visit http://www.alz.org. A fitting tribute to Ronald Reagan, his life and legacy, would be to join with the Alzheimer’s Association to create a world without Alzheimer’s disease. It is within our reach.”

Note: Princess Yasmin Aga Khan’s statement was reported by media wire sources, with credit to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Date posted: March 10, 2016.

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Sea of Gold: An Exhibit of Newfound Fatimid Treasures in Caesarea

4 March 2016

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In February 2015, divers off the coast of Caesarea spotted by chance a group of gold coins lying on the seabed. They immediately alerted marine archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who conducted a salvage excavation at the site and recovered more than 2,580 Fatimid coins of pure (24 karat) gold weighing a total of 7.5 kg.

Please click on the image to view an on-line exhibit of the discovery.

Please click on the image to view an on-line exhibit of the discovery.

The coins date from the mid-9th to the early 11th century CE. They were minted by the Fatimid caliphs of Egypt, and include dinars minted in al-Qayrawan, on the Tunisian coast, by Imam al-Mahdi (AH 297–322 = 910–934 CE), the founder of the Fatimid caliphate as well as a much larger collection belonging to the Fatimid caliphs Imam Al-Hakim (AH 386–411 = 996–1021 CE) and his successor Imam Al-Zahir (AH 411–427 = 1021–1036 CE).

Following the discovery, an exhibition was held from June to December 2015 at the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Archaeology Wing of The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Some very interesting data and information about the Fatimid coins was also posted on the Museum’s website, which includes topics such as the inscription on the coins, the coin’s purchasing power, the script, and the purity of the coins. We invite our readers to visit the website by clicking on http://www.imj.org.il/exhibitions/2015/caesarea/ or on the image shown above.

Date posted: March 4, 2016.

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