Simerg is an independent platform that focuses on the dissemination of knowledge about the faith, culture and news pertaining to the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims led by their Hereditary Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, through literary readings as well as artistic and textual expressions. It also brings to its readers news, events and programs that are of interest to all readers, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Simerg supports 2 more independent initiatives, Barakah.com and Simergphotos.com
“….the very concept of providing refuge is not and should not be based on factors such as physical proximity or skin color, and for a very good reason. If our sympathy is activated only for welcoming people who look like us or pray like us, then we are doomed to replicate the very sort of narrow, ignorant nationalism that war promotes in the first place.” — Moustafa Bayoumi, The Guardian
UNHCR Dismayed at Mistreatment of non-European Refugees
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has expressed dismay over reports that foreigners fleeing Ukraine amid its war with Russia are experiencing mistreatment and pleaded for more humanity and compassion for non-Europeans and refugees from other nations. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi spoke out about reports that have emerged of discrimination against non-Ukrainian or non-European refugees at some entry points and people’s reference to them using discriminatory or racist terminology. He quoted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as saying that “there should be absolutely no discrimination between Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians, Europeans and non-Europeans,” as all are at risk.
Moustafa Bayoumi has analyzed the racism factor in the way the media has been reporting the refugee situation and asks: “Are Ukrainians more deserving of sympathy than Afghans and Iraqis?” And he observes, “Many seem to think so,” based on his in-depth look at what has been said and written in the media as hundreds of thousands of refugees flee Ukraine to seek protection in neighbouring countries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a week ago.
“What all these petty, superficial differences – from owning cars and clothes to having Netflix and Instagram accounts – add up to is not real human solidarity for an oppressed people. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s tribalism. These comments point to a pernicious racism that permeates today’s war coverage and seeps into its fabric like a stain that won’t go away. The implication is clear: war is a natural state for people of color, while white people naturally gravitate toward peace” — Moustafa Bayoumi, The Guardian
Moustafa Bayoumi, is professor of English at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and contributing opinion writer at Guardian US as well as author of the award-winning books How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America and This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror. Please read Bayoumi’s complete article in The Guardian by clicking They are ‘civilised’ and ‘look like us’: the racist coverage of Ukraine.
Date posted: March 3, 2022.
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Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos.
One of the most well known and travelled missionaries of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community in the past century has to be Alwaez Rai Abualy Alibhai. He passed away in May 2008, before this website was inaugurated, and I have often thought of him several times over the past decade. A mentally and physically strong person all his life, he continued until his very last years to sit on the floor in Jamatkhana, without twitching. He was always fully focused in his prayers.
Clockwise from left: Ismaili missionaries Sadru Pradhan (deceased), Abualy Aziz (deceased), Amirali Amlani (deceased), Jehangir Merchant ( deceased), Sultanali Mohamed (deceased), Fateh Damji and Ali Rajabali. Photo: Jehangir Merchant Family Collection.
Alwaez Abualy delivers a short speech at the 50th wedding anniversary party for Alwaez Jehangir (right) and Alwaeza Maleksultan Merchant (not shown). Photo: Jehangir Merchant Family Collection.
I remember him fondly calling my late mum as “meri beti” (my daughter), especially after she had delivered a waez (sermon). My parents knew him from India, but I first met the beloved missionary in the late 1950’s when he made two visits to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo). Now, in Mozambique there was no guarantee about when a specific visitor would arrive in the country — as travel via South Africa was sometimes tricky, with possible delays — and I would remember my dad walking up to all the boys who were playing football in the Jamatkhana field and telling us that when we got back home we should tell our parents that a missionary had arrived in the city and that he would be delivering a waez that evening. This may not have been the case with missionary Abualy but it was definitely the case with missionary Salim Issa Moosa. I was in the group of footballers when my dad introduced Salim missionary to all of us, and asked us to attend Jamatkhana with our parents to listen to his waez. We not only spoke Portuguese but spoke and wrote in Gujarati quite well. My parents had taught us Dua meanings of all six parts in Gujarati by the time we were 8!
During his lifetime, Alwaez Abualy delivered thousands of waezes around the world, and one thing that he did which my parents never did was that he always carried a portable tape recorder to the stage to tape his own waez. Thus, the collection of waezes that have been gathered for the late missionary is phenomenal.
I propose to publish a longer piece about the missionary one day, but for today I am putting out this short piece because Toronto’s Kamru Rashid, an avid reader and also a contributor of articles on this website, sent me a forward of an excerpt from a talk that Alwaez Abualy had delivered a few years before he passed away. The video clip has been circulating on the social media recently.
In the video, the missionary gives a powerful message to all Ismailis. Speaking in Urdu, Alwaez mentions about the difficulties mankind will face in the 21st century, and then he makes a passionate plea to all Ismailis to keep the remembrance of Allah constantly in their hearts. He asks the Jamat to recite Ya Allah, Ya Muhammad, Ya Ali, or the names of the Imams including Mawlana Shah Karim for protection from difficulties and for strength in adversity.
Then, finally, as the clip nears the end, he asks each and everyone to attend Jamatkhana at least once a day to avail ourselves of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s bountiful grace and blessings.
I urge you to listen to missionary Abualy’s message in the video recording below, and explain it to non-Urdu listeners.
(Late) Alwaez Abualy A. Alibhai speaking at an Ismaili gathering.
Date posted: December 16, 2021.
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Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos.
The Islamic phrase “Umm ul Muminin”(Mother of the believers) is followed in the centre by”Khadijah”; the bottom contains the Islamic honoric phrase “Radhi allahu anha” (May Allah be pleased with her). Credit: Maajid Shafi (own work), Wikipedia Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International. Note: This art work is not part of the article posted below.
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When her father died, the young woman [Khadijah] took charge of the family business, which thrived and grew under her direction. Compassionate as well as hard-working, Khadijah gave a great deal of money to help others — assisting the poor, sick, disabled, widows, orphans, and giving poor couples money to marry
Khadijah – First Woman of Islam
Article Credit:From The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Tapestry of Faith curriculum, Building Bridges (Read article at source HERE)
Remarkable women have done remarkable things in every part of the world in every time in history. Most of their accomplishments were not recorded in history books. While just as brilliant, creative, and courageous as men, women in many societies have been valued less, and often their contributions discounted, not recorded at all, or attributed to men. Notable exceptions were women so extraordinary their worth could not be ignored or minimized. One such woman, revered by billions, is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (Khadijah, daughter of Khuwaylid), born in Mekka in 555 CE.
Khadijah was born to a life of privilege. Her family was important in Mecca and quite wealthy; she could have lived a life of ease all her days. Khadijah, however, was an intelligent and industrious young woman who enjoyed business and became very skilled. When her father died, the young woman took charge of the family business, which thrived and grew under her direction. Compassionate as well as hard-working, Khadijah gave a great deal of money to help others –assisting the poor, sick, disabled, widows, orphans, and giving poor couples money to marry.
Twice Khadijah married, and when each of her husbands died, she overcame her grief and continued to rear her small children and run her successful caravan business by herself. Khadijah had many employees, including the important position of her agent, who traveled with her caravans, negotiated deals in other cities, and took charge of the large amounts of money involved in the trading business.
When Khadijah was 40 years old, she was widely known in Arabia as a powerful, smart, independent woman, and many men wanted to work for her. However, when she needed to hire an agent, she did not hire any of the men who eagerly sought the job. Instead, she selected a hard-working young man named Muhammad who had the reputation of being honest and diligent. Muhammad was only 25 years old when he accepted the job, but he proved to be an excellent employee and a courteous and ethical man. Within a fairly short time Khadijah concluded he would be a suitable partner in life, as well, and so she, Khadijah, proposed marriage to Muhammad.
The difference in their ages was 15 years, but there was never a question of their complete devotion to each other. Muhammad continued to work for Khadijah’s caravan business, and they had six children together, although only one of the children, a girl named Fatimah, lived to adulthood. Khadijah and Muhammad lived happily in this busy, productive way for 15 years, but when Muhammad was 40 their lives took a radical turn.
Khadijah encouraged Muhammad to leave the business and preach full time. She financially supported him so he could preach with all his heart and energy; she sustained him in this way for the rest of her life. When necessary, she supported his followers, too.
Muhammad meditated in a cave outside Mecca from time to time, and one afternoon he returned home from the cave exhausted and frightened, calling to Khadijah for help. He told her the angel Gabriel had spoken to him with a message from God, but he did not know what it meant. Khadijah believed Muhammad. She assured him he was sane and that this news was good, not fearful. Khadijah became the first convert to Islam, and remained Muhammad’s most staunch believer, ally, and friend through the trials that lay ahead.
Khadijah encouraged Muhammad to leave the business and preach full time. She financially supported him so he could preach with all his heart and energy; she sustained him in this way for the rest of her life. When necessary, she supported his followers, too. In the early years, when the growth of Islam was slow and increasingly dangerous, Khadijah protected Muhammad with her political power and influence. As time passed, Muhammad’s compelling word gained followers, and just as steadily, city leaders became more alarmed and wanted Muhammad arrested. Eventually, when the authorities could not be kept away and finally came for him, Khadijah left her comfortable home to join her husband, Muhammad, in hiding. Three years of rugged living followed, during which Khadijah depleted her entire large fortune supporting the followers of Islam. Her wealth was gone and her health strained to the breaking point by deprivation. However, her spirits remained high and her devotion never flagged. Finally, the brave, honorable, and faithful Khadijah became ill and died.
Muhammad revered Khadijah’s memory the rest of his life, and consistently held her up to both men and women as a model of intelligence, virtue, courage, and devotion to family and to God
The year Khadijah died was 619 CE. She was 65 years old, and she and Muhammad had been partners for 25 years. Muhammad’s uncle Abu Talib also died that year, and Muhammad called 619 the Year of Sorrow. It is known in Islamic history as the Year of Sorrow to this day.
Khadijah is recognized as a great woman. Muhammad revered Khadijah’s memory the rest of his life, and consistently held her up to both men and women as a model of intelligence, virtue, courage, and devotion to family and to God. During the 25 years of their marriage, Muhammad remained married only to Khadijah. After Khadijah died, Muhammad had numerous wives at once as was the custom of that time.
Khadijah is revered by Muslims worldwide, honored with the titles First Believer and Mother of Believers. Muslims believe Islam is the true faith, originating with Adam and Eve, so the work of Muhammad did not create Islam. However, its success is in great part due to Khadijah’s unwavering support in its formative years.
Date posted: August 25, 2021.
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The Ismaili community tends to shy away from controversies. However, lately, we have seen the engagement of Ismaili activists and youth with Black Lives Matter and the US elections. In response, we have given fora to the Ismaili youth to talk about racial injustice and discuss issues raised by challenged members, such as the deaf within the Jamat (community).
Over the past day, I received several links carrying damaging reports about Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, an iconic member of the Liberal Party of Canada for decades and the Federal MP for the Don Valley East riding since 2014. She has resigned from the Liberal caucus over allegations that she employed her sister at her constituency office. She has decided to represent herself in her riding as an Independent. The opposition party, however, is calling for her immediate resignation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement made to the journalists on Tuesday, November 10, said that he was deeply disappointed by the news that he had learned from Ms. Ratansi about how she handled the office. He added that it was unacceptable and expects there will be a thorough follow up by [House of Commons] administration on the matter.
Yasmin Ratansi is very well known among her constituents and within the Ismaili Muslim community, where she has been an active member since her childhood years in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She has also served in Jamati institutions in numerous capacities.
We feel proud when Ismailis are elected or appointed to high positions at the provincial or federal level. Over the years, Simerg has proudly shown Yasmin’s pictures and presented pertinent articles that were brought to our attention.
Now the long admired Yasmin has let her own community down, with this latest revelation. While she has apologized for her actions, she owes an apology particularly to the Ismaili community for her mistake.
We have numerous other Ismailis working at Federal level as MPs and in the Senate. Over the years, I have been disappointed with all of them for not even having the courtesy to respond to important matters that I had brought to their attention.
The friend who first sent me a link through Whatsapp on Yasmin Ratansi was deeply hurt by what he had read on CBC. He was particularly concerned that repeated guidance on ethics by Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, had been ignored.
During his 2017-2018 Diamond Jubilee visits to Ismailis around the world, Mawlana Hazar Imam urged them to think about the foundations of their work, noting that this had its basis on the faith and its ethics. That ethic, he said, entailed integrity, humility and honesty, and the rigor of behaving in a manner that would be beneficial to the current and future generations of the Jamat as well as to the country and society at large.
This brings me to the important point that Ismailis who are serving or wish to serve within the Jamati institutional structure, or public office should be cognizant of this advice from Mawlana Hazar Imam.
Date posted: November 11, 2020.
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Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few.
Simerg - Insights from Around the World 