Simerg is an independent initiative dedicated to Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan — their Hereditary Imam — and the Ismaili Imamat, and Islam in general through literary readings, photo essays and artistic expressions
UPDATE MAY 9, 2023:Due to the severity of wildfires in Alberta, this special event commemorating the coronation of King Charles III has been cancelled.
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is joining with the University of Alberta in a special celebration to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden in Edmonton. The celebration will feature free public admission to the Botanic Garden throughout the day, and an afternoon program to include performances by the Treaty 6 Singers and Dancers (Aga Khan Garden, 1:30 PM), the RCMP Pipes and Drums (Pine Pavilion, 2:15 PM), the Royal Canadian Artillery Band (Aga Khan Garden Amphitheatre, 3:00 PM) and Kita no Taiko Japanese Drummers (Kurimoto Japanese Garden, 3:45 PM.)
The official program will commence at 1:00 pm at the Aga Khan Garden’s beautiful Talar building with greetings by Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
A view of Aga Khan Garden’s magnificent Talar Building, where Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta will offer greetings on Saturday, May 13, 2023, before the commencement of special musical events celebrating the coronation of King Charles III.Photograph: Nurin Merchant/Simerg.
Here is a brief description of the bands that will be performing at the Coronation celebration:
Treaty 6 Singers and Dancers (Aga Khan Garden)
For our readers’ information, Treaty 6 encompasses 17 First Nations in central Alberta including the Dene Suliné, Cree, Nakota Sioux and Saulteaux peoples. Treaties are the law of the land in the relationship between First Nations and the rest of Canada.
The peoples of the Treaty 6 area have diverse cultural traditions that are reflected in their musical and dance styles. All of these groups regard music and dance as vital parts of their lives. For them, music has a strong presence in their lives; in ceremonies, rituals, prayer, and various other spiritual practices. Along with dance, it is a means to unite people with each other and with the Creator. Dancers follow the beat of the drum, which is interpreted as a continuation of the Earth’s heartbeat – the same heartbeat that unites all people and is first heard inside the mother’s womb.
Today, music and dance continue to play a vital role in the spiritual and cultural lives of the Treaty 6 peoples.
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The Royal Canadian Artillery Band (Aga Khan Garden, amphitheatre)
The Band provides music for military parades and ceremonial occasions, formal concerts, government functions, tattoos, and special events. The RCA Band performs as a 35 piece Brass / Reed Parade Band, a 35-piece Concert Band, as well as in various smaller configurations.
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The RCMP Pipes and Drums (Pine Pavilion)
RCMP Pipes and Drums will perform at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden’s Pines Pavilion on Saturday, May 13, 2023 in honour of the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey, London, on May 6, 2023. Photograph: RCMP Pipes and Drums.
The RCMP Regimental Pipes and Drums of Alberta is comprised of Civilian, Military and RCMP members. The band is a not for profit group with members throughout Alberta that promote the RCMP within Alberta and nationally. The band uniform consists of the RCMP scarlet tunic and the RCMP tartan kilt. This uniform is recognized world wide and represents a national institution.
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Kita no Taiko Japanese Drummers (Kurimoto Japanese Garden)
This drumming group is one of the oldest Japanese drumming groups in North America and will enthrall the audience through the powerful, beautiful sound of the taiko (drum). Watch how taiko combines dynamic music, primal rhythms, and the human spirit to create an unforgettable artistic experience.
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Coronation Celebration of King Charles III
Please click on image to visit the Lt. Governor of Alberta website for further information about the coronation celebration event.
Date posted: May 8, 2023. Last updated: May 9, 2023 (event cancelled.)
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Material for this post was compiled from the following websites:
“It may seem unusual that an ancient artifact from medieval Iran would make its way onto a Canadian stamp, but it’s really not at all. This is a wonderful reflection of who we are as Canadians and how diverse our country is. We celebrate cultures from across the world here.” — Dr. Fahmida Suleman, curator of the Islamic World collections, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, as quoted in Canada Post Magazine article.
Crafted nearly 700 years ago in medieval Iran, the elegant, hand-painted ceramic bowl on this year’s Eid stamp was made during Ramadan — one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar, when Muslims in Canada and around the world fast as an act of worship, self-purification and spiritual growth. This is Canada Post’s fifth Eid issue. The 2023 stamp also features, in calligraphy, the words Eid Mubarak, a traditional Arabic greeting that means “have a blessed Eid”. Its issue date is April 3, in advance of both Eid al-Fitr which is expected to be observed on Friday, April 21, and Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca. The 2023 Hajj is scheduled to take place between June 26 and July 1…. PLEASE READ MORE IN CANADA POST MAGAZINE.
To buy stamp (in booklet of 6), please click Eid (2023): Permanent domestic rate stamps. The link includes an image of the stamps booklet and describes the two Islamic Eid festivals in more detail. The booklets should be available at Canada Post locations around the country. The specifications for the stamp are as follows:
Designer: Subplot Design Inc; Issue date: April 3, 2023; and Quantity produced: 55,000.
“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,” says Prince Hussain. Read more about his marine expeditions and exciting encounters in the underwater world as well as his contributions to the work of the Ismaili Imamat by clicking on photo shown above or APRIL 10: PRINCE HUSSAIN AGA KHAN.
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Prince Hussain’s nephew, Prince Irfan, is 41 years younger! His recent photo with his grandfather, His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his family), brought immense joy to Ismailis around the world. Our piece on the young Prince includes the meaning of his beautiful name Irfan. Please click on photo or APRIL 11: PRINCE IRFAN AGA KHAN.
Editor’s note: In the aftermath of the knife attack at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon that killed Farana Sadrudin and Mariana Jadaugy, condolences have been expressed to the families of the victims privately, in public statements or through the media. One such expression was received by Simerg from Paris based Moez Nato in response to our report on the funeral of Farana Sadrudin that took place in Lisbon on Friday, March 31, 2023. We publish Nato’s expression of sympathy that we feel is representative of how hundreds of thousands of members of the Ismaili community in Portugal and around the world feel about the tragedy that has taken place. The image at top of this post features Mariana Jadaugy (left, photo credit: NOVA FCSH) and Farana Sadrudin (photo credit: Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal).
By MOEZ NATO
French (English follows)
Chers soeurs et frères de foi, Chers amis,
Cette horrible nouvelle de Lisbonne ne peut que nous fendre le coeur et nous attrister profondément. Nous sommes touchés dans notre chair. Quelle douloureuse nouvelle! Quels malheurs! Mais pourquoi ce geste fou, violent?
Nos prières et nos pensées pour les parents et les proches des innocentes victimes. Nos prières pour que Allah, dans toute Sa Miséricorde et Sa Clémence ouvrent à leurs âmes en paix le Royaume de Lumière.
Que les Bénédictions de Mowlana Hazar Imam soient pour les parents des victimes une source de réconfort spirituel.
Nos condoléances attristées à toute la communauté ismailie de Lisbonne . Nos pensées et notre soutien moral au Peuple Portugais et aux Autorités Politiques Institutionnelles qui ont toujours manifesté leur bienveillance à l’ Imamat Ismaili et soutenu l’ intégration loyale, harmonieuse de notre Jamat au sein de la société civile portugaise.
Avec nos affectueuses pensées et l’ expression de notre solidarité, de notre fraternité, à toutes les personnes qui ont acceuillie cette affreuse nouvelle de Lisbonne avec beaucoup de tristesse.
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English
Dear sisters and brothers of faith, Dear friends,
This horrible news from Lisbon can only break our hearts and sadden us deeply. We are touched in our flesh. What painful news! What misfortunes! But why this crazy, violent gesture?
Our prayers and thoughts for the parents and loved ones of the innocent victims. Our prayers that Allah, in all His Mercy will open the Kingdom of Light to their souls in peace.
May the Blessings of Mawlana Hazar Imam be a source of spiritual comfort to the relatives of the victims.
Our heartfelt condolences to the entire Ismaili community of Lisbon.
Our thoughts and our moral support to the Portuguese People and to the Institutional Political Authorities who have always shown their benevolence to the Ismaili Imamat and supported the loyal, harmonious integration of our Jamat within Portuguese civil society.
With our loving thoughts and the expression of our solidarity, our fraternity, to all the people who have received this dreadful news from Lisbon with great sadness.
Date posted: April 2, 2023.
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As a follow up to Moez Nato’s message of condolence posted above as well as others that we have received, Simerg invites its readers to submit their thoughts, reflections and condolences on the tragedy that took place on March 28, 2023, in Lisbon. Please submit your feedback by clicking Leave a comment. Also, please click HERE to read other messages of condolence.
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 editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.
Farana Sadrudin, aged 49, who was killed in a knife attack that took place on March 28, 2023, at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon was buried on Friday, March 31, the 9th day of the Muslim month of Ramadhan, at the Cemitério do Lumiar following a funeral ceremony that was held at the Ismaili Centre and attended by more than 1,500 people.
The cemetery has burial zones for numerous faith groups including Muslims, Christians and Jews. The funeral for the 2nd victim, Mariana Jadaugy, aged 24, will be held Saturday, April 1, in Sintra, a resort town near Lisbon. The horrible crime, that also injured a 3rd person, was committed by Abdul Bashir, a refugee who had been living in Portugal for the past 12 months.
The traditional Ismaili Muslim post burial prayers of zyarat and samar for the soul of Farana were held at the Ismaili Centre Jamatkhana immediately after the completion of the burial rites.
Numerous Portuguese newspapers carried reports and photographs of the hearse’s arrival at the Ismaili Centre before the funeral ceremony as well as scenes of bereavement outside the Ismaili Centre as families, friends and members of the public gathered to mourn and pay respects to the deceased.
The largest Portuguese circulated newspaper Correio da Manhã (CM Journal) noted that the hearse to carry the body for burial at the cemetery arrived at the Ismaili Centre at 9:00 AM local time, two hours ahead of the funeral ceremonies at 11:00 AM. Please click HERE for CM’s report and photos of the hearse. The newspaper further reported that dozens of heavily armed police officers were at the Ismaili Center as funeral ceremonies took place for Farana. The newspaper also put out a short video Farana’s funeral marked by emotion and tears from family and friends in Portuguese.
A scene of bereavement at the funeral ceremony for Farana Sadrudin that took place at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon on Friday, March 31, 2023. Photograph: Jornal de Noticias. Please click on photo for numerous reports and more photographs.
The Jornal de Notícias, one of Portugal’s oldest newspapers, carried photographs of scenes of bereavement outside the Ismaili Centre Lisbon, as a vast crowd gathered to pay respects at the funeral ceremony for Farana. The newspaper has also grouped links to various reports related to the attack at the Ismaili Centre under one special section; please click HERE.
According to the Portuguese media, the funeral for the second victim, Mariana Jadaugy, will take place in Sintra, a town near Lisbon. Earlier, the Lisbon School of Economics and Management (ISEG) had issued the following In Memoriam statement for the 2 victims:
“ISEG deeply regrets the deaths that occurred yesterday at the Ismali Center in Lisbon, in particular that of student Mariana Jadaugy, ISEG student, master in Development and International Cooperation. Mariana finished her master’s degree in December 2021 with an average of 15 out of 20, where she defended her thesis on the theme “Women’s Participation in Non-Governmental Organizations: Contributions to Your Study”.
“ISEG vehemently repudiates any type of violence and discrimination, and associates itself with the pain of the Ismaili community in Portugal, also conveying its deepest feelings to the families, colleagues and friends of the victims.”
OTHER NOTES AND STORIES OF INTEREST FROM THE PORTUGUESE MEDIA
REPORT SUMMARY — “The Assembly of the Republic on Friday, March 31, 2023, approved a vote of condolence for the victims of the attack that took place on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the Ismaili Center in Lisbon. The members of the assembly gave a a long standing applause to the families, those responsible for the center and the representative of the Ismaili Imamat in Lisbon who were present in the galleries.”
This post will continue to be updated with emerging stories, including Mariana Jadaugy’s funeral that is scheduled to take place later today, Saturday, April 1, 2023.
Date posted: March 31, 2023. Last updated: April 3, 2023 (CM Jornal link to video of funeral)
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Simerg invites readers to submit their thoughts, reflections and condolences on this tragedy that brutally took away the lives of two individuals at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon. Please submit your feedback by clicking Leave a comment.
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 editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.
The official website of the Ismaili community in a brief report states that at around 11.30 AM (Lisbon time) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, a man armed with a knife entered the premises of the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon and attacked three people, killing two Ismaili women and injuring the third. The police and security services immediately responded, and the attacker has been taken into custody.
Naming the two victims as Mariana Jadaugy, 24, and Farana Sadrudin, 49, CNN Portugal stated that the latter victim is the niece of Nazim Ahmad, the diplomatic representative of the Ismaili Imamat in Portugal. The news of the attack has been reported by media around the world including Reuters and the BBC (please click on the links.) Click HERE to watch Reuters video report.
Farana’s funeral ceremony took place at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon at 11 AM local time on Friday, March 31, 2023. It is estimated that more than 1,500 people attended the ceremony.
The Lisbon School of Economics and Management (ISEG) issued the following In Memoriam statement on its website in honour of Mariana Jadaugy who was a student at the institution:
“ISEG deeply regrets the deaths that occurred yesterday at the Ismaili Center in Lisbon, in particular that of student Mariana Jadaugy, ISEG student, master in Development and International Cooperation. Mariana finished her master’s degree in December 2021 with an average of 15 out of 20, where she defended her thesis on the theme “Women’s Participation in Non-Governmental Organizations: Contributions to Your Study. ISEG vehemently repudiates any type of violence and discrimination, and associates itself with the pain of the Ismaili community in Portugal, also conveying its deepest feelings to the families, colleagues and friends of the victims.”
Mariana’s funeral ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 1, in Sintra, a town near Lisbon.
Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa conveyed his solidarity to the victims’ families and to the Ismaili community. He said: “Everything points to this being an isolated incident.” According to the BBC, the Portuguese home affairs Jose Luis Carneiro has said that the alleged attacker was a “relatively young man” with three young children whose wife had died earlier. The minister went on to say said the man often visited the centre to to study Portuguese, collect food donations and for childcare. He added that the victims worked at the centre’s refugee support programme.
Simerg will continue to follow and report on this unfolding tragic news that has brought immense shock to the Ismaili world. The news is unthinkable coming a week after the community celebrated Navroz, the Persian New Year, on March 21, 2023, and on the 6th day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan, which commenced on Thursday, March 23.
We grieve with the families of the victims and convey our deepfelt condolences to them as well as members of the Ismaili Jamat in Portugal and around the world.
Featured photo at top of post: Security at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon following knife-attack.
Date posted: March 28, 2023. Last updated: April 1, 2023 (added link to Reuters video report.)
Simerg invites readers to submit their thoughts, reflections and condolences on this breaking story that has emerged from Lisbon, Portugal. Please submit your feedback by clicking Leave a comment.
Oslo, Norway, based Forum 18 has published a very detailed and comprehensive account on the situation in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province (GBAO), as it relates to the faith, culture and practices of the Shia Ismaili Muslims living in the area.
Warnings, fines follow regime ban on prayer meetings in homes;
Regime bans Aga Khan portraits in homes;
Regime bans studies at Ismaili Institute in London;
Ismaili-based Ethics and Knowledge course banned from schools; and
Ban on voluntary Ethics and Knowledge classes, books seized
The above measures contradict Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after which Forum 18 was apparently named. The Article states:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Map of Tajikistan, showing the autonomous Gorno-Badakhshan province and surrounding countries. Credit: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas.
The Forum 18 piece does however mention that the Ismaili Centres in Dushanbe and Khorog remain open for prayers. This piece of news is welcome.
Simerg is unable to independently verify the concerns that the Forum 18 article has raised. However, on its About page, Forum 18 states that it “provides truthful, original, detailed, and accurate monitoring and analysis of violations of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Central Asia, Russia, the South Caucasus, and Belarus.”
Simerg therefore feels it necessary and appropriate to provide a direct link to Felix Corley’s piece in Forum 18. The editor has also noted that the link to Corley’s piece is being widely distributed over the internet via WhatsApp and email messages. Corley’s article in Forum 18 has since been reproduced in Eurasiareview on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
Simerg welcomes official statements from appropriate authorities, institutions and individuals in GBAO clarifying the concerns raised in the Forum 18 report by submitting their official feedback HERE or sending it to mmerchant@simerg.com with their complete contact information.
Date posted: February 23, 2023. Last updated: February 26, 2023 (link added to download PDF version of report.)
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FEEDBACK AND CHECK OUR TOC
Simerg welcomes your feedback. Please click on Leave a Comment. Your letter may be edited for length and brevity, and is subject to moderation.
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 editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.
Prepared and compiled by MALIK MERCHANT from AKDN, Reuters, BBC and the website of the President of Tajikistan
Featured image at top of post: A view shows the area affected by an avalanche in Gorno-Badakhshan region, Tajikistan, February 15, 2023. Photograph: Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of Tajikistan/Handout via REUTERS.
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), an agency within the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), reports that more than 50 avalanches have hit the Badakhshan regions of Tajikistan and Afghanistan in recent days causing multiple casualties and damage to around 20 buildings and houses in the provincial capital Khorog (or Khorugh — town is circled in map below.)
Map of Tajikistan with surrounding countries from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas. Note: Towns circled mentioned in story; map has been annotated for story. Click on image for enlargement.
According to the latest report by Reuters, the death toll stands at 20. Khorog is home to some 30,000 people. Its population is predominantly Ismaili Muslims and the town hosts the Tajikistan campus of the University of Central Asia. The mayor of provincial capital Khorog, Rizo Nazarzoda, urged its residents to stay at home as heavy snow and rain fell. Reuters states that videos from the area showed one-storey buildings covered up to their roofs with snow and ice blocks, with rescue teams digging through the snow in search of bodies.
The following is a summary of the avalanche as reported in BBC news on February 17, 2023:
Khorog worst hit with 13 people killed;
2 female students missing in the Ishkoshim area [or Eshkashem, town is circled in map above];
Child pulled from a collapsed house and crowds nearby are seen digging through the deep snow in the hope of finding more survivors.
A view shows the area affected by an avalanche in Gorno-Badakhshan region, Tajikistan, February 15, 2023. Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of Tajikistan/Handout via REUTERS.
A view of an area in Khorog where an avalanche has destroyed several buildings as well as claimed lives. Photograph: Courtesy Photo.
People take part in a rescue operation following an avalanche slide in Gorno-Badakhshan region, Tajikistan, February 15, 2023. Photograph: Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of Tajikistan/Handout via REUTERS
In response to the avalanches, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, called the chairman of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, Alisher Khudoberdi Mirzonabot, and gave specific instructions for the prompt elimination of the consequences of the natural disaster and the provision of material assistance to affected families. In its brief, the President’s office states that more than a metre of snow fell in the region in the recent 3 days, which caused an avalanche to descend in Khorog.
The President has also received numerous messages of condolences including the following from his counterpart in the neghbouring Kyrgyz Republic, President Sadyr Japarov:
“It is with deep sorrow that I received the news of the death of people as a result of an avalanche in the city of Khorog, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province of the Republic of Tajikistan, which occurred on February 15, 2023. On behalf of the entire people of Kyrgyzstan and on my own behalf, I express my condolences to the families and relatives of the victims and share their grief. I ask the Almighty for a speedy recovery of the injured.”
A view of the campus of the University of Central Asia in Khorog. Photograph: AKDN.
Left to righ: Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Chairman of University of Central Asia’s Board of Trustees pictured with the Governor of Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Alisher Khudoberdi Mirzonabot, and the Mayor of Khorog Mr. Rizo Nazarzoda on February 7, 2023, in Khorog. The Mayor is seen presenting Dr. Kassim-Lakha with a Rubab, a traditional Tajik musical instrument. The meeting took place before the avalanches descended in Khorog on February 14, from very heavy snowfalls in the region. Dr. Kassim-Lakha thanked the Governor, the Mayor of Khorog and the Government of Tajikistan for their support extended to UCA, and discussed with him the on-going and planned joint initiatives aiming to enhance the quality of education for the peoples of Tajikistan. Photograph: University of Central Asia.
Community Emergency Response volunteers trained by the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) have been mobilised, at the request of the Government of Tajikistan, after over 50 avalanches have hit the region. In this picture AKAH volunteers clear a road blocked by an avalanche in Badakhshan in 2021. Photograph: AKAH.
AKAH has mobilised quickly to respond to the urgent request from the Government of Tajikistan, deploying trained teams to conduct search and rescue operations. With heavy snowfall continuing, AKAH is helping relocate people from at risk areas and providing temporary shelter for those displaced. AKDN is also providing fuel to district authorities to support local ambulance services and is clearing roads blocked by the avalanches.
AKDN’s Pamir Energy is working to repair damage to power lines and resume energy services in affected towns as soon as possible.
Date posted: February 16, 2023. Last updated: February 17, 2023 (added message of condolence from the Kyrgyz Republic, BBC story and map of region.)
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 editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.
“We have all seen the heart-wrenching images and the heroic efforts of humanitarians battling the elements, the clock and the odds to save lives. We mourn the loss of so many – and the tragic toll keeps growing. Thousands of buildings have collapsed. Tens of thousands of people are exposed to unforgiving winter conditions. Schools and hospitals have been destroyed. Children are enduring terrible trauma. And we are sadly aware that we haven’t yet seen the full extent of the damage and of the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes” — UN Secretary General, February 9, 2023.
Image credit: VOA
Report compiled and prepared by MALIK MERCHANT (From VOA, the Ismaili and other external websites; sources are hyperlinked. This post was first created on February 8, 2023 and may include material from earlier versions. This post was updated with a new death count on Thursday, February 16, 2023)
VOA (Voice of America) News in its latest update to the powerful earthquake that struck parts of Turkey and Syria on Monday February 6, 2023, reports that rescue crews in Turkey and Syria are racing against time and the cold to find survivors buried in the rubble of buildings from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 35,00 (the number of dead reported on February 8 was 11,200.)
Search sites have been the scenes of some celebrations as people are found alive and taken away for medical care. But uncovering the rubble has also meant frequent increases in the number of casualties. According to VOA, February 16, officials in Turkey said at least 36,187 people were killed and more than 108,000 others were injured. In Syria, there were at least 5,500 deaths have been confirmed according to figures compiled by the United Nations humanitarian agency and Syria’s state-run news agency. The earthquake is now the world’s deadliest seismic event since a 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people in Japan.
The prospect of rescuing more people in Turkey and Syria trapped under the rubble of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake are dwindling, but Friday February 10, 2023, several survivors were pulled from the ruins in Hatay province in Turkey’s south. In this picture, at left, a rescuer takes care of a young girl rescued in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey — see VOA story
Search teams and emergency aid from throughout the world poured into Turkey and Syria as rescue workers dug through the rubble in a desperate search for survivors. Some voices that had been crying out for help fell silent. “We could hear their voices, they were calling for help,” said Ali Silo, whose two relatives could not be saved in the Turkish town of Nurdagi.
The U.N. resident coordinator for Syria said Wednesday that 10.9 million people have been affected across the country by the earthquake. Before the quake, there were already 15.3 million in need of humanitarian assistance in the country, due to more than a decade of civil war. “So, it’s a crisis on top of a crisis,” El-Mostafa Benlamlih told reporters at the United Nations in New York during a video briefing from Damascus. He said in Aleppo alone, they estimate a third of homes have been damaged or destroyed, displacing around 100,000 people.
In a photo story, Reuters reports that the Aleppo Citadel, restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture between 2001-2006, suffered damage in the earthquake, further to its scarring during Syria’s 11 year conflict. The Wall Street Journal also carries a short video footage of damage to the ancient Citadel following the earthquake.
UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres said the first aid convoy reached victims in northern Syria on Thursday, February 10, as he appealed for more access and funds to assist the millions affected by the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday. “Just hours ago, the first United Nations convoy crossed into northern Syria through Bab al-Hawa crossing,” Guterres told reporters. “It included six trucks, carrying shelter and other desperately needed relief supplies. More help is on the way, but much more — much more — is needed.” The secretary-general said his humanitarian and emergency relief chief Martin Griffiths is already in Turkey and will go to Gaziantep to assess needs. He will then continue to Aleppo and Damascus in Syria. “We are sadly aware that we haven’t yet seen the full extent of the damage and of the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes,” Guterres said, offering condolences for victims and solidarity with survivors.
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THE SITUATION IN SYRIA: EFORTS BARELY ABLE TO GET OFF GROUND AND LIMITED AID REACHING COUNTRY DUE TO CRISIS AND CONFLICT
“I welcome the decision today [Feb. 13, 2023] by President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to open the two crossing points of Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra’ee from Türkiye to northwest Syria for an initial period of three months to allow for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid” — UNSG Antonio Guterres
The World Health Organization (WHO) is sending medical supplies to Syria to boost the humanitarian response. It has launched a $43 million appeal to support earthquake response in Syria and Türkiye, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Sunday. February 12, 2023. Photograph: WHO.
The recent rescue of two children from the rubble of collapsed buildings in Idlib and Aleppo in northwest Syria is a rare bit of good news in an area devastated by the massive earthquake that struck southern Turkey and its northern neighbor Monday. While a huge humanitarian operation is slowly gathering steam in Turkey, similar efforts in Syria are barely able to get off the ground.
I’ve seen first-hand the unbearable toll the earthquake has taken on people in #Syria. @WHO teams are working in affected areas and aiming to further scale up across the country, including in the northwest. But much more help is needed. Click https://t.co/TYLMqD63XY; and https://t.co/XrdFlEVsKW — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General, February 12, 2023.
Logistical problems brought on by more than 12 years of crisis and conflict, the crippling impact of unilateral sanctions, and the reluctance to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad, has been among the limiting factors. Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or UNOCHA, warns that political tensions between Turkey and its northern neighbor could compound the difficulties for aid workers to adequately respond to the crisis in Syria.
However, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday, February 13, that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to allow the United Nations to temporarily use two additional border crossings from Turkey to get aid to earthquake victims inside Syria. The announcement came hours after his humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, met with Assad and senior Syrian officials in Damascus. Griffiths has called in recent days for the regime to open more access for humanitarians.
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THE LATEST NEWS OF SYRIAN ISMAILI JAMAT
AKAH Search and Rescue Teams have been deployed in Syria. This photo is from a training programme in 2018. Photograph: Focus Humanitarin. PHOTO: FOCUS
According to the.Ismaili, the official website of the Ismaili community, the earthquakes have impacted some areas of Jamati presence in Syria where the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) programmes are already active. Following the earthquakes, Focus Humanitarian Assistance, in collaboration with the Ismaili Council for Syria and AKDN agencies, has mobilised rapidly. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) has taken the lead on the ground and is working closely with UNOCHA to assess and respond to the emergency. AKAH Search and Rescue Teams have been deployed in AKDN programme areas, and the National Council has organised the relocation of members of the Jamat from the affected areas. Community Emergency Response Teams, working with AKAH engineers, are making rapid risk assessments of buildings, including homes, and communicating with households to support their identification of living alternatives as appropriate. Stockpiles of emergency supplies, primarily shelter and hygiene kits, have been readied for transportation as required. AKAH’s international rescue teams in other parts of the world have been placed on standby to deploy if required and requested by the government. AKAH is working with UNOCHA in the formulation of a joint appeal for resources to respond to the situation.
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ISMAILI CIVIC EARTHQUAKE DONATION DRIVE IN CHICAGO
The Honorable Engin Türesin, Consul General of Turkey in Chicago, pictured outside the Glenview Ismaili Jamatkhana with volunteers of the donation drive. Photograph: Consul General of Turkey.
Following a formal announcement on Friday, February 10, 2023 in all Chicagoland Jamatkhanas as well as email blasts and social media messages, a large crowd of Ismailis and non-Ismailis turned out on the following day, Saturday February 11, for a donation drive for victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. The drive was an initiative of Focus Humanitarian Assistance USA and Ismaili Civic. It was held at the parking lot of the Glenview Jamatkhana and was attended by the Honorable Engin Türesin, Consul General of Turkey, who thanked all the donors and volunteers.
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The Honorable Engin Türesin, Consul General of Turkey in Chicago is welcomed to the Glenview Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre by Ms. Amyna Lakhani, the Honorary Secretary of the Ismaili Council for the Midwestern USA, Aziz Ali and Sadruddin Noorani. Photograph: Consul General of Turkey.
Honorable Engin Türesin also took the occasion to to visit the Jamatkhana and the Religious Education Classes that were in session. He was very impressed by what he saw, and praised the Ismaili Muslim community for the work it is doing. Earlier, the Consul General and the donors were welcomed to the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center by Ms. Amyna Lakhani, the Honorary Secretary of the Aga Khan Ismaili Council for the Midwestern, USA.
We understand that similar donation drives are being planned in other US cities including Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles.
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CONTRIBUTIONS
The.Ismaili website states that members of the Jamat wishing to make contributions to support the response are requested to visit the following Focus Humanitarian Assistance websites. And members residing outside North America, the UK and Europe should consider donating through the same offices listed hereunder:
Date posted: February 8, 2023. Last updated: February 16, 2023 (11:21 AM EST, death count.)
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“Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood has long been a welcoming starting point for immigrants to Canada. Now, IMARA National, on behalf of the city’s Ismaili community, is proposing to replace their existing facilities on Overlea Boulevard with an architecturally adventurous redevelopment that better suits the growing community’s needs” — Anthony Teles writing for Urban Toronto, February 2, 2023.
In a post dated January 21, 2023, Simerg reported about a new Ismaili Cultural Centre housing and Jamatkhana that is being proposed in Port Moody, British Columbia. In the introductory piece we also provided a link to an excellent piece on the website of Anthem Properties containing renditions of the building and other pertinent details.
Now, two weeks after the Port Moody article and as Toronto along with the rest of Ontario is gripped with some of the coldest temperatures recorded, we are pleased to provide a link to a report by Anthony Teles in Urban Toronto under the heading Ismaili Community Centre and Jamatkhana Proposed for Redevelopment in Thorncliffe Park (please click on the link to read Anthony’s report that includes more renditions of the Jamatkhana building as well as other important details.)
Looking southeast from William Morgan Drive to the Don Mills, Ismaili Community Centre and Jamatkhana, as designed by architects-Alliance for IMARA National, an Ismaili institution that oversees the development of Ismaili Jamatkhanas in Canada. Click on photo for full report in Urban Toronto
In its coverage, Urban Toronto notes that the site is where the Don Mills Jamatkhana is currently located in a one-storey building, in a vibrant multi-cultural neighbourhood, Thorncliffe Park, north of the Don Valley Parkway and south of Eglinton Avenue. The author of this post, Malik, is familiar with the location. It is a 7-10 minute drive to the Ontario Science on Don Mills Road and then another 3-5 drive to the Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Museum on Wynford Drive, the block now ceremoniously called the Aga Khan Boulevard. These locations will be served by a new Light Rail Transit (LRT) railway line later this year. The LRT station near the Museum is aptly named Aga Khan Park & Museum (see photograph, below.)
The new Aga Khan Park & Museum station on Toronto’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) on Eglington Line, as pictured during its contruction phase; September 2020. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg.
The Don Mills and the York Mills areas of Toronto have the highest concentration of Ismailis in Canada. Within a radius of 5-10 kms from the Ismaili Centre on 49 Wynford Drive or Aga Khan Boulevard, there are currently three Jamatkhanas — the Don Mills, which would be replaced with the new project, East York and Willowdale. Of course there are several other Jamatkhanas in the Greater Toronto region including Richmond Hill in the north, Scarborough in the east and Etobicoke, Brampton and Mississauga in the west. There is also a Jamatkhana catering to the Ismaili community in the downtown area.
Date posted: February 4, 2023. Last updated: February 6, 2023 (formatting and typos.)
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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 editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.
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