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
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un “Surely we belong to God, and to Him we return” — Holy Qur’an, 2:156
“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can, but a lofty and exalted destiny.” — Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III (1877-1957), 48th Ismaili Imam.
It is with deep sadness that we record the death of Nadir Mohamed on September 18, 2025, at the age of 69. We convey our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Shabin, and Nadir’s entire family and wish them strength and courage at this difficult time of bereavement.
Upon his passing, his family issued the following statement in the Globe and Mail’s Legacy page:
“The family of Nadir mourn his passing. He was an extraordinary man whose grace, wisdom, and openness deeply enriched our lives. May his spirit endure as a guiding light and his kindness live on in our hearts. Nadir passed away peacefully on September 18, 2025. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Princess Margaret Hospital or Mt. Sinai Hospital.”
An invitation has been extended to those who wish to plant trees in his memory at the Sympathy Store.
The exceptional tributes paid to Nadir Mohamed in the media bear witness to his remarkable contributions and achievements as a visionary in business and high technology. In recognition of Nadir’s contributions to Canada, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.) by the Governor General on November 22, 2019, and invested with C.M. on May 6, 2022. The Order reads as follows:
“Esteemed leader Nadir Mohamed has advanced Canada’s high-tech sector. Using his expertise from a successful 30-year career in the telecommunications and media industry, the former president and CEO of Rogers Communications co-founded ScaleUP Ventures to fund and foster promising start-up technology companies across Canada. The accomplished business executive has also shared his time and sought-after acumen with Ryerson University’s innovation initiatives, including Digital Media Zone, as well as with a range of community organizations in the business, arts and health sectors.”
Rogers Communications, Canada’s leading communications and entertainment company, released the following statement in their tribute to Nadir:
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“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Nadir. Nadir was an exceptional leader, a deeply respected executive and a generous person who led Rogers during an extraordinary time of change for our company and industry. He contributed immensely to our long-term success and made meaningful contributions to our community and our country,” said Edward Rogers, Executive Chair, Rogers.”
“Nadir joined Rogers in August 2000 and served as President and CEO of Rogers Wireless from 2001 to 2005. He was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Rogers in 2005, and in 2009 succeeded Ted Rogers as President and CEO. He retired from Rogers in January 2014. During his tenure, he strengthened Rogers balance sheet, solidified its financial position and set Rogers up for long-term success.
“Nadir was co-founder and chair of ScaleUP Ventures and chair of DMZ Ventures. Nadir also gave back to his community as a board member of Tennis Canada, Toronto Metropolitan University, UHN Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation and a founding board member of NEXT 36/NEXT Canada.
“Nadir was a remarkable leader who played a pivotal role at Rogers and the broader Canadian business community,” said Tony Staffieri, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rogers. “He meaningfully contributed to Rogers legacy of innovative firsts, and he passionately contributed to Canada’s innovation agenda. He was a gracious leader, and a true class act. Our thoughts are with Shabin and the entire Mohamed family during this difficult time.”
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Although I did not know C.M. Nadir Mohamed personally, I had met him on a few occasions. My first memory of meeting him was at the Rogers Centre during the Golden Jubilee of His Late Highness Aga Khan IV in 2008. I was deeply affected when I was informed about his passing. I was further moved on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, as I watched the Toronto Blue Jays play the Boston Red Sox on Sportsnet Plus. The Blue Jays commentator, Dan Shulman, alongside Buck Martinez, paid tribute to Nadir between the 3rd and 4th innings of the baseball game, which was played at Rogers Centre. A moment of silence was also observed during the game, with Nadir’s portrait projected onto the stadium’s jumbotron. A friend who was at the game has shared the following clip:
Video clip: A moment of silence for Nadir Mohamed at the Rogers Centre
It is worth noting that during his tenure at Rogers, the communications company also made significant inroads in sports, including negotiating what was then a record-breaking $ 5.2 billion, 12-year exclusive broadcast deal for NHL hockey rights.
C.M. Nadir Mohamed’s funeral will take place at the Burnaby Lake Ismaili Jamatkhana on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
We pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace. Ameen.
Date posted: September 24, 2025.
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Condolence messages: We invite readers to submit their condolences, memories and tributes to Nadir Mohamed, Member of the Order of Canada, by clicking LEAVE A COMMENT. If you encounter technical difficulties submitting your feedback, please email your message to mmerchant@simerg.com, subject line: Nadir Mohamed.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un “Surely we belong to God, and to Him we return” — Holy Qur’an, 2:156
“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” — Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III (1877-1957), 48th Ismaili Imam.
I have learned with deep sadness that Kamadia Alijah Elhaque Nizar Dhananj, originally of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has passed away in London, UK, at the age of 59. Though not personally known to me, because I left London when he was in his early teens, Elhaque was fondly remembered by my mum, Mrs. Merchant, who taught him for many years in London’s Baitul Ilm classes during the 1970s and 1980s. She fondly recalled Elhaque as a top, well-disciplined, and enthusiastic student, and always cherished the wonderful memories of his Baitul Ilm years.
Following a family tradition of service to the Imam-of-the-Time and the Ismaili community — his father, Nizar Dhanani, served as the Kamadia of Palace Gate Jamatkhana during Mawlana Shah Karim His Late Highness Aga Khan IV’s visit to London in September 1979 — Elhaque was appointed to the position of the Kamadia of the London North West Jamatkhana from 2008 to 2012. He was then appointed by Mawlana Shah Karim as the Kamadia of Darkhana Jamatkhana from 2012 to 2019. The term coincided with Mawlana Shah Karim’s visit to the UK for his Diamond Jubilee in June 2018 (see photographs). My family and I have always felt a deep personal connection with Elhaque’s family. His father’s encouraging messages and prayers over the years, as well as thoughtful remembrance of my parents, have been especially inspirational. This personal bond has been a source of strength for us.
The passing of a child is one of the most difficult times for any family. We, as a community, stand united in this grief and convey our deepest condolences to his surviving father, Kamadia Nizar, Elhaque’s wife, Yasmin, and the entire Dhanani family and their loved ones. We offer our unwavering support and prayers for their strength and fortitude during this difficult period of bereavement and to face this difficult loss.
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Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, blesses the Ismaili Jamat during his Diamond Jubilee visit to the UK in June 2018. Following him are Mukhi Farouk Walji (left) and Kamadia Elhaque Dhanani (d. August 2025) of the London Darkhana Jamatkhana. Photograph: Clip from the official Ismaili video.
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Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, pictured at the Olympia Hall, London, during his weeklong visit to the United Kingdom Jamat in September 1979. Seated next to him on the stage are Late Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj and Kamadia Nizar Dhanani, Elhaque’s father. Photograph: Jehangir Merchant Collection.
Condolences (dilsoji) to family members may be offered at the Darkhana Jamatkhana (in the Ismaili Centre, London) on Thursday, August 14. The funeral ceremony will be held at the Northwest Jamatkhana on Saturday, August 16, with the Fateha being offered at 9:30 AM.
We pray that Elhaque’s soul may rest in eternal peace. Ameen.
Condolence messages: We invite readers to submit their condolences, memories and tributes to Kamadia Elhaque Nizar Dhanani by clicking LEAVE A COMMENT. If you encounter technical difficulties submitting your feedback, email your message to mmerchant@simerg.com, subject: Elhaque Dhanani.
Featured photo at the top of the post: Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV (d. February 4, 2025), 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, at the Diamond Jubilee Darbar in London, with (l to r) Kamadia Elhaque Nizar Dhanani, Mukhi Farouk Rajabali Walji, Mukhiani Shahenaz Farouk Walji and Kamadiani Yasmin Elhaque Dhanani of London Darkhana Jamatkhana. Photograph: The Ismaili (visit UK Diamond Jubilee Gallery).
Date posted: August 13, 2025. Last updated: August 14, 2024.
Simerg, an independent platform, has published over 2,000 pieces on all aspects of Ismaili and Islamic history, culture and thought since its launch in 2009. Please see our Table of Contents in 2 parts — 2009-2019 and 2020-Current. Please visit Simerg’s sister websites, Barakah, which is dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos, which features photo essays on history, culture and travel. Follow the publisher/editor Malik Merchant on @Facebook, @X and @LinkedIn. Check out Malik’s brief profile and contact information HERE.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, who became the 50th Hereditary Ismaili Imam on February 4, 2025, on the passing of his father, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, has conveyed the following message of condolence on the Pope’s passing:
My family and the global Ismaili Muslim Community join me in conveying our heartfelt condolences on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.
I recall with great warmth my meetings with His Holiness and our discussions on humanity’s shared principles and values, the importance of embracing pluralism, and the urgent need to offer hope and opportunities to the less fortunate.
His Holiness Pope Francis will be remembered for his courageous stance in defending the values of compassion and service to others. He leaves an important and inspiring legacy, which his words and actions will keep alive in the years to come.
My prayers accompany Catholic communities worldwide at this sad time.
Aga Khan
(Please click HERE to read the message on the.Ismaili, the official website of the Ismaili Muslim community.)
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The editor and readers of Simerg and its sister websites, Barakah and Simergphotos, convey our condolences to the Catholic community and its leadership worldwide, and ask God to provide solace and strength to everyone grieving. We offer prayers for the eternal rest of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis succeeded Emeritus Benedict XVI, who led the Catholic Church for nearly eight years from April 19, 2005, until his resignation on February 28, 2013, due to his deteriorating health, advanced age, and the heavy demands of being Pope. Pope Benedict retired to the Mater Ecclesiae, a small monastery in the Vatican City. Pope Benedict died on Saturday, December 31, 2022, aged 95, and Pope Francis was elected to the position.
Over the past two decades, there has been an increased collaboration between Catholic institutions and the Ismaili Imamat, through the Aga Khan Development Network. In 2008, the 49th Ismaili Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV (d. February 4, 2025), attended a historic signing agreement in Lisbon between the Catholic University of Portugal and the Aga Khan University. The ceremony was attended by His Eminence D. Jose Policarpo, the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon and Chancellor of the University, D. José Policarpo.
In May 2012, Prince Amyn, then representing Mawlana Shah Karim, signed the renewal of a partnership agreement between the Aga Khan Foundation and the Patriarchate of Lisbon. Programmes implemented under the partnership, aimed at improving the quality of life of marginalized groups in Greater Lisbon, benefited almost 43,000 people in 2011.
In 2013, with Cardinal Patriarch, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV presided over the signing ceremony of a renewed Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities, reaffirming the enduring nature of their collaboration.
Most recently, in Mawlana Shah Karim’s oldest son and his successor as of February 4, 2025, Mawlana Shah Rahim Al Hussaini Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, met Pope Francis on August 4, 2023, at a private meeting held during the Pope’s visit to Lisbon (see photograph, below).
Prince Rahim conveyed warm greetings on behalf of Mawlana Shah Karim, and on behalf of the worldwide Jamat. His Holiness Pope Francis thanked Prince Rahim for the warm gesture and asked that his good wishes be transmitted to Mawlana Shah Karim and members of his family, and to the global Ismaili community. The Pope and Prince Rahim discussed areas of mutual interest and the potential for future collaboration. Prince Rahim was accompanied by Nazim Ahmad, the Diplomatic Representative of the Ismaili Imamat to Portugal.
In November 2022, Mawlana Shah Rahim Hazar Imam visited the Vatican, where he met His Excellency Reverend Dom Edgar Peña Parra, the Substitute of the Secretariat of State at the Vatican, and Pope Francis. A few months earlier, in May 2022, Mawlana Shah Rahim received Reverend Dom Edgar Peña Parra at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon.
We also have a famous photograph of Pope Benedict XVI’s handshake with Mawlana Shah Karim during the Pope’s Apostolic Journey to France in 2008. Pope Benedict visited the “Institut De France” in Paris, where the Institut presented him with a gold medal. Pope Benedict also unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit. During his brief remarks to the audience, the Pope expressed his gratitude to the Institut “both personally and as the successor of [Simon] Peter.” (More on Simon Peter in Catholic and Ismaili Muslim traditions below.)
His Late Highness Aga Khan IV was also in attendance at the Institut de France as the Associate Foreign Member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts (Academy of Fine Arts), one of five learned societies within the Institut, which was founded in 1795.
Everyone’s attention was then drawn to the 49th Ismaili Imam and Pope Benedict, and a sense of interest and keenness filled the hall as they greeted each other with a handshake, captured in the photograph below. (The picture is copyrighted and was reproduced under a licensing arrangement with Getty Images.)
Photographs: Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, and Mawlana Shah Rahim Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, with Pope Benedict and Pope Francis and Catholic Leaders
2008
Everyone’s attention is drawn to Pope Benedict XVI and His Late Highness Aga Khan IV as they greet each other on September 13, at the Institut de France in Paris during an official visit by the Pope to France in 2008. Photo: Copyright. Getty Images. Published on Simerg/Simergphotos with a Licensing arrangement with Getty Images. French caption: Vue plongeante du pape BENOIT XVI serrant la main de l’AGA KHAN à son arrive sous la coupole de l’Institut de France à PARIS entouré de nombreux académiciens et autres personnalités dont Gabriel DE BROGLIE, Hélène CARRERE D’ENCAUSSE, Jean-François JARRIGE, Jean-François BACH, Arnaud D’HAUTERIVES, Michel ALBERT, Christian PONCELET président du Sénat, Jean TULARD, Alain DECAUX, Pierre-Jean REMY, Michel MOHRT, Max GALLO, le cardinal André VINGT-TROIS archevêque de Paris et le cardinal Paul POUPARD. (Photo by Philippe Petit/Paris Match via Getty Images).
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Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Catholic University of Portugal and the Aga Khan University, on July 12, 2008. Photograph: The Aga Khan University.
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2012
His Eminence Dom José Policarpo, Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, and Prince Amyn, Director of the Aga Khan Foundation, sign the renewal of a partnership agreement to improve the quality of life of marginalised groups in Greater Lisbon. Photograph: AKDN / Nuno Saraiva.
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2013
Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, meets with the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, His Eminence Dom Manuel Clemente and the Patriarch Emeritus of Lisbon, His Eminence Dom José Policarpo, at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon in September 2013 for the renewed signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Catholic University of Portugal and the Aga Khan University. Photograph: AKDN/Gary Otte.
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2022
Prince Rahim Aga Khan, now Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, and His Excellency Reverend Dom Edgar Peña Parra, the Substitute of the Secretariat of State at the Vatican, walk through the courtyard garden at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon in May 2022. Photograph: Raquel Wise/AKDN.
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His Excellency Reverend Dom Edgar Peña Parra, the Substitute of the Secretariat of State at the Vatican, and Prince Rahim Aga Khan, now Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, pictured in November 2022 at the Vatican. Photograph: Divisione Produzione Fotografica/Vatican Media, via AKDN.
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2023
Pope Francis meets with Prince Rahim Aga Khan, now Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, during their private audience in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 4, 2023. Mawlana Hazar Imam was accompanied by Nazim Ahmad, the Diplomatic Representative of the Ismaili Imamat to Portugal (bottom picture, left). The Pope was visiting Lisbon for the World Youth Day. Photographs: The Ismaili.
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Brief notes on the Papacy and the Imamat, and Simon Peter — St. Peter — in the Roman Catholic and Ismaili Traditions
The Catholics believe that the Pope is a successor of St. Peter. The succession of the Pope is determined by a college of cardinals who elect the Pope, while the office of the Imam of the Ismailis is a hereditary position. The Ismailis regard their 50th hereditary Imam as the direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s) through Hazrat Ali (a.s.) and Hazrat Bibi Fatima (a.s.). In a speech at the Canadian Parliament in 2014, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV declared that “the Ismaili Imamat is a supra-national entity, representing the succession of Imams since the time of the Prophet.” And, in an interview with Politique International, he said, “The religious leadership of the Ismaili Imam goes back to the origins of Shia Islam when the Prophet Muhammad appointed his son-in-law, Ali, to continue his teachings within the Muslim community. The leadership is hereditary, handed down by Ali’s descendants, and the Ismailis are the only Shia Muslims to have a living Imam, namely myself.”
In the Catholic tradition, the foundation for the office of the Pope is found primarily in Matthew, where Jesus is quoted as telling Simon Peter:
“You are ‘Rock,’ and on this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
A painting of Simon Peter or Saint Peter by Marco Zoppo, depicting Peter holding the Keys of Heaven and a book representing the gospel. Photograph: Wikipedia/Public Domain.
This series of successions of the Pope is known as “Apostolic Succession,” with the line of Bishops stretching back to the apostles, who lived during the time of Jesus. Simon Peter is recognized as having been the first Pope. Early Christians reserved the title of “Pope” for St. Peter’s successors.
However, in branches of Shia theology and Ismailism, Simon Peter’s role is seen as a direct parallel to that of Hazrat Ali, who was the first Imam. Ismailis along with some other Shia groups maintain that every major Prophet had a spiritual legatee (Waṣi) or successor called the Asas (foundation) who taught the inner meaning to those who had the capacity to understand it. In this regard, Adam had Seth; Noah had Shem; Moses had Aaron, and Jesus had Simon Peter. A well-known sacred tradition of the Prophet Muhammad says, “Ali is to me as Aaron was to Moses,” confirming that Ali held the same authority as Aaron.
Date posted: April 22, 2025. Last updated: May 13, 2025 (formatting).
Note: A version of this piece appears on our sister website, Barakah.
Featured photo at the top of the post: Pope Francis shakes hands with Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, then Prince Rahim Aga Khan, during their private audience in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 4, 2023. The Pope was visiting Lisbon for the World Youth Day. Photograph: Vatican News.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un “Surely we belong to God and to Him we return” — Holy Qur’an, 2:156
“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” — Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III (1877-1957), 48th Ismaili Imam.
Sadrudin Hassam
A loving tribute by THE FAMILY OF HUZUR MUKHI SADRUDIN KASSAMALI HASSAM
Huzur Mukhi Sadrudin Kassamali Hassam was born in Zanzibar on August 15, 1936, and passed away peacefully on December 26, 2024, at the age of 88 in the company of his loving family in London, U.K. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Huzur Mukhiani Roshan (Habiba) Hassam, his two daughters, Farah Hassam and Salima Hassam Ladha, his son-in-law, Alim Ladha, and two precious granddaughters, Sophia Noor Ladha and Alisha Noor Ladha.
Sadrudin Hassam with his family. Photograph: Sadrudin Hassam Family collection.
Sadrudin was fondly known as Mr. Hassam by his students and Sadrubhai by colleagues and others. Mr. Hassam grew up in the rich culture of Zanzibar. He showed academic achievement at school as a young boy. He went on to train as a professional teacher for two years at the Teachers Training College in Nairobi, Kenya where he graduated in 1956.
After graduating, he returned to Zanzibar, where he was the Honorary Secretary for the Aga Khan Sports Club. He also started teaching at the Aga Khan School of Zanzibar.
It was here that Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV (A.S.) visited his school and entered the classroom where Mr. Hassam was teaching. This very special, unexpected encounter would change the trajectory of Mr. Hassam’s professional career and life forever. Mawlana Shah Karim asked Mr. Hassam if he had furthered his studies enough, and after Mr. Hassam replied, “No Khudavind, I have not,” he was graciously offered a scholarship to study a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Islamic History at University of Edinburgh, Scotland. This inspirational moment is captured in a black and white photo where both are 21 years old and shaking hands as Mr. Hassam humbly accepts the Aga Khan scholarship.
Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV (d. February 4, 2025), shaking hands with Sadrudin Hassam during a school visit in Zanzibar. Photograph: Sadrudin Hassam Family collection.
This life-shaping opportunity was the catalyst for Mr. Hassam’s vast and long-spanning career as an experienced educationist. He evolved into various specialised roles and committed to honorary services within the Ismaili institutions. He served the community and his students to the best of his professional abilities with the same level of commitment, passion, gratitude, humility, and knowledge-sharing in all his work endeavours until he gracefully retired from the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) in London, U.K. at the age of 84 in 2020.
He had graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an M.A. majoring in Islamic History and European History and subsidiaries in English, Latin and Philosophy. In addition to fluently speaking and writing in Kiswahili and Gujarati, he learnt French, German, Arabic, and Persian and held distinction certifications in Maths and Geography from the University of London. He also learnt to read Khojki (Sindhi) script in his early years, which would prove to be an important and unique skill in the latter years of his career at the IIS. While working towards his M.A., he simultaneously qualified in Writing and Editing with the British American School of Writing, another skill he would utilise throughout his career.
In the early years of his career, after graduating with his M.A., he taught History, English and Religious Education in secular secondary schools in Edinburgh (1965-72). He then moved back to Tanzania and taught at the Aga Khan School of Commerce and then at the Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, Dar-es-Salaam, where he was Head of History and subsequently Deputy Headmaster (1973-1981). Simultaneously, he was also the Religious Education Officer of the Ismaili curriculum for Ismaili students for 10 years, which also involved him conducting a number of courses on Ginans and Gujarati in the manpower training programmes in Tanzania. Additionally, he was the Honorary Secretary of the Ismailia Association for Tanzania and Honorary Secretary of the Aga Khan Sports Club for Tanzania and loved to play tennis. At the Ismailia Association for Tanzania, he trained religion teachers. He participated as an educationist in the Religious Education Conferences at Nairobi, held under the auspices of the Ismailia Association for Kenya, to plan the International Curriculum for Religious Education for the worldwide Ismailis. In his time in Tanzania worked closely with Al-waez Abu-ali Missionary and edited his materials.
In 1981, he moved with his family to London, U.K., to accept a role that would be a long-standing position as the Religious Education Officer with Ismailia Association (now known as the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board, ITREB) U.K.
Sadrudin Hassam, seated left, during his early years in London with the Ismailia Association (ITREB) U.K. leadership, including President Dr. Aziz Kurwa (seated third from left), colleagues and Baitul Ilm teachers. Photograph: Sadrudin Hassam Family collection.
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Sadrudin Hassam, standing 2nd from left, with ITREB U.K. leadership including Chairman Noordin Kasssam (seated, centre), and colleagues on the rooftop of the Ismaili Centre London. Photograph: Sadrudin Hassam Family collection.
It was at the ITREB, U.K., where he worked on a variety of projects amongst high-esteemed colleagues including Al-waez Jehangir Merchant, Al-waeza Malek Merchant, Al-waez Saddrudin Fattoum, Al-waez Bashir Ladha, Al-waez Gulam Abbas, Dr. Farouk Topan, Al-waez Faqir Muhammed Hunzai, Al-waeza Rashida Hunzai, Amin Keshawji and Aziz Khoja to name but a few.
One of his initial roles was to identify Baitul Ilm religious education locations around the U.K., set them up and oversee them. His primary duties included training volunteer teachers, especially in Ismaili History and Ginans, directing the courses for teachers and preparing instructional material for the programmes, teaching secondary students, and providing critique to draft curriculum plans and materials from IIS U.K. He also wrote articles for Al-Misbah and Ilm, which are reproduced on this website. He wrote a book on the Alamut period of Ismaili history for secondary students. Mr. Hassam directed and conducted, with the team, teacher training programmes in London, Birmingham, Leicester, Edinburgh, and Amsterdam and also, in 1985, conducted a 17-day teacher training course for the Ismailia Association of Portugal. He was invited to IIS (U.K.) to lecture to the M.A. graduates on a few festival Ginans and identify manuscripts in Khojki and other Indic scripts. He also prepared a curriculum to teach Ginans more systematically to co-relate with the curriculum for primary 4 and 5. He also conducted many short courses in Ginan and Gujarati in the manpower training programmes in U.K. and Portugal. In 1994, before Mawlana Shah Karim’s visit with the UK Jamat, he was responsible with Al-waez Mohamed Ladak for identifying from over a hundred candidates, selecting and training 26 groups to recite verses of Ginans in the presence of Mawlana Shah Karim during his mulaqat with the Jamat.
Sadrudin Hassam, 9th from left, centre row, with ITREB colleagues and students attending a special project. Photograph: Sadrudin Hassam Family collection.
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Sadrudin Hassam is standing, second row, centre, with the UK Jamati and ITREB leadership, and colleagues. Photograph: Sadrudin Hassam family collection.
In subsequent years at the IIS in London, he was involved in several research projects, which gave him access to and exposure to the Khojki and Gujarati manuscripts in the library. He worked on cataloguing various special and heritage materials in Indic languages (Gujarati, Urdu and Khojki script). His knowledge of the Indic languages and familiarity with Arabic and Persian allowed him to examine and catalogue many materials in these languages, many of which are featured through the Institute’s special collections catalogue.
He used his knowledge of Indic languages to also develop (in his spare time) reading materials for students to learn the Gujarati and Khojki languages so that students and researchers could better understand ginan literature and our cultural traditions and religious practices, which are rooted in South Asia for a large number of Ismailis. As such, students and researchers at IIS have benefited immensely from his knowledge and expertise. The IIS provided a Gujarati keyboard for him to use as it was an appropriate tool in some of his written materials. He has written a number of articles on the festival and other Ginans for Ilm and lectured on these to graduate students. These are now available online at simerg.com. He has authored ‘Ginans – Understanding and Appreciation Made Easy,’ a book based on his long teaching experience at different levels on the Ginans and the Ginanic literature. He has also authored ‘Mastering Gujarati and Khojki Scripts’ a book aiming to enable learners (for example Baitul Ilm and Ginan teachers, Waezeen, IIS alumni, GIPISH and STEP graduates who want to pursue an M.A. or Doctorate on Ginanic literature or socio-cultural aspects of Ismailis) to read fluently and understand the printed books in Gujarati and Khojki and hand-written manuscripts. He felt this to be important because studying the primary sources and languages of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent and African countries is essential to truly understand the history and culture of these areas.
Mr. Hassam’s enriching experience and love for learning and teaching have left a lasting impact on many students and colleagues. Their fond memories, compliments of his kind, gentle nature, and heartfelt gratitude for his contributions are a testament to his service. We offer our humble shukrana for his lifetime of dedicated service to the Imam-of-the-Time and the Ismaili Jamat and its institutions. He leaves behind a rich and enduring legacy.
Date posted: March 25, 2025.
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We welcome your condolences and tribute to Huzurmukhi Sadrudin Kassamali Hassam. Please click LEAVE A COMMENT
“The Ismaili Imamat is a supra-national entity, representing the succession of Imams since the time of the Prophet Muhammad.” Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan (IV), spoke these words in the Canadian Parliament in 2014. He passed away in Lisbon on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88.
The world has just witnessed his eldest son, Mawlana Shah Rahim, His Highness the Aga Khan (V), succeed to the throne of Imamat after him. This succession in the Prophet’s progeny is one of two Weighty Matters mentioned in a famous tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his progeny), the other being the Holy Qur’an.
In the following message, the new Imam, 50th in direct lineage from Imam Ali, the first Imam, reflects on events that followed his father’s passing, which he described as “fitting, simple and beautiful.” The new Imam also expresses his profound gratitude to the community, its leaders, and volunteers for the flawless manner in which the events took place in Lisbon and Aswan.
Message from Mawlana Hazar Imam, Shah Rahim Al Hussaini
“Our tradition of volunteer service and its effectiveness is a source of enormous strength for our community, and I feel fortunate to be able to call on this for the benefit of my Jamat” — Prince Rahim Aga Khan, February 18, 2025.
The past two weeks have been deeply emotional for the Ismaili community, and for all those around the world who had known my father or been touched by his work. I am awed by the outpourings of affection and respect for my father and the impact he made during his lifetime. His is indeed an immense legacy for us all to carry on.
On behalf of my family and me, I would like to express our deepest gratitude and admiration for the outstanding way in which our community immediately and seamlessly arranged the events that took place in Lisbon and Aswan. Beyond the flawless execution of the events themselves, millions of people in over 70 countries were able to participate through video streaming, images, and narration on The Ismaili digital channels.
Well done to all invoved…Our tradition of volunteer service and its effectiveness is a source of enormous strength for our community, and I feel fortunate to be able to call on this for the benefit of my Jamat — Prince Rahim Aga Khan, February 18, 2025.
Organising this involved a small number of our staff, and a huge number of volunteers working around the clock, with a clear unifying goal of holding a graceful series of events made widely accessible to the community wherever physically possible. This was done with sensitivity and care for all those participating.
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The late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV’s casket is carried to the mausoleum of his grandfather, Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III, where he was interred, Aswan, Egypt, February 9, 2025. Photograph: Akbar Hakim / IPL.
My uncle, siblings, our children, and I see and appreciate all those who were involved – not just the leaders who were dealing directly with my family and me, but every single person who contributed, wherever they are.
Our tradition of volunteer service and its effectiveness is a source of enormous strength for our community, and I feel fortunate to be able to call on this for the benefit of my Jamat.
Beyond the flawless execution of the events themselves, millions of people in over 70 countries were able to participate through video streaming, images, and narration on The Ismaili digital channels — Prince Rahim Aga Khan, February 18, 2025.
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Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, signs the Ismaili Constitution in his name at the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat, the Headquarters of the Imamat in Lisbon on the historic occasion of his Takht-nishini (ceremonial installation), February 11, 2025. Photograph: Akbar Hakim / The Ismaili.
Well done to all involved, and especially to the handful of senior leaders who worked day and night to orchestrate all of this, and who provided tremendous support to my family and stable leadership to the community at this critical and difficult time. Knowing that we can rely on each other at a time like this is a source of the greatest comfort and reassurance.
My sincerest thanks again to all those involved in making the events of the last two weeks fitting, simple, and beautiful.
Aga Khan
Date posted: February 20, 2025. Last updated: April 05, 2025.
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Simerg welcomes your feedback on Prince Rahim Aga Khan’s message and to express your condolences and tributes to Prince Karim Aga Khan. Please click LEAVE A COMMENT. If you encounter problems, email the comments to mmerchant@simerg.com. Kindly note that we never publish your email address.
His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, passed away on February 4, 2025, aged 88, after an Imamat of 67 years. His funeral will take place in Lisbon on Saturday, February 8 AT 11:00 AM GMT (6:00 AM EST Canada and USA). It will be relayed live from the Ismaili Centre Lisbon and viewers around the world will be able to watch it on Ismaili TV. Arrangements have also been made to screen the ceremony live in Jamatkhanas for the Jamat to take part in this historic and important ceremony.
The burial will follow a day later, on Sunday February 9, in a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt, where his grandfather, the 48th Imam, Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, is buried.
We invite our readers to share their condolences and tributes to the 49th Ismaili Imam, a chance to express their respect and love for the departed spiritual leader. I am sure we have beautiful memories of how the Imam and his work have impacted us and our families. We might be able to recall an incident as a volunteer that has touched us or some other profound incident or experience. Your submission of a tribute will touch and inspire others and have a historical impact.
The Aga Khan: A Legacy of 67 Years of Imamat
“The closer you come, the more you will see Him,” a digital portrait by Akber Kanji of Toronto, Canada, depicting the projects of Mawlana Shah Karim during his Imamat. Click on image for enlargement.
Submission rules: These guidelines are designed to ensure a smooth and respectful interaction in our community. Every submission should include a verifiable name and an email address. Anonymous messages will not be accepted. Kindly note that we never publish your email address. Messages should contain a minimum of 90 characters (as, for example, the first sentence in this paragraph). They should preferably not exceed 200 words (the approximate length of this post), but we will accept longer messages. All messages will be reviewed and, if necessary, edited for clarity before publication. To submit your message, please click LEAVE A COMMENT. Should you encounter issues submitting comments through this post, email them to mmerchant@simerg.com, and I will post them on your behalf.
Note: A version of this post appears on our sister website, barakah.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un “Surely we belong to God, and to Him we return” — Holy Qur’an, 2:156
“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” — Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III (1877-1957), 48th Ismaili Imam.
I have learned with deep sadness that Mukhi Vazir Nurdin Gulamhussein Jivraj, originally of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has passed away in London, UK, at the age of 92.
My memories of the Mukhi (congregation leader in Ismaili Jamatkhana) span many years. They are intertwined with the shared experiences of the UK Ismaili Muslim Jamat (community), particularly during the historic seven-day visit to London by Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, from September 1 to 7, 1979. This visit, which also saw the foundation laying ceremony of the Ismaili Centre London, a significant event presided over by Lord Soames in the presence of His Highness, holds a special place in our hearts.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, pictured at the Olympia Hall, London, with Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj and Kamadia Nizar Dhanani during his weeklong visit to the United Kingdom Jamat from September 1-7, 1979. Photograph: Jehangir Merchant collection.
Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj was assisted by Kamadia Nizar Dhanani, a name I had known from Dar es Salaam as a cricket player with my dad, Jehangir, on the Young Ismailis team. Our shared love for cricket was a bond that connected us. This bond was further strengthened as Kamadia Nizar played for the Aga Khan Cricket Club in London in the significant 20-20 knockout matches in 1975-76 and became the Kamadia of the London Jamatkhana.
This personal tribute to the late Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj is based on one singularly important incident during the final mulaqat (meeting) on Friday, September 7, 1979, the last day of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visit to the UK at London’s Olympia Hall. My late mum, Mrs. Merchant (d. January 21, 2021), was on stage duty to recite the Salawat. She had an excellent memory and articulated the incident when we returned home later that evening.
As on previous days, the eagerly awaited Mawlana Hazar Imam’s daily mulaqat with the Jamat commenced with the recitation of Ginan (hymn) verses by our fellow Jamati members who were selected for the recitations by the Ismailia Association judges (the Ismailia Association is now known as the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board, ITREB).
On that particular final day, Friday, September 7, Hazar Imam began his mulaqat in the morning by performing religious ceremonies and delivering a Farman (guidance or edict) to the Jamat. A Ginan was recited during the morning mulaqat, and everyone designated for the week’s recitations had had their turn.
During the afternoon session, Hazar Imam gave a mulaqat to the volunteers in an adjoining room. He returned to the main hall to bid farewell and bless the Jamat. Of course, everyone expected him to give his final Farman to the Jamat before he left.
However, before doing so, once seated on the stage, Mawlana Hazar Imam turned to Mukhi Jivraj. He unexpectedly requested: “I want Ginan.”
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Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, delivering his Farman (guidance) to the UK Ismaili community in Olympia Hall, London, during his weeklong visit from September 1-7, 1979. On stage are Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj and Kamadia Nizar Dhanani, their respective wives, and Mrs. Merchant, seated on the far left. Photograph: Jehangir Merchant collection.
Unprepared, the Mukhi was startled and didn’t know what to say. He turned to my mum, who was on the stage a few feet away, and said, “Alwaeza, Ginan.” My mum had heard Mawlana Hazar Imam’s request to the Mukhi. She reacted immediately to Mukhi’s call, walking to the front of the stage and asking a youth — Salim Champsi — seated a few metres away to recite a Ginan. Of course, my mum had known him as a good reciter, only that he had not been selected to recite a Ginan during the Jamati mulaqats. He confidently came onto the stage and beautifully recited verses from the iconic and inspiring Ginan Satgur sathe goṭhadi kije, a piece that resonates deeply with the Ismaili community (listen to the Ginan sung by the late Alwaez Shamshudin Bandali Haji HERE. You can hear the same Ginan recited by multiple singers at Ginan Central, a truly informative and educational website).
The recitation was so powerful that it left me with goosebumps and tears in my eyes throughout. The impact of those words in the Ginan was profound. When I met the reciter, Salim Champsi, some 20 years later at the Bayview Jamatkhana in Toronto, he recalled that extraordinary and joyous day and expressed his heartfelt gratitude, saying he would never forget my mum for picking him out of the crowd.
Today, befittingly, I remember this unique incident, which very few people outside my family would know, as my tribute to Mukhi Jivraj with his passing 45 years later. Reflecting on that moment, I am reminded about the importance Mawlana Hazar Imam attaches to our hundreds of years-old traditions. During an evening of Ginan recitation or concert (mehfil) held in Karachi in December 1964, he said:
“I would be surprised if ever such a big Mehfil-e-Ginan has ever been held…many times I have recommended to my spiritual children that they should remember Ginans, that they should understand the meanings of these Ginans and they should carry these meanings in their hearts. It is most important that my spiritual children…hold to this tradition which is so special, so unique and so important to my Jamat…I have been deeply happy tonight, deeply happy because I have seen the happiness in the hearts of my Jamat and this is what makes Imam happy” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Karachi, December 16, 1964, published by the Ismailia Association for Pakistan.
Indeed, the recitation of the Ginan on September 7, 1979, filled the hearts of thousands with unbounded spiritual happiness and joy.
Of course, the entire UK Jamat will remember the late Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj. I earnestly hope someone will write a detailed tribute to him, highlighting his services to the Jamat and his and his family’s unwavering devotion to the Imam-of-the-Time over the past several decades.
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Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, walks through his followers and past the Ismailia Association literature counter as he departs Olympia Hall after his audience with the Ismailis in London in September 1979. Following him are Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj, Kamadia Nizar Dhanani, and Begum Salimah with the Mukhiani and Kamadiani. Photograph: Sarfaraz Sadruddin/Ilm Magazine, December 1979.
I fondly remember Mukhi Jivraj for the above incident, which gave the Jamat an excellent and inspiring conclusion to Mawlana Hazar Imam’s and Begum Salimah’s visit to the UK Jamat. The event, as narrated by my mum, was not just inspiring, but truly extraordinary. I can never forget that particular inspirational and happy day in my life.
We express our sincerest condolences to Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj’s family, friends and the Jamats he led and served for years. We pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace. Ameen.
Date posted: January 18, 2025. Last updated: January 25, 2025 (new photo added).
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Condolence messages: We invite readers to submit their condolences, memories and tributes to Mukhi Nurdin Jivraj by clicking LEAVE A COMMENT.
Premier John Horgan meets Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, on May 18, 2018, in Vancouver, on the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee. Forming the backdrop are the flags of the Ismaili Imamat, which bears the Imamat crest, Canada and British Columbia. Photograph: Province of British Columbia.
We have learnt with deep sadness that the former Premier of British Columbia, John Horgan, who served as the province’s leader from 2017 until 2022, has passed away of cancer at the age of 65. In a statement posted to X by Horgan’s longtime friend and press secretary, Sheena McConnell, the Horgan family said he passed away peacefully at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria on the morning of November 12, 2024.
Horgan’s dedication to public service is evident in his political career. He was first elected to the B.C. legislature in 2005 and became leader of the NDP in 2014. His leadership skills led to his election as B.C.’s premier in 2017. He continued to serve until 2022 when he decided to step down due to health reasons. His commitment to serving the public was further demonstrated when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed him Canada’s ambassador to Germany in November 2023.
Trudeau expressed his condolences in a statement posted to social media:
“John Horgan believed in the power of public service. He saw it as a privilege, as a way to help others and to make our country better. He loved British Columbia. As premier, he had a tenacity, passion and dedication for his work that very few could match.
B.C. Ismailis will fondly remember the late Premier, who received their 49th Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, Mawlana Hazar Imam, on May 4, 2018, upon the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee.
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Premier John Horgan meets Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, on May 18, 2018, in Vancouver, on the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee. Photograph: Province of British Columbia.
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Premier John Horgan meets Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, on May 18, 2018, in Vancouver, on the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee. Photograph: Province of British Columbia.
In a statement issued on meeting the 49th Hereditary Ismaili Imam, the Premier said:
“For the last 60 years, His Highness the Aga Khan has provided spiritual leadership to the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims.
“In this role, he has dedicated his life to making life better for people. His work to eliminate poverty, give children early learning opportunities, and improve health care has helped people around the globe.
“It was a great honour to meet His Highness on the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee, and to welcome him to British Columbia.
“Canada’s Ismaili community has pledged to volunteer for one million hours in celebration of this special year. Our province and our country is a better place thanks to this ethic of volunteerism and compassion, shared by Ismaili people around the world.”
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Prince Rahim Aga Khan (left), representing the Ismaili Imamat, and British Columbia’s Premier John Horgan display the Accord to the audience after the signing ceremony as Princess Zahra and BC’s Minister of Forest Katrine Conroy look on. The event was hosted on September 29, 2022, at the Pan Pacific Hotel at the iconic Canada Way in Vancouver’s beautiful waterfront. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Barakah.
On September 29, 2022, before stepping down as the premier, he signed an Accord of Cooperation with Prince Rahim Aga Khan, representing his father, at the Pan Pacific Hotel at the iconic Canada Place on Vancouver’s waterfront. The Accord, a significant milestone, was deeply rooted in the 50-year history of the Ismaili Community in Canada and Mawlana Hazar Imam’s lifetime of work to improve quality of life. The Agreement, a call to action, served to advance partnership and collaboration on one of the most pressing issues of our time: the urgent and critical issue of climate change.
During this challenging time, we express our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Ellie, and their two sons, Evan and Nate.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un “Surely we belong to God, and to Him we return” — Holy Qur’an, 2:156
“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” — Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III (1877-1957), 48th Ismaili Imam.
A TRIBUTE TO SALIM JIWA & HIS DEVOTED WIFE MINA & FAMILY
The late Salim Jiwa (d. September 2024) with his wife Mina. Photograph: Jiwa Family Collection.
By FAROUK B.K.S. VERJEE
Salim Sadrudin Jiwa passed away in Vancouver in September 2024 at the age of 73. He leaves behind his devoted wife, Mina, and 3 children.
Salim, born on the shores of Lake Victoria in Bukoba, Tanzania, began his journalism career in Dar es Salaam, the Capital. This was a significant time for Tanganyika, which was newly independent and faced a scarcity of local journalists. In this urgent context, ambitious Salim quickly made his mark. President Nyerere wanted local journalists to write their aspirations for a multi-racial, African Socialist society. His vision was reflected in his diverse cabinet, which included Amir Jamal, an Ismaili, as his Minister of Finance and a European Bryson, as his Minister of Agriculture, showcasing the inclusivity of his leadership.
Nyerere’s policy of African Socialism followed the Arusha Declaration of February 5, 1967, which, over the years, resulted in nationalizing businesses and individual properties. These measures unsettled many in the Indian and expatriate business communities.
For young Salim, Canada was a welcoming choice. He could apply for his status from within Canada, and with freedom of speech, as a journalist, he could write as he pleased.
He never went back.
Starting with the Province Newspaper, the second largest daily in British Columbia (BC), as a minority immigrant, he faced the usual challenge of no “Canadian experience.” His relentless ambition, determination, and sharp humour made him a daring crime reporter. His drive is a testament to what can be achieved with sheer determination. Crime reporters get hardened over time.
He reported on a murder in the posh British Properties in West Vancouver.
A daughter-in-law was killed by her father-in-law, leaving behind a daughter of 4 months.
Salim and his wife Mina stepped forward and adopted her to give the young baby a loving home and an escape from the terrible family trauma.
At his well-attended funeral in September, I met some of Salim’s retired colleagues from the Province Newspaper. I thanked them for coming and told them I had met Salim in 1975 when he was a cub reporter. His colleagues remarked that Salim was no cub; he was a Lion!
In 1985, the bombing of Air India Flight 182 over the Atlantic took over 329 lives, 90 of whom were children. The flight had originated from Toronto and had suspected links to the Khalistan Movement. To this day, it remains the largest terrorist event in Canadian history.
After a $100 Million prosecution, this crime remains unresolved. A memorial marks this horrendous tragedy in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, bearing the names of all the victims. Salim wrote a bestseller, Death of Air India Flight 182.
In his book’s dedication, he writes: “This book is dedicated to the 329 victims of the sabotage of Air India Flight 182 and the two victims of the Narita bomb, as well as their families. Also to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their extraordinary work, members of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, who must remain in the shadows, and investigators in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, the USA and India. Finally, to my wife and children for all their help.”
Fabian Dawson the former Deputy Editor of the Province expressed the following sincere and heartfelt tribute to Salim:
“Salim was larger than life character in the newsroom. He was well respected, funny and always armed with a pun.”
Fabian worked alongside Salim for almost three decades. He continued:
“Throughout his career, Salim’s ability to build rapport with sources, from law enforcement to the families affected by tragedy, was legendary….his ability to connect with people on a human level made him not only a remarkable journalist but also a cherished friend to many. Salim’s presence in the newsroom was influential as it will be unforgettable.”
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Salim Jiwa at his desk at The Province, Vancouver’s daily newspaper, first published in 1898. Photograph: Via Jiwa Family Collection.
As the Honorary Secretary of the Aga Khan Council for Western Canada in 1975, we were wary and very shy of the media. Salim was very pushy about asserting our Ismaili identity, as most had arrived here stateless, impoverished, with a loss of identity, and in culture shock.
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“At his well-attended funeral in September, I met some of Salim’s retired colleagues from the Province Newspaper. I thanked them for coming and told them I had met Salim in 1975 when he was a cub reporter. His colleagues remarked that Salim was no cub; he was a Lion!” — Farouk Verjee
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Salim was a big man with a huge heart. He did not mind stepping on toes to get his job done. He was gentle with my toes and most cooperative, as was his other colleague, publisher Promod Puri, the founder of the weekly Link Newspaper, which covers the broadest spectrum of the South Asian Communities news and social and political activities in BC. The paper continues to thrive today.
Salim’s contribution to our Just Society has been enormous but rarely acknowledged in the larger community.
His peers awarded him the prestigious Jack Webster Award for excellence in legal journalism. He also received the MacMillan Bloedel’s Annual Journalism Award for outstanding writing, journalistic initiative, public service, and contribution to the understanding of important issues.
Salim in in his last days left the following message to his family:
“I have had a full and beautiful life, and I have done everything one could wish for far and beyond any anticipation in my life. I have no regrets about the way I have lived my life. I have supreme affection for Mina, Farouk, Hafeez, Alyia, and my children’s wives.
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Salim Jiwa with his children Farouk, Hafeez, and Alyia. Photograph: Jiwa Family Collection.
“My grandchildren have been a source of love and joy. My sisters, my mother, and my father have loved me. No regrets people. Enjoy your lives, as I have mine. Do good to all. Be generous, be fair, help the less fortunate and act with justice towards all.”
Salim, you are greatly missed by your family, friends and colleagues. Rest in Peace. Brother, Ameen.
Indeed, I may conclude that by their inspiring examples, Salim and Mina are the unsung heroes and heroines of the Ismaili Jamat. They have also served the larger community as outstanding, exemplary citizens.
Date posted: October 24, 2024. Last update: October 31, 2024 (added text of Salim Jiwa’s dedication in his book and an image of the cover page).
Correction: In an earlier version of this post, we misstated Fabian Dawson as the former publisher of The Province. He was the deputy editor.
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Condolence messages: We invite readers to submit their condolences, memories and tributes to Salim Jiwa by clicking LEAVE A COMMENT.
Farouk Verjee, left, with Baroness Margaret Thatcher (1925 – 2013) at the opening of the Ismaili Centre London, April 24, 1985.
About the writer: Farouk B.K.S. Verjee served as the Honorary Secretary of His Highness the Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for Canada for 5 years from 1979-1984. He then became the Council’s President until 1987. His terms of office saw the foundation laying ceremony of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre (a Silver Jubilee Project) by the Honourable Henry Bell-Irving, Lieutenant-Governor General of British Columbia, as well as its opening in 1985 by Canada’s Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney (d. February 2024). Both the ceremonies took place in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, and his family members.
“The architectural planning [of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building] has been entrusted to the capable hands of Fumihiko Maki, an architect of world standing. Maki and Associates have my enthusiastic admiration for addressing, with tact and empathy, challenges of design which are difficult and subtle. They call for translating concepts that have a context in our faith and our history, yet stride boldly and confidently ahead, into modernity; for expressing both the exoteric and the esoteric, and our awe and humility towards the mysteries of Nature, Time and beyond.” — His Highness the Aga Khan, June 2005.
His Highness the Aga Khan with architect Fumihiko Maki at an Aga Khan Museum Exhibition held at the Louvre in 2007. The renowned Japanese architect served twice on the Master Jury of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and designed the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building in Ottawa which was opened in December 2008 , the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto opened in September 2014., and the Aga Khan Centre in King’s Cross in London, opened in June 2018. Photo: AKDN/Gary Otte.
Reflecting back to 2005, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of loss as I note the passing of the renowned Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki on June 6, 2024, at the age of 95. His architectural firm, Maki and Associates, officially announced his demise. The news of Mr. Maki’s death reverberated across the globe, with obituaries appearing in esteemed publications such as the Washington Post, New York Times, and CNN, as well as prominent architectural websites like Architectural Record, World Architects, and Architect’s Newspaper.
The occasion in January 2005 was the award of the Vincent Scully Prize to Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
Stepping into the building, I found myself in the presence of Bruno Freschi, the architect behind the exquisite Ismaili Centre Vancouver, which had opened its doors in 1985. Just a few steps away stood Mawlana Hazar Imam, accompanied by Fumihiko Maki and Firoz Rasul, the President of the Aga Khan Council for Canada. It was a rare and profound moment, as Bruno had expressed his desire to meet both Mawlana Hazar Imam and Fumihiko Maki in person. I took the initiative and introduced Bruno to Rasul. In a later interview, Bruno shared his gratitude: “His Highness introduced me to Mr. Maki, and it was here that he again thanked me and said that the Jamatkhana (Ismaili Centre Vancouver) was indeed one of his favourite buildings. He encouraged Mr Maki to visit the building.”
Witnessing two remarkable architects with Mawlana Hazar Imam was a touching moment. The memory of that encounter is etched in my heart, a testament to the profound impact it had on me.
Buildings designed by Fumihiko Maki for His Highness the Aga Khan. Top: Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, Ottawa (2008), and the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (2014); bottom, Aga Khan Centre, London (2018).
We honour the renowned architect, Fumihiko Maki, by presenting links to photographs of three beautiful projects that he built for Mawlana Hazar Imam — the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat building in Ottawa which was opened on December 9, 2008, as the Ismaili community marked the completion of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto which was opened on September 14, 2014, and the Aga Khan Centre in London which was inaugurated on June 26, 2018. We invite you to visit the links provided.
For each of these projects, Mawlana Hazar Imam made remarks on Fumihiko Maki. We publish a selection of the speech excerpts as part of Simerg’s tribute to Mr. Maki.
His Highness the Aga Khan on Fumihiko Maki’s Projects for the Ismaili Imamat
(1) The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building, Sussex Drive, Ottawa
Remarks by the Aga Khan at the Foundation Ceremony of the Delegation Building, Ottawa, June 6, 2005
“The architectural planning [of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building] has been entrusted to the capable hands of Fumihiko Maki, an architect of world standing. Maki and Associates have my enthusiastic admiration for addressing, with tact and empathy, challenges of design which are difficult and subtle. They call for translating concepts that have a context in our faith and our history, yet stride boldly and confidently ahead, into modernity; for expressing both the exoteric and the esoteric, and our awe and humility towards the mysteries of Nature, Time and beyond. The outcome is an inter-play of multiple facets, like rock crystal. In it are platforms of pure but translucent horizontality. Light’s full spectrum comes alive and disappears as the eye moves. In Islam the divine is reflected in Nature’s creation. The building will rest on a solid linear granite podium. Above it will be a glass dome through which light will illuminate, from multiple directions, two symbolic spaces: an interior atrium and an exterior courtyard landscaped in four quarters, recalling the traditional Persian — Islamic garden, the Chahr-bagh. Nature, through the greenery of trees and flowers, will be on the site, but also in the building, just as we are sometimes able to see leaves and petals captured in rock crystal, but still visible through its unique translucency.
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Exterior view, at night, of the entrance to the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat on Sussex Drive in Ottawa, Canada. – Photo: AKDN/Gary Otte
“The building will be a metaphor for humanism and enlightenment and for the humility that comes from the constant search for answers that leads inevitably to more questions. The Delegation, with its openness and transparency, will be a symbolic seat for the Imamat’s permanent presence in Canada, and a platform for constructive exchanges that mutually broaden moral and intellectual horizons. It will be a window for the AKDN to reinforce existing, and cultivate new, partnerships with national and international agencies present in Ottawa, that share the ethic of contributing to an improved quality of life in the developing world.”
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(2) The Aga Khan Museum, Wynford Drive, Toronto
Fumihiko Maki and Gary Kamemoto of Maki & Associates review cladding stone for the Aga Khan Museum with His Highness the Aga Khan, October 2010. Photograph: The Ismaili.
(I) Remarks by the Aga Khan at the Inauguration of the Spirit and Life Exhibition, Ismaili Centre London, June 12, 2007
“What we see here today is the nucleus of the Islamic art collections of the future Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. This museum, which is being designed by the renowned Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, is conceived as a primarily educational institution in the field of Islamic art and culture, a specific mandate that is not fulfilled so far by other North American museums. We hope and trust it will contribute to a deeper understanding among cultures — to the strengthening of true cultural pluralism — which is increasingly essential to peace, and to progress, in our world.”
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(II) Remarks by the Aga Khan at the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park, Toronto, May 28, 2010,
“I should emphasise, as well, that the Museum building itself will be an important work of art — designed by the great Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki. Many of you know his superb building in Ottawa that has been the home for the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat since 2008.
“That Delegation building was inspired by the evanescent mysteries of rock crystal. The new Toronto Museum will take as its theme the concept of light — suffusing the building from a central courtyard, through patterned glass screens. From the outside, it will glow by day and by night, lit by the sun and the moon.
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Fumihiko Maki and Gary Kamemoto of Maki & Associates review materials for the exterior finish of the Aga Khan Museum with Prince Amyn Aga Khan in October 2010. Photograph: The Ismaili.
“From the outside, it will glow by day and by night, lit by the sun and the moon. This use of light speaks to us of the Divine Light of the Creator, reflected in the glow of individual human inspiration and vibrant, transparent community. As the poet Rumi has written: “The light that lights the eye is also the light of the heart… but the light that lights the heart is the Light of God.”
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(III) Remarks by the Aga Khan on the Aga Khan Museum at the Opening of the Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, September 12, 2014
“The fusion of tradition and modernity which this building achieves, and the blend of spiritual, educational and social objectives that it embodies, have also characterised our other Ismaili Centres — in Vancouver, London, Lisbon, Dubai, and Dushanbe. All of them were designed by architects of great international standing, and, I would emphasise, of great multi-cultural sensitivity.
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Fumihiko Maki and His Highness the Aga Khan discuss the glass finish options for the courtyard walls of the Aga Khan Museum in October 2010. Photograph: The Ismail
“Charles Correa, for example, comes from an Indian background and has also designed Hindu and Christian buildings. The architect for our Vancouver Centre 30 years ago was Bruno Freschi, whose family is of Italian background, and whose earlier work had included a Sikh place of worship. The new Aga Khan Park was designed by an architect of Lebanese heritage, Vladimir Djurovic. And the Aga Khan Museum is the work of a superb Japanese professional, Fumihiko Maki. How pleased we are that all of these fine artists are with us today.”
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The Aga Khan Centre, King’s Cross, London
“The Aga Khan Centre is the third project we have worked on with the distinguished architect Fumihiko Maki, a master of form and light” — His Highness the Aga Khan, quoted on Aga Khan Centre website
Gary Kamemoto and Professor Maki of Maki & Associates, the architects of the Aga Khan Centre, at the Aga Khan Centre Library.
Remarks by the Aga Khan at the inauguration of the Aga Khan Centre, June 5, 2018
“We celebrate today a beautiful new architectural accomplishment. This place has been shaped by many diverse influences — and among them we now welcome the rich traditions of Islamic architecture. One of those traditions – one that is appreciated by both the Islamic and the British cultures – is the special importance of the garden. We see the garden not merely as an adjunct to other constructions, but as a privileged space unto itself.
“And that is why I have emphasised, since our role began here in 2010, my own hope that the value of garden spaces should be embraced here. As we perambulate together through these spaces today, I trust that you will share my delight in seeing how that hope has been fulfilled. What we will see as we walk along are not only beautiful buildings — but also a unique series of gardens, courtyards and terraces – eight of them, in all, across our two buildings. Each one of them, moreover, has a distinctive identity: each one is inspired by a different region of the Islamic Ummah.
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On Tuesday, June 26, 2018, HRH The Prince of Wales, now His Majesty King Charles, opened The Aga Khan Centre in King’s Cross in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan. Situated at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, the Aga Khan Centre, designed by Maki and Associates, led by Fumihiko Maki, one of Japan’s most distinguished contemporary architects, provides a new home for a number of UK based organisations founded by His Highness the Aga Khan: The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC) and the Aga Khan Foundation UK (AKF UK).
“Taken together, this winding ribbon of special spaces is an eloquent tribute to the rich diversity of the Muslim world. As we open this remarkable site, it is a privilege to salute those who have brought us to this moment. I would recognise, in particular, our fine relationship with the government of this borough, this city, and this country, as well as our rewarding partnership with the people at Argent. We are grateful, as well, for the talents of Maki and Associates, Allies and Morrison, Madison Cox and Nelson Byrd Woltz, as well as Rasheed Araeen and the late Karl Schlamminger. I would also like to thank our splendid team of staff and volunteers, including my brother Prince Amyn, who have stewarded this project to completion.”
Date posted: June 13, 2024.
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Please visit the Maki and Associates website for Professor Maki’s biography and curriculum vitae, which summarize his education, professional affiliations, and worldwide recognitions and awards.
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