“There are many ways to serve,” Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, assured award-winning Ismaili scholar

29 September 2025

Abstract: In this expanded version of his original article, which was published in the February 2025 issue of the Institute of Ismaili Studies Alumni Newsletter, Professor Karim writes about the subtle dynamics between the Imam-of-the-Time and those in his service, an insight he gained from his personal interactions with Mawlana Shah Karim Shah, who appointed him to the leadership of the Institute of Ismaili Studies. The article not only describes the contemporary dynamics but also emphasizes the enduring historical significance of truth, faith, piety, and proper management in Ismaili administration, instilling a sense of tradition and continuity.

By KARIM H. KARIM

To be asked by Mawlana Shah Karim (1936-2025) to lead the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) was an exceptional honour. The London-based IIS is unique among the large number of institutions that His Late Highness Aga Khan IV and 49^th Nizari Ismaili Imam established in his Imamat of 67 years (July 11, 1957, to February 4, 2025). Its management demands a nuanced understanding of the academic and communal spheres which intersect within it. The Imam’s invitation to me in 2009 felt like the culmination of a long relationship with the Institute, where I had been a student, a research collaborator and a senior visiting scholar over the previous two and a half decades. I stepped down from my position as Director of Carleton University’s renowned School of Journalism and Communication and headed for London.

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1975 Ismailia Association Conference Aga Khan Establish Institute of Ismaili Studies, Simerg — The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) owes its establishment to the leadership and vision of Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV. Along with leaders of the Ismailia Association and Ismaili scholars, a momentous decision was made to establish the IIS at a conference held in April 1975 in Paris. This decision, which carries the weight of history, was a pivotal moment for the Ismaili community. The IIS was formally established on December 13, 1977, through a Talika (written holy message) that His Late Highness sent to his worldwide community. Photograph: Ilm magazine, October 1975.

Before joining the IIS as Co-Director, it had been my privilege to give seva (service) to jamati (community) institutions in Kenya, USA, UK and Canada. I had also conducted research for Aga Khan Foundation Canada and been a correspondent for Compass News Features, a media agency which Mawlana Shah Karim founded in Luxembourg. The Aga Khan University (AKU) had asked me in 2007 to serve on an international “Thinking Group,” comprising prominent professors and senior journalists who were tasked with exploring the possibility of establishing a Graduate School of Media and Communications. Several months into the deliberations, Aga Khan IV, the university’s founding chancellor, informed us that he would meet with us in Washington, DC. We were assembled in a room when His Highness walked in, wearing a sling on his right arm because of a skiing accident a few weeks prior. He went around the table, smiling and graciously greeting each person. Having led the highly successful Nation media organization in East Africa since the late 1950s, he spoke about the media business and journalism education. With Kenya’s post-election violence fresh in his mind, the Imam shared insights about how the corruption of journalists and media owners contributed to social instability. The distinguished group was impressed with the breadth and depth of his knowledge and left with a deepened scope of considerations. Some seven graduate AKU schools had been planned but only the Graduate School of Media and Communications in Nairobi proceeded to establishment. I was thankful that Mawlana Shah Karim gave me the opportunity to contribute to my country of birth in this manner.

It was September 2009 when I arrived in London from Ottawa, Canada, to assume the IIS’s co-directorship. A few weeks later, Mawlana Shah Karim invited the Aga Khan Development Network’s Higher Education Forum, of which I was a member, to a dinner meeting at his secretariat in Aiglemont, France. The Forum also included the senior leadership of Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan University, the University of Central Asia, Aga Khan Academies, and Aga Khan Education Services. According to the arrangements that the Imam had determined, Azim Nanji, the preceding IIS director, was to be seated on Mawlana Shah Karim’s left-hand side and I on his right. This was a remarkable honour for Azim Nanji, me and the IIS. The Imam entered the room, greeting us warmly. Attendees took their seats but, feeling daunted, I hesitated. Mawlana Shah Karim kindly gestured for me to sit next to him. The participants presented project updates about which the Imam asked probing questions. He was gracious about shortcomings and made suggestions on dealing with challenges. After the meeting came to a close, Mawlana Shah Karim looked at me and told me not to hesitate to contact him should the need arise. I felt humbled and immensely grateful.

“I was convinced that it was vital for individuals tasked with responsibilities to be entirely transparent with Mawlana Shah Karim even if it produced discomfort for oneself and others in the room. Therefore, I became resolute in speaking up — at the risk of being marginalized — when I saw things to be amiss. Mawlana Shah Karim’s positive responses to my carefully considered interventions were very encouraging.” — Karim H Karim

It was my good fortune to have a number of interactions with the 49^th Imam. He upheld very high standards and asked the same of others. Mawlana Shah Karim expected accurate information and frankness, especially when goals had not been met. Having thoroughly read the papers submitted in advance of meetings he inquired into specifics and gave discerning guidance. From time to time, as the discussion was flowing in a particular direction, I would ask myself whether it was appropriate for me to offer contrary observations and critical thoughts on vital points. It turned out that Mawlana Shah Karim appreciated such interventions, which I sought to conduct in a thoughtful and respectful manner. He was also kind in tolerating my errors, gently directing me towards correcting them. This helped me understand more clearly the subtle dynamics of interaction between the Imam and those in his service.

Around a thousand years ago, da‘i Ahmed al-Naysaburi’s writings reminded Fatimid administrators that the Imam-of-the-Time depends on them for the ethical governance of his community, failing which “chaos will reign.” He was extremely concerned that influential officials had become preoccupied with their own power and privilege rather prioritizing knowledge of the faith (ilm), piety (taqwa) and proper administration (siyasa), the fundamental principles by which the Imamat’s institutions should abide. The more meetings I attended with Mawlana Shah Karim the more it became apparent that he was not always receiving the complete picture, especially when conflicts of interests were involved or when things had not turned out according to expectations. Qadi al-Nu‘man, who was a close confidant of several Fatimid Imams, advised those who interacted with the Imam: “Let us speak the truth and hide nothing from the Imams.” I was convinced that it was vital for individuals tasked with responsibilities to be entirely transparent with Mawlana Shah Karim even if it produced discomfort for oneself and others in the room. Therefore, I became resolute in speaking up — at the risk of being marginalized — when I saw things to be amiss. Mawlana Shah Karim’s positive responses to my carefully considered interventions were very encouraging.

However, adverse organizational currents began to generate a disabling environment for me. I strived to deal with the changing situation, but it became increasingly problematic to carry out my duties. Being under intense stress, I was compelled to review my position and consider the possibility of moving back to Canada. This presented an extremely difficult situation: it was my Imam who had personally selected me for the leadership role in his vital institution, and I felt deeply distressed that I would be letting him down. After several long weeks of agonizing, I wrote to him seeking guidance. Mawlana Shah Karim’s personal assistant contacted me to arrange a telephone call. I waited anxiously in my office as the time arrived. The phone rang, and the assistant informed me that the Imam was on the line.

Mawlana Shah Karim greeted me affectionately and he mentioned a current international issue which we discussed briefly. Turning to the matter at hand, he said that he understood the organizationally problematic nature of the situation and appreciated the difficulty of the circumstances for me. The Imam told me that it was my decision to stay or to leave and that he would be fine with whatever I decided. Mawlana Shah Karim assured me that “there are many ways to serve.” These words, expressed with paternal care, lifted an enormous weight from my shoulders. Following considerable further reflection, I wrote to the Imam of my decision to return to Canada. Upon settling back in Ottawa, I continued to provide service to Imamat institutions like the Central Asian and Aga Khan universities and was immensely pleased with Mawlana Shah Karim’s continued positive responses to my recommendations.

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Professor Karim H. Karim holding the first Alumni Recognition Award that was presented to him by the Institute of Ismaili Studies on March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre London. The sculpture was designed by Mohammed Adra (AKDN Geneva) and is inspired by Karl Shlaminger’s Hepta Globe sculpture, which is placed at the entrance of the Aga Khan Centre in London. — Professor Karim H. Karim, the author of this piece and a respected member of our academic and Ismaili community, was awarded the first Alumni Recognition Award by the Institute of Ismaili Studies. This prestigious honour, presented to him on March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre London, is a testament to his exceptional service, leadership, positive impact, and professional excellence. Photograph: The Institute of Ismaili Studies via Karim H. Karim.

Mawlana Shah Karim’s words from the phone call shaped the direction of my subsequent service to the Imamat and the community. While at the IIS, I had published a chapter on Ismailis in Canada in a book that my fellow Co-Director Farhad Daftary edited. This was the beginning of a series of writings on the contemporary community, which I am analyzing from the basis of my research and institutional service. The insights gained from these sources have strengthened my conviction about the vital importance of upholding intellectual rigour and professional ethics in studying the community, its organizations and its leadership. I draw from my academic training as well as my religious commitment to truth in this endeavour. It is of great significance to me that the original and authentic name of the Imamat’s movement is “Da‘wat al-Haqq” — Invitation to Truth — which has involved critical self-reflection on the part of the community’s intellectuals in their endeavour to uphold its integrity.

At the grand Diamond Jubilee Darbar in Lisbon in July 2018, Mawlana Shah Karim asked his murids (committed aspirants) to be da‘is (summoners to truth). As mentioned above, Ismaili da‘is like al-Nu‘man and al-Naysaburi provided corrective guidance to officers of the Fatimid state who lapsed ethically from time to time. Administrators are under pressure to deliver on commitments and tend on occasion to adopt means that diverge, often unknowingly, from the tradition’s ethical precepts. It is vital that there be an intellectual counterpoint in the contemporary community that discusses ethical adherence with the institutional structure just as al-Nu‘man, al-Naysaburi and other da‘is did in their time. Upon discussing this matter with a former president of the Aga Khan Ismaili Council for Canada, I learned that Mawlana Shah Karim advised community leaders to engage in productive discourse with the independent voices of sincere murids.

My writings and oral discourses, which seek to offer respectful and carefully considered communal self-critique, elicit considerable discussion and feedback. A conference paper that I delivered in 2022 at the IIS on the challenges of ethical propriety in Ismaili institutions generated intense debate, with scholars and students variously agreeing and disagreeing with me. I am heartened that many scholars cite my writings on contemporary Ismaili topics in their academic publications. However, I consider the platforms of independent and autonomous Ismaili communal media like Simerg to be the most viable venues for sharing analysis and engaging in discussion with the community and its leadership.

Mawlana Shah Karim’s advice that “there are many ways to serve” has constantly inspired and motivated me to pursue a path that may be occasionally contentious but constantly and sincerely strives to respond to the da‘wa’s call to truth. It was extremely humbling and encouraging that in 2024 the IIS endowed me with an award for “exceptional service, leadership, positive impact and professional excellence.”

Date posted: September 29, 2025.

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Professor Karim H. Karim speaking at an event, holding a microphone and wearing a gray suit.

About the author: Karim H. Karim is a Chancellor’s Professor at Carleton University in Canada. He has served as Co-Director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies and as Director of Carleton University’s Centre for the Study of Islam and its School of Journalism and Communication. Professor Karim is a prize-winning, interdisciplinary scholar whose publications have received worldwide acclaim. The Ismaili Imamat, the Government of Canada, the Institute of Ismaili Studies and civil society organizations have granted him honours.

Featured photo at the top of the post: Professor Karim H Karim delivering his remarks on March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre in London upon being presented with the Inaugural Alumni Recognition from the Institute of Ismaili Studies. Photograph: Institute of Ismaili Studies via Karim H. Karim.

If you have feedback on this piece, please click LEAVE A COMMENT. Also, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the diverse and extensive range of articles by clicking on TABLE OF CONTENTS. We also invite you to visit our sister websites, Barakah and Simergphotos. You can stay updated by following the editor, Malik Merchant, @Facebook, @X and @LinkedIn.

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Articles contributed by Karim H Karim on Simerg and its sister websites:

Passings: Long-serving Ismaili educator and research scholar Sadrudin Kassamali Hassam passes away in London, England, aged 88

25 March 2025

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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 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 Aga Khan and Sadrudin Hassam — *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 with Ismailia Association leadership — 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 with ITREB leadership and colleagues — 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.

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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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The late Aga Khan’s words of inspiration transformed an idea into a unique museum in Canada: A personal reflection

9 March 2025

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By ALNOOR JEHANGIR MERCHANT

Monday, January 21st, 1998, is etched in my memory and will remain with me always. The British Museum had organised a special evening ceremony for the opening of the exhibition of Islamic and Indian paintings from the collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan titled Princes, Poets and Paladins.

On this occasion, our 49th Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim Shah, his younger brother Prince Amyn, and other members of Mawlana Shah Karim’s family were also present. At the time, I was Senior Librarian at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), London.

Hi Highness the Aga Khan with his younger brother Prince Amy at the British Museum — Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV, with his younger brother Prince Amyn, at the opening ceremony of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan’s major exhibition on miniature paintings at the British Museum, London; January 21, 1998. Photograph: Dr Fahmida Suleman collection.

During the evening, Fahmida Suleman, who was on a joint curatorial internship at the IIS Library and the British Museum and had assisted the curator at the British Museum, Dr Sheila Canby, with various aspects of the exhibition, had mentioned about her wish to meet the Imam. As I had spoken to Mawlana Shah Karim earlier that evening, I thought it appropriate to introduce Fahmida to the Imam. We approached the Imam, who was in conversation with Prince Amyn and his family members, with a sense of both nervousness and excitement. The Imam was most gracious and pleased to meet Fahmida, and of her involvement with the curatorial aspects of the exhibition. [Today, Dr Fahmida Suleman is the Senior Curator of the Islamic World collections at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.]

Princes, Poets and Paladins an exhibition at the British Museum of th collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan — The front cover of the catalogue of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan’s collection of Islamic paintings exhibited at the British Museum between January 22 to April 12, 1998, and later at other museums worldwide. The catalogue was prepared by Sheila Canby.

Having, in late 1997, rejoined the IIS Library with the task of expanding its Ismaili collections, I had been thinking of developing a proposal for a ‘Museum of Ismaili Heritage’ and felt it would be worth seeking the Imam’s views on this. Responding to the idea during my meeting with him at the British Museum, Mawlana Shah Karim stressed that the Imam’s immediate priority was to assist and safeguard Ismaili communities in different parts of the world that were experiencing severe hardship and difficulties. However, the Imam did not consider the idea not worthy of attention, emphasizing that if a proposal was developed, it should have both a very strong, solid foundation and a long-term vision; all too often, the Imam remarked, proposals lacked one or the other. These words of Mawlana Shah Karim remained with me as I made my way to The Ismaili Centre, South Kensington; it was Lailat-ul-qadr, and during the rest of the night, I reflected upon the Imam’s words.

January 22, 1998: Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV, Visits the Institute of Ismaili Studies

Aga Khan greets Alnoor Merchant — Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV, being introduced by Dr. Duncan Haldane to Alnoor Merchant, author of this piece, and other library staff on his visit to the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) Library, January 22, 1998. Photograph: (Late) Sadruddin Verjee.

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Aga Khan visits IIS library — Dr. Duncan Haldane, left, shows Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV, a collection of manuscripts, coins and other rare artifacts at the IIS Library. Looking on are Dr. Aziz Esmail, Mr. Zauhar Meghji, Dr. Shafik Sachedina, and Alnoor Merchant; January 22, 1998. Photograph: (Late) Sadruddin Verjee.

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Aga Khan with IIS library members — Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV (in conversation) with Dr. Duncan Haldane, and library staff: Alnoor Merchant, Khadija Lalani, Fahmida Suleman and Luisa Zenobi at the IIS Library; January 22, 1998. Photograph: (Late) Sadruddin Verjee.

Tuesday, January 22nd, 1998 was also a very important and special day. The Imam was coming to the new premises of the Institute of Ismaili Studies at Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria, for the annual Board meeting. During a break, Mawlana Shah Karim visited the Library, and viewed a selection of rare documents and manuscripts, photographs, coins and seals. After viewing the exhibits, the Imam graciously accepted to write a message for the Library:

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Aga Khan writing a message for the IIS Libarry — *Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV, writes a message during his visit to the Library of The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London; January 22, 1998. Photograph: (Late) Sadruddin Verjee.*

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An image of Mawlana Shah Karim His Highness the Aga Khan's message when he visited the library of the Institute of Ismaili Studies; January 22, 1998. — *Mawlana Shah Karim His Highness the Aga Khan’s message, which he is seen writing in the previous photograph, during his visit to the library of the Institute of Ismaili Studies; January 22, 1998.*

Text of Mawlana Shah Karim’s message

“It is an inspiring moment to visit this library at such an important time in its history: from a small and frail past it is now growing into an historical and intellectual force — may this continue successfully. Aga Khan. 22nd January 1998.”

The previous evening’s remarks and the message of the Imam reverberated in my mind for several days. I shared my thoughts about the notion of a museum with Dr Duncan Haldane, the Head of the Library. Subsequently, over several months, we worked together on developing a proposal, and, in the autumn of 1998, submitted a document titled The Institute of Ismaili Studies Library: Towards a Museum of Ismaili Heritage to the Director’s office.

In December 1998, Dr. Shafik Sachedina, Governor at the IIS, requested that a condensed, shorter version of the proposal be prepared; subsequently a 12-page document was sent to Dr. Sachedina for submission to Mawlana Shah Karim.

A few weeks later, in early 1999, Dr. Sachedina informed us that the Imam had approved the proposal, guiding that it should not be limited to Ismaili heritage, but that it encompass all the arts of the Islamic world.

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Aga Khan's acquisition of Bifolium from the Blue Qur’an — *Bifolium from the Blue Qur’an acquired by Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan, in April 1999 for the future Aga Khan Museum.*

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Fatimid biconical bead acquired by Mawlana Shah Karim in April 1999 for the future Aga Khan Museum. [Image from AKM website.] — *Fatimid biconical bead acquired by Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan, in April 1999 for the future Aga Khan Museum. Photograph: The website of the Aga Khan Museum.*

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Aga Khan Museum, Wynford Drive, Toronto. Please clock on image for story and photographs — The Aga Khan Museum, 77 Wynford Drive, Toronto, was inaugurated on September 12, 2014 by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan (d. February 4, 2025) and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Photograph: Malik Merchant / Simerg.

With the acquisition of a bifolium from the Blue Qur’an, and a biconical bead from the Fatimid period — both from the collection of Rasool and Neema Verjee of Toronto, Canada — thus began the unique journey towards a museum of Islamic art that, fifteen years later, with Mawlana Shah Karim’s inspiration, guidance, commitment and support, culminated in the inauguration of the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, on September 12, 2014.

On a personal level, over the past decades, Mawlana Shah Karim has been my lighthouse, inspiring and guiding me in my work for the Imam-of-the-Time and the Imamat. And the words of our beloved 50th Imam, Mawlana Shah Rahim, on the occasion of his Takht-nishini in Lisbon on February 11, 2025, “…your Imam is with you, and you are with the Imam…” are beacons of light that continue to guide and inspire me.

Date posted: March 9, 2025.

Note: A version of this post appears on our sister website, Barakah, which is dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan.

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About the author: Alnoor Jehangir Merchant is a librarian, curator and independent researcher based in London. Between 1987 and 2012 – a period extending nearly twenty-five years – Alnoor was instrumental in developing the collections of the Library of The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), London, acquiring and cataloguing materials – rare books, manuscripts, documents, coins – relating to all aspects of Ismaili studies; these are now part of the Ismaili Special Collections Unit (ISCU). Alnoor served as Head of the IIS Library from 2009 to 2012.

Besides his extensive experience in Library operations, Alnoor played a significant role, over nearly two decades, in the acquisition of artefacts and manuscripts for the Ismaili Imamat, a majority of which are presently housed at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto.

Over the past decade, with his wide-ranging knowledge and understanding of Islamic studies and the cultures of Islam, Alnoor has advised museums, libraries and private individuals on artworks, manuscripts, rare books and coins relating to the Islamic world. Besides his research interests on various aspects of Ismaili history and material culture, Alnoor continues to be involved with work for the Ismaili Imamat and its institutions.

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“Let the Truth Infuse Your Words:” A Reflection by Professor Karim H. Karim as the Institute of Ismaili Studies Presents Him the Inaugural Alumni Recognition Award

18 April 2024

Citation Honouring Karim H. Karim on Being the First Recipient of the IIS’s Alumni Recognition Award

The citation for the award read as follows:

“Professor Karim has an extensive record of over three decades of scholarship, service, and leadership. His designation as Chancellor’s Professor is the highest honour given by Carleton University for scholarship of outstanding merit with substantial international impact, research leadership and continued active participation in the development of research excellence. Professor Karim has a worldwide reputation as a leading scholar of media representations of Muslims and diasporic communications. He has had visiting appointments at Harvard, Aga Khan, and Simon Fraser universities. Professor Karim has delivered keynote addresses in several countries and his critically acclaimed publications are cited widely. He was the inaugural winner of the Robinson Book Prize and has received media coverage in six continents.

“Dr. Karim has served as Director of Carleton’s renowned School of Journalism and Communication and its Centre for the Study of Islam, respectively. He was also the Institute of Ismaili Studies’ first alumnus to lead it in a directorial capacity. He spearheaded founding initiatives on Accessibility to Digitized Collections and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation as a Senior Policy Officer in the Canadian Government, which endowed him with awards for exceptional public service and for fostering collaboration between ethno-religious communities.

“Karim has an extensive record of international service to academic, community, government, and civil society institutions, including Aga Khan University (Kenya) and Central Asian University; AKDN Higher Education Forum; Canadian Parliamentary Committees and government boards; and Ismaili community organizations (Kenya, USA, and Canada). He has also held an International Ismaili Studies Conference at Carleton University; founded a prize for research in Ismaili Studies’ understudied aspects; and has been a mentor and external Ph.D. examiner for IIS alumni.”

We take this opportunity to congratulate Professor Karim on his accomplishments over the past several decades and on receiving the First Alumni Recognition Award from the Institute of Ismaili Studies. We are proud to have published several of his pieces on our websites (follow the links below).

Below are excerpts from his acceptance speech upon receiving the IIS’s inaugural Alumni Recognition Award.

“Let the Truth Infuse Your Words”

Institute of Ismaili Studies inaugural alumni award to Karim H Karim — Professor Karim H Karim delivering his remarks on March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre in London upon being presented Inaugural Alumni Recognition from the Institute of Ismaili Studies. Photograph: Institute of Ismaili Studies via Karim H. Karim.

By KARIM H. HARIM
March 23, 2024, Ismaili Centre, London

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.

I would like to thank the Institute of Ismaili Studies for selecting me as the recipient of its inaugural Alumni Recognition Award. This is a profound honour, which takes me back 40 years when I was a student at the IIS. This beautiful building, the Ismaili Centre London, was under construction at that time.

Congratulations to all the GPISH and STEP students who have graduated today. You carry enormous potential and promise. Allow me to speak about an event in my life that underlined the long-term impact that an individual can have. I attended the funeral of Professor Amin Amershi, a mathematician, two weeks ago in Vancouver. He taught me one class as a guest lecturer in a religious class in Nairobi, when I was 12 years old. It was a singular experience that opened my mind and sparked my imagination because his explanations had the ring of truth. I have found it remarkable that I continue to think about his ideas some 55 years later. You, too, have the potential of a long-lasting impact that will span decades and range as far into the future as the 22^nd century. Let the truth infuse your words.

As you may know, our tradition adopted the name “Ismaili” in the early 20^th century. Prior to that it was called Da’wat al-Haqq — which means Invitation to Truth, Summons to Truth, or Mission of Truth. In India, the Pirs named it Satpanth — Path of Truth or the True Path. Our aspiration is to have truth manifest our worldview and actions. It underpins our ethical outlook.

We are thrown many challenges throughout our lives. We face success, failure, joy, and frustration. The organizations that we work for pressure us to get the job done and we are often tempted to take shortcuts in order to fulfill expectations. But this is where critical thinking, which you have discussed extensively in your studies, becomes pertinent. How does one balance the imperative to get the job done, on the one hand, and remain ethical, on the other? His Highness the Aga Khan, Mowlana Hazar Imam, instructed the community’s leaders at a gathering in the United States in 1986, that “we will ask the hard questions.” Fulfilling your tasks ethically is one of the hard issues that you will face constantly in your careers.

Let the truth infuse your words, your music, your art, and your actions as you go ahead to fulfill your potential and promise.

Date posted: April 17, 2024.

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Featured image at top of post: Professor Zayn Kassam, the current director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, presents the inaugural IIS Alumni Recognition Award to Professor Karim H. Karim during the IIS’s 2024 graduation ceremony, March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre in London. Photograph: Farid Daya.

The following are links to articles by Karim H. Karim published in Simerg and its sister websites:

Aitmadi Dr. Aziz Rajabali Kurwa, Long Serving Ismaili Leader, Passes Away in Calgary, Aged 91

14 March 2024

19 Comments

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 Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.

By MALIK MERCHANT
Calgary, Alberta

It is with deep sadness that I inform readers that Aitmadi Dr. Aziz Rajabali Kurwa of Mumbai, India, London, England, and Calgary, Canada, passed away peacefully in Calgary on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at the age of 91. Dr. Kurwa’s wife, Aitmadibanoo Shirin Aziz Kurwa (d. December 2016), and his two brothers, Ramzan and Mohammedally, predeceased him.

Surviving Dr. Kurwa are his three children and their respective spouses, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. They are daughter Khadeeja and her husband Steven Emmerson, and their two children, Adam and Daniel; daughter Laila and her husband Rahim Arstall and their two children, Nadia and Karim; and son Dr. Habib Kurwa and his wife Farzana and their two children, Khalil and Hassan. Laila’s daughter Nadia is Dr. Kurwa’s granddaughter, and with her husband Bob, they have two children, Rohan and Remi, making Dr. Kurwa a great-grandfather. Also surviving Dr. Kurwa is his younger brother, Dr. Badru Kurwa, an ophthalmologist in California.

Aitmadi Dr. Aziz Kurwa’s funeral will take place at Calgary’s South Jamatkhana on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at 11 AM. The funeral will be preceded by a dilsoji (condolences) to family members at the same Jamatkhana on Friday, March 15, after the evening ceremonies.

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*Aitmadi Dr. Aziz Rajabali Kurwa (d. March 13, 2024, aged 91)*

Dr. Aziz Kurwa was an exceptional and dedicated Ismaili leader who left an indelible mark on the community by pursuing excellence and implementing transformative programs and ideas in the United Kingdom. As someone who, with my late parents Alwaez Jehangir and Alwaeza Malek Merchant, served under Dr. Kurwa’s leadership as the President of the Ismailia Association for the United Kingdom (now known as the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board or ITREB), I have fond and special memories as I think of him. Still, there is one that was extraordinarily special. It is of the day in London, England, when he presented a framed set of 3 Fatimid coins to Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, at a student gathering in Olympia Hall during his weeklong visit in September 1979 to the Ismaili Jamat (community). Mawlana Hazar Imam looked at the gift with deep interest and admiration and responded as follows:

“Dr. Kurwa earlier, presented to me some coins from the Fatimid Caliphate. This was a period of great glory and great pride, and I would like to express to all my students my very deep gratitude for the gift that you have offered. It is a link to the past, but it is also an ideal to be achieved, an ideal of strength, an ideal of performance, an ideal of happiness.” (Excerpt from Ilm, Volume 4, Number 3).

Following the presentation, Dr. Kurwa brought the gift to the Ismaili Association’s literature counter for display for the benefit of the Jamat. This first-ever presentation of Fatimid coins to Mawlana Hazar Imam during his 22 years of Imamat from 1957 to 1979 raised the Jamat’s interest in the glory of the Fatimid Empire.

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Aga Khan presented with a gift of Fatimid Dinars by Aziz Kurwa 1979, Ismailia Association President — London, September 1979: Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, is seen receiving the report of the Ismailia Association’s Activity and a framed set of 3 Fatimid Gold Dinars from the President of the Association, Dr. Aziz Kurwa. The students Mukhi and Mukhiani are standing on either side in a volunteer’s uniform. Photo: Ilm magazine.

Aziz Rajabali Kurwa was born in Mumbai on December 1, 1932, and studied there until his medical graduation. He became involved with services to the Ismaili community at a very young age. As a college student, he helped revive a student society under the new name of Ismaili Students Education Society (ISES). The committee then undertook several initiatives, including organizing an arts and crafts exhibition in the city. Prince Aly Khan, who was then visiting Mumbai, very graciously accepted the committee’s invitation to inaugurate the exhibition.

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Aitmadi Aziz Kurwa and Aitmadibanoo Shirin Kurwa. Simerg passings tribute Malik Merchant — *Aitmadi Aziz Kurwa and Aitmadibanoo Shirin Kurwa. Photograph: Habib Kurwa family collection.*

Dr. Kurwa arrived in England in 1958. With his solid medical background from India, he went on to specialize as a dermatologist, obtaining FRCP(Edinburgh) and FRCP(London). Before Dr. Kurwa relocated to London, where he opened a dermatology clinic in the city’s famous medical district, Harley Street, he pursued his ambition of serving the Ismaili Jamat in Birmingham. He became the Mukhi (leader of the congregation) of the Jamat in 1970 and, together with his counterpart and other members of the Jamat, assisted in settling many Ismailis who arrived in the Midlands area as refugees from Uganda after their 1972 expulsion by Idi Amin.

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Aziz Kurwa, Jehangir Merchant, staff, and teachers and others of the Ismailia Association for the UK — Dr. Aziz Kurwa, President of the Ismaili Association for the U.K. between 1979 and 1985, is seated third from left and is pictured with the members, staff, and teachers who served under him. Photograph: Jehangir Merchant Family Collection.

When he opened his dermatology practice in London’s Harley Street, Dr. Kurwa continued to set his sights on serving the Ismaili community. He established a Jamatkhana in Purley, Surrey, and in 1979, he was appointed President of the Ismailia Association for the United Kingdom by Mawlana Hazar Imam.

As a visionary leader, he introduced the concept of Baitul Ilm, an Ismaili religious education program for children and youth, which continues to shape the U.K. and other worldwide Ismaili communities. He also championed the distribution of high-quality religious material in cassettes to remote Jamats in the U.K. He created a bilingual religious magazine, Al-Misbah, containing easy-to-follow religious material, stories for children, and readings for the Gujarati-speaking members of the Jamat.

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Al-Misbah magazine, Ismaili magazine, His Highness the Aga Khan — *The bi-lingual Gujarati-English Al-Misbah magazine was launched in the UK during Dr. Aziz Kurwa’s term as the President of the Ismailia Association for the UK.*

His support for adult education and the growth of the literature and library portfolios further underscored his commitment to the community. Waezin (sermon) activities grew multifold throughout the U.K. as did children’s activities and participation in the Jamatkhanas. Dr. Kurwa also ensured that missionaries in the U.K. would regularly travel to the widespread European Jamats to support their religious activities and interests. The highly acclaimed Ilm magazine, established in 1975, continued to prosper with increasing circulation in the U.K. and abroad. Such was the magazine’s reputation that in 1980, the magazine’s editor, my dad Jehangir, was invited by the Aga Khan Award for Architecture to attend the first Award Ceremony in Lahore. Sadly, he was unable to go.

After completing his two terms as the President of the Ismaili Association, Mawlana Hazar Imam, in 1986, chose him to be one of the resident governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, which Dr. Kurwa proudly served until 1995.

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dr kuwa poetic festival aga khan golden jubilee — Dr. Aziz Kurwa, producer and director of “The Festival of Poetic Expressions” speaking at the event which was held by the Ismaili Council for the UK in London, Manchester and Germany to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan Aga Khan.

Aziz Kurwa Aga Khan Ismailia Association President and organizer of festival of poetic expressions, Aga Khan Golden Jubilee, simerg insights from around the world, — Dr. Aziz Kurwa celebrates at the conclusion of “The Festival of Poetic Expressions” which was held by the Ismaili Council for the UK in London, Manchester and Germany to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan Aga Khan.

Dr. Kurwa continued relentlessly to participate in other activities within the community. He contributed in creating the Health Care Professional’s Association and reviving the Ismaili Seniors Club. His passion for the Baitul Ilm religious education program led him to organize poetry sessions for Ismaili children and seniors, the success of which led to the Festival of Poetic Expressions as a Golden Jubilee programme. The event was staged in London, Manchester and Germany. He invited Simerg to publish the poems on the website, which we proudly did. Dr. Kurwa also served as a member of the Executive Committee of The Association For The Study Of Ginans, a private initiative.

Dr. Kurwa, at the invitation of Simerg, contributed insightful and significant pieces for its three highly acclaimed series: I Wish I’d Been There (click Volunteering at the Dawn of the Age of Imamat), Thanking Ismaili Historical Figures (Thank You Letter to the Person of the Institution of the Ismaili Imamat) and The Jamatkhana (Happy Days in Hasanabad).

In his article on Volunteering at the Dawn of Imamat, Dr. Kurwa wrote: “In whatever position in the Jamat, in my heart, I am devoted to voluntary service, and in this article, I am making an effort to recognise that volunteer services have existed since the inception of Islam and Inshallah will continue to flourish in the Jamat as long as Imam-e-Zaman wishes it to be.”

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Dr Aziz Kurwa, dermatologist, Ismaili leader, Passings tribute — *All smiles as Aitmadi Dr. Aziz Kurwa is pictured with his son Dr. Habib Kurwa and his wife Farzana and their two children Khalil and Hassan. Photograph: Habib Kurwa family collection.*

Dr. Kurwa moved to Calgary, Canada, in 2017 following the demise of his beloved and wonderful wife, Aitmadibanoo Shirin Aziz Kurwa, in December 2016. He cherished the beautiful moments with his loving son, Dr. Habib Kurwa, and his family. I was honoured to visit my former president and to meet him in Jamatkhanas. My wish to see him on Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 3:30 PM never materialized. A day earlier, on March 13, Habib texted me mid-morning, “Ya Ali Madad – Dad passed away this morning.”

Allah most graciously granted Aitmadi Aziz Kurwa a peaceful, happy and healthy life — a life that was filled with service to the Ismaili community, its institutions and the Imam-of-the-Time

He was an extremely rare Ismaili leader who returned to serve the Jamat at the grassroots level in any capacity as long as it enabled him to contribute to the community’s upliftment.

Aitmadi Aziz Rajabali Kurwa was a gallant, humble leader and a devoted murid of Mawlana Hazar Imam. We pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace. Ameen. We further pray that his family may face this immense loss with great courage and fortitude.

Date posted: March 14, 2024.
Last updated: March 15, 2024 (reformatting and typos.)

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We invite you to submit your condolences, memories, and tributes to Aitmadi Dr. Aziz Kurwa by completing the feedback form below or clicking Leave a comment. Should you encounter technical issues or difficulties submitting your comment, please send it via email to mmerchant@simerg.com (subject Aziz Kurwa).

“The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History” – No Ismaili Family Should be Without this Book Portraying the Lives of their 49 Beloved Imams; Available at Jamatkhana Literature Counters in Canada and by Mail Through Simerg

22 February 2024

How to Purchase The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History from Simerg

Ismaili Imams by Farhad Daftary, the institute of Ismaili Studies, Biography including the Aga Khan, Simerg review — *Cover page of The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History by Farhad Daftary, Hardback, 260 pp., published October 2020, I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies.*

Ismaili individuals and families who live remotely or who do not have access to the book at their own Jamatkhana literature counters are advised to order Ismaili Imams through Simerg’s offer before the book is completely sold out.
The book will be sold at the same price as at Ismaili Jamatkhana literature counters across Canada. However, postage, package and handling charges of C$25.00 will be added to the book’s COST PRICE of C$23.00, for a total price of C$48.00. Note that each shipment will be sent via Canada Post’s expedited parcel post. A tracking number will be provided to track the shipment.
To inquire if the book is still available, and to order/reserve the book, please write to Malik Merchant of Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos at mmerchant@simerg.com. Please provide your full name, phone number and address where you can be reached. Simerg will contact you within 24 hours to verify your address and provide you with payment information. Please note that payments will only be accepted via Interac E-transfer or by cheque. The book will be shipped out within 24 hours upon receipt of the payment.
Each individual/family will be able to order a maximum of 2 copies, as Simerg’s stock is limited.

The details of The Ismaili Imams are highlighted in our previous post about the book.

Date posted: February 22, 2024.

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Have you read The Ismaili Imams? We want to hear from you. Please submit your feedback on the book by clicking on Leave a comment.

“The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History” by Farhad Daftary is a Priceless Book for Every Ismaili Home; Simerg is Pleased to Offer it for Sale to Ismaili Readers in Canada

17 February 2024

3 Comments

By MALIK MERCHANT

What arguably should have been among the first publications to be published by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) in London was ultimately published in October 2020, 43 years after its founding on December 13, 1977. The book, The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History, has now reached literature counters in Ismaili Jamatkhanas across Canada in larger quantities than the first stock that arrived in the midst of Covid-19, when the book quickly sold out. The long awaited book, in my humble opinion, should find a place in every Ismaili home and should be read by the youth and professionals in the Jamat.

Simerg is pleased to collaborate with the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB) for Canada to facilitate the sale and distribution of the The Ismaili Imams by mail to Ismailis in Canada who live remotely or who do not have easy access to Jamatkhana literature counters. The book will be sold at the same price as at literature counters, but postage, packing and shipping costs will be added. See details below.

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The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History by Farhad Daftary, Institute of Ismaili Studies — Top left: Great Mosque of Mahdiyya; top right: Title page and opening page of a manuscript of the Pandiyat-i javanmardi, a collection of the sermons of Imam Mustansir bi’llah; bottom left: Restored mausoleum of Imam Shah Nizar in Kahak; and Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, delivering a speech at the Global Centre for Pluralism, Ottawa. All Illustrations: The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History.

The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History has been authored by Farhad Daftary, a pre-eminent authority on Ismaili Studies, and author and editor of dozens of books and articles on Ismaili history and literature. Dr Daftary, who joined the IIS in 1988, became the head of its Department of Academic Research and Publications, and went on to become its co-director upon the departure of Dr Azim Nanji. Daftary finally stepped down from his management roles in 2022, and was succeeded as IIS director by Professor Zayn Kassam in January 2023.

On January 18, 2023, Dr Daftary was honoured in the presence of Prince Rahim at a special reception held in London. During the event, Prince Rahim announced that Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, had decided to acknowledge Dr Daftary’s contributions to the Institute by attaching his name to PhD Scholarships awarded by IIS. Prince Rahim also recognized Dr Daftary’s central role not only as a leader, but as the IIS’s most respected and productive scholar and author.

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The Ismaili Imams A Biographical History by Farhad Daftary, Intitute of Ismaili Studies, the first collection of biographies of all the Ismaili Imams — *Cover page of The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History by Farhad Daftary, Hardback, 260 pp., published October 2020, I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies.*

The Ismaili Imams is the first collection of biographies of all the Ismaili Imams, from the seminal Imams of early Shi’i Islam, through to those of the first ‘period of concealment’ when their public identities remained hidden, to the Imam-caliphs of the illustrious Fatimid dynasty, and those of the Alamut period, up to the Aga Khans of the modern period. The Ismaili Imams draws from the rich scholarship of the developing field of Ismaili Studies, providing a simple and clear resource for both the Ismailis themselves and for general readers, ensuring accessibility for all. This extensively illustrated book offers a snapshot of the lives, events, and legacies of all 49 Ismaili Imams, and through them, the Ismaili community’s storied past.

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The 260 page richly illustrated hardback volume features the 49 Ismaili Imams through the following nine sections: 1. The Ismaili Imamat in History; 2. The Early Imams (from Hazrat ‘Ali to Imam Muhammad b. Isma’il); 3. The Concealed Imams (Imam Wafi Ahmad to Imam Radi al-Din ‘Abd Allah); 4. The Early Fatimid Imam-Caliphs (from Imam al-Mahdi to Imam Nizar); 5. The Imams at Alamut (from Imam al-Hadi to Imam Rukn al-Din Khurshah); 6. The Early Imams after Alamut (Imam Shams al-Din Muhammad to Imam Muhammad b. Islam Shah); 7. The Imam of the Anjudan Period (Imam Mustansir bi’llah to Imam Khalil Allah ‘Ali); 8. The Imams in the Eighteenth Century (Imam Shah Nizar to Imam Shah Khalil Allah); and 9. The Imams in the Modern Age (Imam Shah Hasan ‘Ali Shah, Aga Khan I, to Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni, Aga Khan IV). The book ends with a four page glossary, select bibliography, and an index. The full contents page is available on the IIS website HERE.

How to Purchase The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History from Simerg

SOLD OUT: We do not have any more copies of the book in stock. Please check the availability of Ismaili Imams at the Jamatkhana literature counters in your respective countries, or buy it from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.

Simerg is pleased to facilitate the distribution of The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History in conjunction with ITREB Canada, to Ismaili addresses in Canada. Ismaili individuals and families who live remotely or who do not have access to the book at their own Jamatkhana literature counters, should take advantage of this offer before the book is completely sold out.
The book will be sold at the same cost price as at Ismaili Jamatkhana literature counters across Canada. However, postage, package and handling charges amounting to a total of C$25.00 will be added to the book’s COST PRICE of C$23.00, for a total payment price of C$48.00. Note that each shipment will be nicely packaged and sent via Canada Post’s expedited parcel post. A tracking number will be provided to track the shipment.
To order/reserve the book, please write to Malik Merchant of Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos at mmerchant@simerg.com. Please provide your full name, phone number and address where you can be reached. Simerg will contact you within 48 hours to verify your address and provide you with payment details. Please note that payments will only be accepted via Interac E-transfer or by cheque. The book will be shipped out immediately upon receipt of the payment.
Each individual/family will be able to order a maximum of 2 copies.

Over the past 14 years, Simerg has had the privilege and honour to support Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s books such as Animal Voyage, Diving Into Wildlife and The Living Sea. We are happy to collaborate with ITREB Canada in this new endeavour and look forward to serving members of the Ismaili community in this joint initiative. Ismaili readers should note that the book is available for purchase through online booksellers like Amazon, albeit at a higher price.

Date posted: February 17, 2024.
Last updated: August 16, 2025.

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Have you read The Ismaili Imams? We want to hear from you. Please submit your feedback on the book by clicking on LEAVE A COMMENT.

Vazir Amirali Bhatia, Former UK Aga Khan Council President, Passes Away at the Age of 91; and Lord Bhatia’s Reflections on Women, Religious Persecution, and Islam

16 January 2024

5 Comments

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 Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.

Vazir Amirali Bhatia (Lord Bhatia), March 1932 -- January 2024., Ismaili leader, Lord, UK Parliament — *A portrait of Late Vazir Amirali Bhatia (Lord Bhatia), March 1932 — January 2024. Photograph: Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence*

By MALIK MERCHANT

Amirali Alibhai Bhatia (b. March 18, 1932), a long-serving education administrator in the Imamat institutions of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, in Tanzania and the UK, as well President of the Aga Khan Council for the UK from the late 1970s until the early 1980s, has died in London, England, at the age of 91.

Mr. Bhatia was bestowed with the title of Vazir by Mawlana Hazar Imam during his tenure as the President of the UK Aga Khan Council. Mr. Bhatia also served as member of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, which was created by Mawlana Hazar Imam on December 13, 1977.

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Lord Bhatia giving speech in 1983 during the Aga Khan's Silver Jubilee. — Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, and Begum Salimah look on as Vazir Amir Bhatia, President of His Highness the Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the UK, addresses members of the community at the Aga Khan Council dinner in honour of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Silver Jubilee visit to the UK in July 1983. Photograph: Ismaili Forum, December 1983.

Aga Khan London Silver Jubilee 1983 — Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, addresses the new graduates at the University of London Institute of Education during his Silver Jubilee visit to the UK in July 1983. Seated in front row is Diwan Sir Eboo Pirbhai. Looking on, in the inset picture, are Amir Bhatia, President of the UK Aga Khan Council, and Anil Ishani, both of whom were members of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies. Photograph: Ismaili Forum, December 1983.

Mr. Bhatia was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997 for his numerous contributions in the UK, and was amongst the 15 peers appointed from 3000 nominations to the House of Lords in 2001 during Tony Blair’s term as the Prime Minister of the UK. He then took his seat in the House of Lords (The House of Lords is the upper chamber of the United Kingdom’s parliament. The members of the House of Lords are not elected by the public, but are appointed by the monarch, appointed by the Prime Minister, or are hereditary peers. To become a lord in the House of Lords, one can be appointed as a life peer by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.)

Mr. Bhatia was thereafter referred to as Lord Bhatia and actively contributed in the House (see excerpts from 3 of his more than 150 oral statements, below). He ceased to be a member of the House of Lords in 2023 due to non-attendance. Several years earlier, in 2010, Lord Bhatia was mired in a controversy when he was found to have broken the House’s expense rules. He was suspended from the House of Lords for eight months. Aside from this and another similar controversy a few years later, and his indifference to an important sister Ismaili Institution in the 1980s, Vazir Bhatia was an outstanding administrator, and a very organizerd, hard-working and conscientious leader. In one of his speeches made at an event in London attended by the editor during the mid 1970s, Vazir Bhatia spoke about his role as Tanzania’s education administrator. He said that when he assumed the position, he studied all the files from the mid 1930s onwards to learn about the developments that had taken place in the education sector within the Ismaili community. The late Vazir was meticulous in all his undertakings.

Lord Bhatia photograph of Mr and Mrs Merchant Aga Khan School Dr es Salaam — Mr. and Mrs. Merchant are pictured in front at left in this photograph submitted to Malik Merchant, editor of Simerg, by Lord Bhatia. Other recognizable faces in the photograph are Mr. Dina and Mr. and Mrs. Hasni Remtulla. Photograph: Lord Bhatia.

In recent years, Lord Bhatia was in touch with the editor of Simerg, commending him on his 3 websites, and also spoke to his mother, Mrs Merchant (d. 2021), to convey his condolences when her loving husband, Jehangir, died in 2018. To the editor’s surprise, Lord Bhatia shared a picture of Mr and Mrs Merchant when they were teachers at the Aga Khan Girls Secondary School in Dar es Salaam. Lord Bhatia wrote: “Dear Malic (sic): Here are some photos of your parents. I thought you would like them as you may not have them.” Indeed, I had never seen the photos before, and will treasure them for the rest of my life.

A very compact summary of Mr. Bhatia’s services is posted on the website of United Religions Initiative (URI). Readers are also invited to read an article published in 2004 in the UK Muslim magazine, Emel, entitled A Week in the Life of Lord Bhatia.

We convey our deepest condolences to the family of Vazir (Lord) Amirali Bhatia and pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace. Ameen.

We invite our readers to offer their condolences and tributes to Lord Bhatia by clicking on LEAVE A COMMENT

LORD BHATIA’S CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Lord Bhatia Ismaili leader — *Lord Bhatia, March 1932 — January 2024. Photograph: Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence*

As part of this brief tribute, Simerg researched the UK Parliamentary Hansard and found transcripts of some 167 spoken statements made by Lord Bhatia between 2013 and 2121 on a wide range of subjects. We have excerpts from 3 statements that are important to our readers; they show Lord Bhatia’s insights into important issues of the day.

1. Religious Persecution, July 11, 2019

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Elton, for initiating this timely debate on the persecution of people of faith in this century.

There are a number of national and international treaties on this subject; I will not repeat them because the noble Lord has already referred to them. Despite that, these treaties continue to be violated.

When I was introduced to the House of Lords, I took my oath with a Holy Koran and quietly started with the word “Bismillah”, meaning, “In the name of Allah, most beneficent and most merciful”. I have never differentiated between faiths. As a Muslim, my closest friends have been Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jews and those of no faith. The Holy Koran, in surah 2, says: “The Apostle believeth in what hath been revealed to him from the Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one of them believeth in God, His angels, His books and His apostles. ‘We make no distinction (they say) between one or another of His apostles’”.

As an ex-trustee of Oxfam, I met another trustee, Ansel Harris, and we became very good friends; our children and spouses became good friend as well. We travelled together to Israel, India and the Middle East. We learnt about the practice of each other’s faiths and shared each other’s jokes and stories. Ansel and his wife Lea were to attend my introduction to the House of Lords—but Ansel had another appointment, with his maker.

I attended the funeral and saw very little difference between Muslim and Jewish rituals. A few weeks later, there was a memorial service in Hampstead Town Hall. I was asked to speak and made my speech. Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks was present, and after a few days he wrote an article in the Times. I have deposited the full article in the Library, but will quote a few sentences:

“At the memorial service recently, one of the speakers was Lord Bhatia, whom he had come to know through his work for Oxfam. It was clear from the tone of his tribute that the two men shared a moral vision and had been close friends.

“What held them together, one a passionate Jew, the other a no less committed Muslim? The short answer is that they cared for something larger than their respective faith communities … When they saw disease, poverty and despair, they didn’t stop to ask who was suffering; they acted.

“They knew that tears are a universal language, and help a universal command. They saw faith not as a secluded castle but as a window onto a wider world. They saw God’s image in the face of a stranger, and heard His call in the cry of a starving child.

“Does faith make us great or does it make us small? On this question, much of the future of our world depends. Jews, Christians and Muslims can live together in friendship, so long as we never forget those things that transcend religious differences – of which human suffering is one.

“When we focus, not on ourselves, but on those who need help, our separate journeys converge and we become joint builders of a more gracious world”.

To conclude, whenever someone attacks Christians, I feel that they have attacked my faith. This is my contribution to this important debate. The world will be a better place if attacks on any faith are dealt with by the full force of the law. These attacks on faith are made by a small number of people who, in the name of their faiths or for political or personal gain, attack other faiths.

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2. Islam, November 19, 2013

My Lords, the statement made by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2013 is correct and has been echoed by the leaders of the Labour Party and the Lib Dems. Terrorism and extremism has existed in people from all faiths and religions. The important thing to understand is that such terrorists form a very small part of the faith groups.

If one looks at the Muslim communities in Britain, there is a huge silent majority who abhor violence in the name of their religion. They are peace-loving British citizens who practise their faith and contribute to the welfare of their own communities, the wider communities and the United Kingdom. They oppose the attacks on innocent civilians. No religion advocates violence. Those who commit violence should be dealt with by the police and other law-enforcing agencies.

Turning to Islam as a faith community, I wish to say that Islam, although it is the fastest-growing faith in the world, is little understood or not understood at all in the West. There is a deficit of understanding of Islam. Islam is a peaceful faith and occasionally, like all other faiths, it is hijacked by a handful of radicalised people for their own perverted personal or political reasons and ambitions. Islam reveres all the prophets — Christ, Moses, Abraham and others. Muslims are shocked when the prophets are ridiculed or abused on the altar of freedom of speech and expression.

Freedom of expression is a democratic right, but it carries responsibility. Our democracy is based on the rule of law, and those who break the law should be dealt with in the courts. Our courts are independent and magistrates and judges ensure that justice is not only delivered but seen to be done.

Turning to the Muslim community in Britain, I ask the Minister whether more could be done to support newly arrived spouses and partners from different parts of the world who come to join their families. In order to integrate them into the wider communities, they need to learn English. There are thousands of Muslim women who need to learn English to be able to communicate with the wider community and participate in civic society. They also need to be able to communicate with their own children who go to school. I believe that English and the ability to use a computer with internet connectivity are the two tools that will bring such isolated groups of women from the margins to the mainstream.

English and computers will enable the mothers to understand what their children are doing with their computers when they return home from school. Are they doing their homework, or are they playing computer games or chatting with undesirable people? The Minister should consider talking to some of the charities who work with these isolated groups of women to explore how additional funding could be given to those charities to help these isolated groups of women.

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3. International Women’s Day, March 11, 2021

My Lords, this year’s International Women’s Day is like no other. As countries and communities start to slowly recover from a devastating pandemic, we have the chance to finally end the exclusion and marginalisation of women and girls. Women must have the possibility to play a full part in shaping the pivotal decisions being made right now, as countries respond to and recover from the pandemic. These choices will affect the well-being of people and the planet for generations to come.

To do this, we must break down the deep-seated historic, cultural and socioeconomic barriers that prevent women taking their seat at the decision-making table, while ensuring that resources and power are more equitably distributed. However, having a seat at the table also leads to problems. The question is whether the women are heard or not. Unless the table has equal numbers of men and women, having a seat will not work.

Different countries have different attitudes to women. Disappointingly, there is a known attitude in some families that, if a girl is born, it is considered as a problem. Science now enables families to find out early in pregnancy whether it is a boy or a girl. The women are often encouraged, and in some cases forced, to abort. I came across an article written by a prominent lady researcher in India. She talked about a family who had a boy and a girl; as they grew up, the girl related to the researcher: “If you look at me or my mother, we are both weak and not in good health. My father and brothers are very healthy. If they are ill, the best doctors or hospitals are used. If I or my mother are ill, only the local untrained person is called in. At mealtimes, my brother and father are served first. My mother and I get the leftovers”.

Unless such attitudes are dealt with, women will always be second-class citizens in their families –and unless legislation is in force, things will not change. I hope that this International Women’s Day will highlight such problems and get Governments to give equal rights to women.

Date posted: January 16, 2024.

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We invite our readers to offer their condolences and tributes to Vazir Amir Bhatia by clicking on LEAVE A COMMENT. If you encounter a technical issue submitting your comment, please email it to mmerchant@simerg.com, Subject Lord Bhatia.

For World Book Day, we present a list of publications by the Institute of Ismaili Studies

23 April 2023

Institute of Ismaili Studies: Historical Aspirations, Contemporary Possibilities

10 January 2021

12 Comments

By KARIM H. KARIM
(The author is Director of Carleton University’s Centre for the Study of Islam and former Co-Director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies)

“… we find ourselves in the moment of transit, where space and time cross to produce complex figures of difference and identity, past and present, inside and outside, inclusion and exclusion.” Professor Homi K. Bhabha, former Master Jurist, Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Abstract: A former Co-Director of the IIS considers this key Ismaili institution’s way forward, following its Board of Governors’ recent reconstitution. Although substantial changes have been made, certain features regarding the diversity of office holders remain. The IIS’s past performance is briefly examined in the article, with respect to academic metrics as well as Ismaili history and values. There have been several achievements in the last four decades, but also some unexpected outcomes. The author discusses the importance of ethics and clarity in chains of authority. IIS’s reconstituted governance structure has the opportunity to put it on a path to globally-recognized excellence and long-lasting impact.

A New Phase

Recent appointments to the governance structures of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) present an opportunity to consider its way forwards. The substantial reconstitution of the Board of Governors appears to initiate a new phase for this key Imamat institution, which occupies a unique place in-between Jamati and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) organizations. This is a time of particular significance as the Governors are tasked with guiding the IIS towards its 50^th anniversary in 2027.

The concept of the Institute was formally discussed in 1975 in the historic Paris Conference of the Ismaili Associations, at which Mawlana Hazar Imam presided. He announced the IIS’s establishment in a Talika to the international Jamat on December 13, 1977. The institution began with a very small staff occupying one floor of a London building. Growing and traversing the city for four decades, the IIS settled into its purpose-built home at the Aga Khan Centre in 2018. It currently has research, teaching and support staff of over a hundred and has seen some 650 graduate students pass through its doors. Scores of publications and several sets of curricular materials have been produced. Alumni work around the world in a variety of professions and have particularly enriched the knowledge base of the worldwide Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Boards (ITREBs).

Unintended Consequences

The Institute, which has a very distinct institutional character, operates in an organizationally and intellectually liminal space. Governors have played an unusual hands-on role in the operation of this academic organization. Although the IIS’s educational endeavours are limited to the community, it positions itself in the public sphere. Unlike similar scholarly bodies, it does not identify as a theological seminary or a divinity school. It is a post-graduate institution whose students receive degrees from various universities, including the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

IIS publishes materials on Ismaili, Shia, Quranic and Central Asian studies authored by its own researchers and external scholars. Islamic Publications Limited (IPL), an affiliate, produces them with the imprimaturs of presses such as I.B. Tauris and Oxford University Press. Whereas substantial work has been carried out in examining Arabic and Persian documents, the study of Indic manuscripts (bearing content such as Ginans) has been miniscule in the last four decades. Research is also conducted on the transnational Ismaili community’s living traditions, but it is not published for the most part. The Institute prioritizes a rationalistic and civilization-centred approach over faith perspectives in its course instruction and religious education curricula for the global Jamat.

These characteristics, viewed as appropriate for the IIS’s particular mandate, have, however, raised an air of ambivalence that has apparently produced unintended consequences. A number of students in the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH), who arrive at the Institute of Ismaili Studies expecting a faith-friendly academic approach undergo cognitive dissonance (Magout, 2020, chapter 6). Most alumni do not list the Institute on their CVs or LinkedIn profiles; faculty members have been leaving for university positions as soon as they secure them; and one of the two Co-Directors’ posts has remained unfilled for almost a decade. Furthermore, donors who have contributed substantially to the endowment are perplexed by the asymmetry in Ismaili areas of research.

Aspirations for Excellence

At its founding, the IIS was compared to learned institutions like the Dar al-Ilm and Al-Azhar University, which were established a thousand years ago under the aegis of Fatimid Imam-Caliphs. Al-Azhar survived the fall of the Fatimids and flourishes today as a prominent centre of Muslim learning. Can one expect that the IIS will also function for hundreds of years? Perhaps the more pertinent question is whether it will make a lasting impact. What will the role of the governance structure be in helping it achieve this?

Although the Institute is a globally-recognized hub of Ismaili Studies, it has some ways to travel before being acknowledged as a centre of scholarly excellence. It recently made a selection of books available electronically, but many important IIS contributions remain absent in cyberspace and from most bookstores as well as university and public libraries. It is also unfortunate that only a handful of its more than 120 books have done well in academic citation indices.

One could argue that standard scholarly metrics are inappropriate for an institution whose aspirations are drawn from millennial-long history. Is it more apt then to measure the Institute’s performance in terms of the Ismaili past? Of the many luminaries in previous eras, the most well-known outside the community are the Ikhwan al-Safa (circa 10^th century), Nasir-i Khusraw (d. 1088) and Nasir al-Din Tusi (d. 1274). Satpanthi Pirs conducted ingenious syntheses of Indic and Islamic traditions that stand as major human achievements of pluralist engagement. These intellectuals are exemplars of excellence whose contributions have been of universal significance. They maintained a rigorous independence of thought within parameters of the Ismaili movement and its intellectual universe. Given the aspirations for the IIS, should we expect it to provide the conditions for nurturing scholars of similar calibre in our time?

Contemporary Values as Metrics

Contrarily, one can contend that it is not right to apply historical standards to 21^st century contexts. Perhaps the benchmarks for success are to be drawn from the community’s current emphases on ethics, meritocracy, and pluralism. This topic is addressed here only with reference to IIS’s Boards.

IIS Institute of Ismaili Studies London Board of Governor Members — New Board of Governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, appointed by Mawlana Hazar Imam effective December 13, 2020. Top row (from left): Professor Ali Asani, Dr Nadia Eboo Jamal, Mrs Karina Govindji, Dr Arif Jamal, Mr Rahim Karim, Mr Alykhan Kassam, and Professor Nacim Pak-Shiraz. Bottom row (from left): Mr Amyn Kassim-Lakha, Professor Tashmin Khamis, Mr Naguib Kheraj, Dr Sharofat Mamadambarova, Dr Shogufa Mir Maleky, Mr Habib Motani, and Professor Farid F. Panjwani. Collage by Barakah from IIS profile photos

The new Governors are drawn from commercial and academic sectors, and they include some IIS alumni. Mawlana Hazar Imam continues as Chairman. Membership of the current Board of Governors (BoG), which began its term on December 13, 2020, is remarkably different from earlier ones in size, gender, age, ethnicity, geographic scope, and outlook. Although the IIS has been an international institution since inception, preceding Boards consisted almost entirely of middle aged men of British residence, with the balance tilting towards commercial worldviews. The incoming BoG’s average age has dropped considerably in comparison to the preceding one. There are now six women and eight men, and half of the Governors are currently located outside the UK. Eight newcomers are academics, most of whom have taught at universities. Several individuals have had experience in Jamati institutions, including ITREB, which is a major partner of the IIS. It is also noteworthy one Governor has professional expertise in diversity and inclusion.

There has been some non-Ismaili presence previously; however, this BoG’s members are all Ismaili. When Professor Mohammed Arkoun passed away in 2010, the remaining six Governors were all South Asian men of East African provenance. Whereas the new BoG is enriched by the presence of other ethnicities, all three members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), the IIS’s primary governing body and of which the BoG is a sub-committee, are UK residents of South Asian background, as are all four Board members of Islamic Publications Limited. Full time academics are absent from the BoT and IPL. The former does, however, have a female Trustee. There is much more pluralist inclusion than in earlier manifestations of the institution’s governance structures, but they have considerable room for improvement.

IIS Board Institute of Ismaili Studies — The IIS Board of Governors (1995-2020). From left to right: Mr Naguib Kheraj (who remains on the new board appointed on December 13, 2020), Dr Mohamed Keshavjee, Dr Shafik Sachedina, Dr Aziz Esmail, Mr Zauhar Meghji and Professor Afzal Ahmed. Missing in the photo is the Late Professor Mohammed Arkoun who was also a member on the Board. He passed away on September 14, 2010 at the age of 82. Photo: The IIS

A truly unique characteristic of the previous BoG was not identity but longevity. Its more than 25-year term was one of the lengthiest in the world. Whereas this provided continuity and familiarity with the work at hand, shorter tenures usually mitigate detrimental tendencies in such organizations. Stretches that are longer than seven years seem inadvisable.

The presence of new university-linked Governors should help to assert academic norms in matters such as standardized merit-based pay scales rather than particular arrangements for some employees; remuneration for performance adjudicated according to published benchmarks instead of bonuses based on ambiguous criteria; and discontinuation of consulting contracts with Governors. Notably, the current separation of Board members from IIS’s remunerated staff makes the organizational chart look less like the M.C. Escher lithograph “Relativity”.

Ethics, Ambiguity, and Credibility

Ismaili history has seen the development of ethical codes in the works of Qadi Nu’man (d. 974), dai Ahmad al-Naysaburi (d. circa 11^th century), Pir Sadardin (d. circa 14^th century), and Imam Mustansirbillah II (d. 1475). Writing at a time of deep corruption in the Fatimid state, al-Naysaburi warned that “chaos will reign” with the failure of integrity among the Imam’s leaders (Klemm and Walker, 2011, p. 75). The IIS developed an AKDN “ethical framework” two decades ago; however, this theoretical document does not provide guidance for actual deontological practice. There remains ambiguity about the pragmatics of ethics in contemporary Ismaili institutions. Narratives on this subject have sometimes drifted towards trivialization; for example, one Jamati periodical’s feature on an “Ethic of the Month” seemed to reduce long-term values to fleeting tastes (The Ismaili Bulletin, Issue 54, March 2018). Given the importance that the community gives to the subject of ethics, serious issues like conflicts of interest, cronyism, nepotism, harassment, and bullying, which unfortunately appear over time in most human organizations, will need to be dealt with effectively and coherently. These issues must be an integral part of a 21^st century code of conduct that provides clear guidance for everyone involved with the work of Jamati as well as AKDN institutions.

Systemic deficiencies in institutional procedures have unpredictable outcomes and can be factors for reputational loss. Incoming academic Governors will know that ambiguous chains of authority in scholarly institutions lead to the unchecked promotion of pet projects with dubious merit. A book published in 2018 by the Institute (but not initiated by its Department of Academic Research and Publications) was reviewed in a recent issue of the journal Arabica. The reviewer, who is the Director of the University of Lausanne’s Institute of the History and Anthropology of Religions, assessed it to be “a book of propaganda … without method and completely devoid of critical analysis” (Halawi, 2020, 315). Such unfortunate situations can be avoided by instituting an academic editorial board that oversees IIS’s scholarly publications to replace largely ambiguous practices of vetting manuscripts for “sensitivities.” (Such an editorial board already exists for the Quranic Studies Series.) The new Governors will also be aware of the importance of ensuring that the institution’s faculty, students and academic visitors have ready access to library materials that reflect a plurality of views, including those that are considered to be “sensitive.” Such efforts will assist in enhancing the IIS’s scholarly credibility in academic circles.

Transparency and Demarcations of Authority

Despite the noblest of intentions, the tendency in human organizations is for power to accumulate in a few persons. Whereas the doubling of the number of Governors to 14 offers advantages, it may also produce the conditions for the emergence of a hierarchy and the marginalization of some individuals. A horizontal relationship and equitable sharing of information in the globally-constituted BoG is important. Fair and optimal participation by Governors can be ensured by upholding transparency. Transparency and disclosure will not only strengthen the corporate governance framework but also provide Mawlana Hazar Imam with all the pertinent information.

It is expected that Hazar Imam will meet with the Governors and Directors once a year, with respective Board committees working on specific policy issues in the interim. The transnational BoG has the challenge of working efficiently across continents. Given these circumstances, safeguarding the greatest possible diversity in every committee will help ensure the pluralist expression of views. This should help to mitigate the influence of cliques and undue bias for or against specific issues and employees.

A key consideration facing the new Governors is the extent of the BoG’s involvement in operational matters. Healthy, well-functioning institutions are characterized by clear demarcations of authority and function, with Boards having confidence in duly-appointed Directors to take charge of administration. Clear protocols regarding Governors’ communications with employees, which rarely occur in universities, ensure that administrative authority is not undermined. Scholarly conventions should also determine the leadership of various organizational committees (academic, curricular, and community relations as well as finance and human resources).

A Potential Turning Point

The strong presence of university-based academics in the Institute’s new BoG signals that scholarly priorities will be paramount in the years to come. This Board’s tenure has the potential for being a turning point. It has the opportunity to put the IIS on the path to globally-recognized excellence by moving closer to academic norms of organization and outlook. Professor Mohammed Arkoun used to speak of “intellectual modernity” in contemporary Muslim contexts. Such a disposition requires not only scholarly rigour but the confidence to conduct critical introspection. There are important discussions to be had about the adoption of greater academic freedom, critical inquiry, and the broaching of “sensitive” topics as well as about effective ways to engage with the transnational Jamat, with which the Institute has an integral relationship. Governors will constantly have to account for the dual contexts of community and public scholarship. This calls for skillful and conscientious navigation between the shores of the parochial and the universal. The likes of the Ikhwan al-Safa, Nasir-i Khusraw, Nasir al-Din Tusi and Pir Sadardin have shown us that this is eminently possible.

Date posted: January 10, 2021.
Last updated: May 31, 2025 (reformatting, typos).

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A person speaking into a microphone while wearing glasses and a suit, with a blurred audience in the background. — *Karim H. Karim*

About the author: Professor Karim H. Karim is the Director of Carleton University’s Centre for the Study of Islam, where he has held the International Ismaili Studies Conference. He previously served as Co-Director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) and Director of Carleton’s School of Journalism & Communication. Dr. Karim has had visiting scholarly appointments at Harvard University, Aga Khan University/Simon Fraser University, and the IIS. He has also been an advisor for AKU and the Central Asian University and has been a member of the AKDN’s Higher Education Forum. Additionally, he has served in Kenyan, American, and Canadian Jamati institutions (Education, Ismaili Association, and Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board, ITREB). Professor Karim is an award-winning author whose globally-cited writings include publications on Ismaili communities, institutions, and leadership. He has delivered distinguished lectures at venues around the world and has been honoured by the Government of Canada for promoting co-operation among faith communities. He studied at Aga Khan schools in East Africa and at the IIS, and holds degrees from Columbia and McGill universities in Islamic and Communication Studies.

Simerg – Insights from Around the World

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

Tag Archives: Institute of Ismaili Studies

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“Let the Truth Infuse Your Words:” A Reflection by Professor Karim H. Karim as the Institute of Ismaili Studies Presents Him the Inaugural Alumni Recognition Award

Citation Honouring Karim H. Karim on Being the First Recipient of the IIS’s Alumni Recognition Award

“Let the Truth Infuse Your Words”

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How to Purchase The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History from Simerg

“The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History” by Farhad Daftary is a Priceless Book for Every Ismaili Home; Simerg is Pleased to Offer it for Sale to Ismaili Readers in Canada

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Vazir Amirali Bhatia, Former UK Aga Khan Council President, Passes Away at the Age of 91; and Lord Bhatia’s Reflections on Women, Religious Persecution, and Islam

LORD BHATIA’S CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

For World Book Day, we present a list of publications by the Institute of Ismaili Studies

Institute of Ismaili Studies: Historical Aspirations, Contemporary Possibilities