The Aga Khan is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through his cousin and son-in-law Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter.
Source/Credit: bdnews24.com
By Senior Correspondent | July 11, 2017,
The global Shia Ismaili community will celebrate the diamond jubilee of their spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan.
This year, July 11 marks the 60 years of a commitment “to faith, pluralism and improved quality of life for vulnerable societies” of the Aga Khan as the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims.
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), government bodies and faith community leaders in over 25 countries including Bangladesh will come together on Tuesday to celebrate the day.
The AKDN said there would be a private event marking this historic occasion in conjunction with the global ceremonies.
“Over the past six decades, the Aga Khan has transformed the quality of life for millions of people around the world”.
“In the areas of health, education, cultural revitalization, and economic empowerment, he has worked to inspire excellence and improve living conditions and opportunities in some of the world’s most remote and troubled regions”.
In Islam’s ethical tradition, religious leaders not only interpret the faith but also have a responsibility to help improve the quality of life of their community and the societies among which they live.
For the Aga Khan, this has meant dedicating his life to addressing the concerns of the developing world.
Who is Aga Khan?
The Aga Khan is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through his cousin and son-in-law Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter.
He succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan as the Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims sixty years ago, at the age of 20.
Today, the Aga Khan leads a global community of some 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims, living predominantly in South Asia, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and the Far East.
Like the Muslim world as a whole, the Ismaili community represents a rich diversity of cultures, languages, and nationalities.
His role as Imam includes the interpretation of the faith and responsibility for religious institutions and activities of his followers worldwide.
The AKDN
The Aga Khan has been at the forefront of innovation in development during his 60 years as Imam.
It was driven by the ethics of his faith and the Imam’s hereditary responsibility to improve the quality of life for his community and for those amongst whom they live.
He is Founder and Chairman of the AKDN, one of the most comprehensive development networks in the world today.
The AKDN operates in over 30 countries primarily in Central and South Asia, Eastern and Western Africa and the Middle East. It has grown to 80,000 staff, one of the largest development organisations in the world.
AKDN spends $925 million dollars annually on non-profit social and cultural development activities – a threefold increase over the past ten years.
It operates more than 200 health care institutions, two universities spanning six countries, and 200 schools and school improvement programmes in some of the most remote and poorest parts of the developing world.
“The Aga Khan believes diversity should inspire, not divide, and that enhancing pluralism is a crucial building block for constructing peaceful and successful societies”.
Read original post here: Shia Ismaili Muslims to celebrate 60 years of Aga Khan’s life, work Tuesday
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