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Ismaili Walk Raises $640,000 For Heart And Stroke Foundation

Ismail — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:28:38 +0000

VANCOUVER–The annual Ismaili Walk, which took place at Lumbermen’s Arch in Stanley Park last Sunday , brought out over 2,000 British Columbians and together raised over $640,000. For this year’s annual Walk, the BC Ismaili Muslim Community partnered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, to help increase awareness of the risks of heart disease and stroke, and raise funds for the Foundation’s “Take the Pressure Down” campaign and for the HeartSmart Kids™ healthy lifestyle program.

Last year, the Ismaili Walk raised over $300,000, and has now raised over $3.8M since inception. The 20^thAnnual Ismaili Walk featured a full day of live entertainment, delicious heart-healthy meals, and activities for the whole family. Healthy Families BC was one of many proud supporters of this year’s record-setting Walk.

For more information visit www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca.

Introducing the new Ismaili Business Directory

Ismail — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:25:13 +0000

Ismaili Pages is pleased to announce the new Ismaili Business and Professionals Directory. The service is free and allows all Ismaili business owners and professionals to list their information online within minutes. The aim of this online service is to provide awareness of businesses and professionals within our Ismaili community.

With rich features listed below, it will make it easy for you to handle your business listings. If you do not have a business, please forward this to your family and friends. Let’s support our community by recreating an Ismaili business directory that is accessible worldwide.

Ismaili directory link: http://ismailipages.com/directory/
How to Submit your free listing: http://ismailipages.com/directory/pages/advertise-ismaili-pages.html

Listing Features:

Image, Document and Offers galleries
Logos and Banners
Google PageRank calculation
Reviews and Ratings
Listing Claiming, Suggestions, Abuse Reporting
Receive Messages
Print and Export to PDF
Download vCard
Add to Favorites
And much more…

User Features:

Account Management
View orders, invoices, and transactions.
Submit listings
Profile Image
Favorites List
and much more…

Site plan seeks to build a place of worship at 3225 Conroy Rd.

Ismail — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:21:21 +0000

EMC News – A site plan control proposal put forth by a committee of people from the Ismaili faith proposes to build a place of worship on the vacant lot at 3225 Conroy Rd.
The Ismaili faith is one of the smallest sects of the Muslim faith and worships in a mosque during the hours of 7-9 p.m. everyday of the week.
“We want to create global pluralism, understanding, and tolerance,” said Fayez Thawer, member of the steering committee for the proposal.
The proposal stemmed from the growing Ismaili population in Ottawa. Currently, the Ismaili group is sharing time in a place of worship in west Ottawa. However, space, parking, and a desire for more availability have become an issue for the growing community.
“We wanted something we could use everyday,” said Mr. Thawer. “We need the parking and the convenience.”

For the full story, please see the July 22 edition of the EMC.

Source: http://www.emcottawasouth.ca/20100715/news/
Site+plan+seeks+to+build+a+place+of+worship+at+3225+Conroy+Rd.

Toronto to house only Islamic art museum in North America

Ismail — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:54:41 +0000

Aga Khan Museum project to include Ismaili centre and park

By Noor Javed

The artistic pieces have graced the homes of Mughal emperors, adorned the gardens of Persian palaces and educated the masses of the Muslim world.

Soon, over 1,000 years of Islamic art and culture will find a permanent home in Toronto.

The groundbreaking for the Aga Khan Museum, the first in North America solely devoted to Islamic art, will take place on Friday near Don Mills Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E. The museum will be built alongside an Ismaili centre and park on a 7-hectare site at 49 Wynford Dr.

More than 1,000 Islamic artifacts from China to the Iberian Peninsula will be showcased — with 200 on permanent display — when the museum opens in 2013.

The pieces, which come from the collection of the Aga Khan family, already have more air miles than most Canadians. They have been featured in museums around the world from London to Madrid. Before they settle in Toronto, they will be exhibited in Istanbul and five other cities in the Muslim world.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, will arrive Friday to put a shovel in the ground and give his blessings to the $300 million project

“While some North American museums have significant collections of Muslim art, there is no institution devoted to Islamic art,” he said. “In building the museum in Toronto, we intend to introduce a new actor to the North American art scene. Its fundamental aim will be an educational one, to actively promote knowledge of Islamic arts and culture.”

The 10,000-square-foot building will be designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, who is also working on the expansion of the United Nations building and Tower 4 at the former World Trade Center site.

“This project will help to bridge the clash of ignorance,” said Amyn Sayani, a volunteer with the Ismaili Council for Canada. “This is very much an opportunity for people to dialogue and to bridge different cultures and faiths.”

A sampling of the art coming to town:

Manuscript of the Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina, Iran or Mesopotamia, c. 1052: This manuscript is considered to be one of the most important collections of medieval medical knowledge in the Islamic world. It was used in the 12th and 13th centuries by medical schools in Europe, almost until the beginning of modern times. The document to be displayed is the fifth book, focusing on drugs and pharmacy.

• Emerald green bottle, Iran, Safavid dynasty, 17th century: The Islamic world, mainly due to proximity, has always had close ties to the Chinese world. This bottle was made to imitate Chinese ceramics, in both colour and appearance.

• Portrait of Sultan Selim, Turkey, c. 1570: A large album portrait done in watercolour, ink and gold of Sultan Selim II. It was his father, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, who solidified the geographical borders of the Ottoman Empire. Selim was better known for enjoying finer pleasures such as literature, art and wine. Here, he shown by the painter as larger than life, in a luxurious fur-lined and gold garment.

• Standard (alam), Iran, 16th century: Made of steel, standards usually decorated bowls used as drinking vessels or food containers for wandering ascetics. This pear-shaped standard contains an inscription which can be read from different angles. The text from top to bottom says: “Ya Allah, ya Muhammad, ya ‘Ali” (“O God, O Muhammad, O Ali).

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/
815031–toronto-to-house-only-islamic-art-museum-in-north-america

Gift from the Aga Khan

Ismail — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:08:52 +0000

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims, will put a shovel in the ground Friday, marking the start of construction of a $300-million development in the Don Mills Rd.-Eglinton Ave. area.

Plans call for the building of a museum named after the Aga Khan, an Ismaili Centre and the creation of a park. The massive project is slated for completion by 2013.

“These projects represent a major investment by His Highness in this country’s cultural fabric and are a reflection of the Aga Khan’s commitment to Canada, which serves as a beacon to the rest of the world for its commitment to pluralism and its support for the multicultural richness and diversity of its peoples,” said Farid Damji, of the Ismaili Council for Canada.

The Aga Khan Museum — announced in 2002 — will be built on a 7-hectare site on Wynford Dr. and is the first of its kind in the English speaking world. The 10,000-square-metre structure will house collections of Islamic art, including ceramics, metal work and paintings covering a 1,000-year period of Islamic history. The design was done by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki.

The second part of the project is the Ismaili Centre — a community centre that includes a place of prayer, library, youth lounge and public spaces for cultural activities. It will be located on the same spot as the museum and is designed by Indian architect Charles Correa.

The park on Wynford Dr. has been designed by award-winning Lebanese landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic. It will surround the museum and project a sense of a traditional Islamic garden.

“I’m excited this is happening because (the Aga Khan) is one of the few Muslim leaders who have reconciled with modernity,” said Tarek Fatah, author and founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress. “He offers a very clear alternative to the Islamism that is being spread by Jihadis. (People in the GTA) will get a view of Muslims and Islam without looking through the prism of Saudi or Iranian-tainted politics.”

The Ismaili Centre Toronto is the second in Canada — the other was built in 1985 in Burnaby, B.C. and opened by prime minister Brian Mulroney in the presence of the Aga Khan. Other Ismaili Centres have been built in London, Lisbon, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Dushanbe.

Toronto was picked as the site of the museum because of the city’s cultural diversity.

Nearly 100,000 Ismailis are settled throughout Canada — more than 30,000 of them live in Toronto.

Source: http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/05/24/14064286.html

Goldasta Mosque Opening in Afghanistan

Ismail — Fri, 21 May 2010 14:59:36 +0000

U.S. Embassy Press Release

May 19, 2010

Goldasta Mosque Opening

Kabul, Afghanistan, May 19, 2010 – Minister of Information and Cultural Affairs Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, Minister of Religious Affairs and Hajj Khawas Khan Niazi, and U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry celebrated the restoration and opening of the Goldasta Mosque in ceremony today. Several Afghan officials and members of the community were present to witness the ceremony.

“The process of restoring Goldasta Mosque not only brought a new community facility back to life, but it has contributed to the revival of traditional building crafts such as joinery and plastering,” said Ambassador Eikenberry. “Dozens of skilled workers and craftsmen worked on the project; the mosque is a great example of their remarkable talents.”

The Goldasta Mosque is fine example of late 19th century religious architecture that incorporates a range of regional decorative influences. While badly damaged in the fierce fighting that raged throughout the old city of Kabul in 1993, it is testament to the quality of the builders of the Goldasta mosque that enough of the structure was still standing to allow restoration of the building to bring it back to useful life. Thanks to the efforts of residents of the surrounding neighbourhood, the wooden columns and marble panels of the building were protected.

The U.S. Embassy partnered with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) on this project. In addition to resorting an architecturally significant religious building, the project provided jobs to community members in Kabul’s Tandoorsazi area.

Since 2001 the U.S. government and American institutions such as the National Geographic and National Endowment for the Humanities have spent over $4 million on cultural heritage projects in Afghanistan. Included in this is the restoration of 8 historic buildings throughout the country.

On-going project include Shish Nal Mosque in Herat, Ulya Madrassa in Kabul, Noh Gonbad Mosque in Balkh and the Qala Ikhtyaruddin citadel in Herat. Completed projects include the Goldasta Mosque which was opened today, as well as the Khoja Rokhband Cistern in Herat and the Mullah Mahmud Mosque in Kabul.

Source: http://kabul.usembassy.gov/pressrelease-20510.html

World Partnership Walk turns 25!

Ismail — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:30:27 +0000

Aga Khan Foundation Canada and its National Network of Volunteers Confident in the Continued Generosity of Canadians

OTTAWA, March 6 /CNW Telbec/ – Today, Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) and its national team of volunteers launched the 2009 World Partnership Walk campaign to raise funds to address the root causes of poverty in some of the world’s most isolated and impoverished regions. The campaign culminates in the annual World Partnership Walk – the largest event of its kind in Canada – held in nine cities over three weekends beginning on Sunday, May 31st. In light of the tough economic situation, the Foundation is urging its supporters to invite Canadians from all walks of life to join in a vital partnership with communities in the developing world.

“Canadians have a tradition of caring about the world beyond our borders that has found expression in the World Partnership Walk,” said Khalil Z. Shariff, Chief Executive Officer of AKFC. “For a quarter century, we have counted on the support of our volunteers and the generosity of Canadians to help AKFC bridge the gaps that deny opportunities to the poor,” he said.

This year marks the 25th edition of the popular event which has generated an impressive $45.5 million and attracted tens of thousands of Canadians in support of the cause. The Walk’s success is a tangible sign of the commitment of individual Canadians to the cause of global poverty alleviation. All of the funds raised by participants (100%) go directly to international development programs, including health, education, rural development, as well as support for community-based organizations in Asia and Africa. Not a cent is spent on administration. Support for the Walk also helps AKFC leverage additional contributions from major donors like the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

An initiative of Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC), a registered Canadian charity, the Walk is organized every year by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. The 2009 Walk will take place in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, London, Kitchener and Montreal on May 31st, followed by Ottawa on June 7th and Calgary on June 14th.

Participants can register online, quickly and easily, at:
www.WorldPartnershipWalk.com to become Walk Ambassadors or to form a team.

World Partnership Walk history: Twenty-five years ago a group of Ismaili women from Vancouver came together to walk and support the poorest of the poor. It was a gesture of gratitude for what they had gained in coming to Canada from troubled parts of East Africa. Since then, the World Partnership Walk, fueled by the energy and dedication of committed volunteers, has engaged tens of thousands of Canadians in a vital partnership with Aga Khan Foundation Canada – transforming millions of lives in some of the poorest parts of Asia and Africa.

For further information: Jennifer Morrow, 1-800-267-532 (ext. 107),
Jennifer@akfc.ca, www.WorldPartnershipWalk.com | Source

Over-55s urged to join Say Go! fitness scheme

Ismail — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:30:30 +0000

By Rebecca Lowe

RESIDENTS aged over 55 are being urged to take up fitness activities aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles for older people.

The Say Go! scheme covers a range of activities at different venues across the borough, including sports, dance and yoga lessons.

It is organised by Age Concern Barnet, with funding from Barnet Council and Sport England.

The classes are run in partnership with a number of faith and community groups, including the Barnet African Caribbean Association, Barnet Asian Old People’s Association and the Anand Day Centre, but anyone aged over 55 is welcome to attend.

A new ten-week course of tai chi was launched on Tuesday, aimed specifically at members of the borough’s Ismaili Muslim community, to be held at the North London Jamatkhana, in East End Road, Finchley.

The classes will take place during the day and also offer a chance for members to socialise after the session.

Councillor Lynne Hillan, cabinet member for community services, said: “The Say Go! scheme provides a very important service for older people living in Barnet and helps to work towards the council’s corporate priority of a strong and healthy borough.

“I hope that many of our residents aged over 55 take the opportunity to take part in one or more of the Say Go! classes as they continue to be rolled out and enhanced throughout the coming year.”

For more information visit the council website at barnet.gov.uk/activities-for-older-people or call the council on 020 8359 2000.

Alternatively, call Lisa Dubow at Age Concern Barnet on 020 8346 0542 or by emailing lisa-finchley.acb@btconnect.com. Source: http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/4256272.Over_55s_urged_to_join_fitness_scheme/

Participate in the First Ismaili Photography Competition!

Ismail — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:21:22 +0000

Inspire | Diversity | Share | Pluralism

A unique & historic opportunity to visually unite Ismailis around the world.
Images will be chosen to accompany the winning pictures to create a memorable Coffee Table Book that will celebrate the diversity of the Ismaili community.
$1,500 in Camera Prizes.
Net proceeds from sale of books will be donated to Aga Khan Foundation Canada to support Aga Khan Development Network projects.
The Competition is open to all persons 18 years of age or older who are in the Ismaili community (this includes non-Ismaili spouses, partners and children). If you’re under 18 and would like to submit an Image, a parent or guardian can do so on your behalf.
You may submit a maximum of ten Images. You can upload your Images online or send your entry by post.

To enter go to www.ismglobalphotos.com

OUR SPONSORS
Royal Bank of Canada, T&T Honda, Midtown Honda, Park & Jet , Ramada, Sheraton Four Points, Lalani Enterprises LTD, Moores Clothing for Men, Fuji Film, The Portables, The Foray Group, Thomasville, Peoples Pharmacy, Starpoint Health Corp and many more.

To view all of our sponsors please go to http://www.ismglobalphotos.com/sponsors/

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES & INDIVIDUALS.
We welcome local and international sponsors.

For more information contact
ashifa@ismglobalphotos.com

Profile of Aga Khan’s Al-Azhar Park in Cairo featured on e2 series

Ismail — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:08:07 +0000

“Season 3 of e2 design comprises six episodes: a profile of Aga Khan’s Al-Azhar Park in Cairo, a 500-year-old dump-turned-”urban lung”; Canadian architect Brian MacKay-Lyons, who applies Nova Scotia’s design pragmatism to projects around the world; Melbourne’s transformation from a tired, vacant city into a thriving, sustainable metropolis; the inspired efforts of world-class architect Renzo Piano to integrate the natural world into his design for San Francisco’s elegant, environmentally responsive natural history museum; the efforts to rebuild New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward in a way that is environmentally, culturally and socially sustainable; and the visionary Amsterdam architects transforming recycled materials into modern design masterpieces.”

Look for the series to debut on PBS starting August 22nd. More details available here.