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

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

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