Opening
of Ismaili Jamatkhana, Burnaby, British Columbia
His Highness the Prince
Karim Aga Khan, whose accession in 1957 made him the 49th hereditary Ismaili
Imam, is the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally
known as Ismailis, who live today in 25 countries worldwide, including
Pakistan, Canada, and the U.S. Throughout the course of history, Ismailis
have made significant contributions to Islamic Civilization in those parts
of the world either where they have emerged or where they have settled.
They have built such world cities as Cairo where University of Al-Azhar,
built by Ismailis, is reputed to be one of the oldest institutions of higher
learning in the world. In the 1970s, political changes in the early ’70s
in Asian and African countries led to the arrival of large numbers of Ismailis
in Canada. It is estimated that nearly 75,000 Ismailis live in Canada as
we enter the new millennium. The Ismaili community in Canada today is governed
by volunteer sunder the aegis of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami
Ismaili Council of Canada. In 1985, the local Ismaili Council in British
Columbia unveiled and dedicated the new Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre,
Burnaby, B.C. In this view, Mawlana Hazar Imam, second from left, and former
Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, centre, participate in the opening ceremonies
of this British Columbia Jamatkhana. The Premier of British Columbia, Bill
Bennett, is second from right. [Photo, courtesy Government of Canada]
