Dozens of members of Pakistan's Ismaili Shia minority have been killed in an assault by gunmen on their bus in Karachi. The attack came as a shock - even in a city where sectarian violence has been rife. Here is a look at the Ismaili community. Muslims are divided into two major groups, Sunnis and Shias. There are various sub-sects within each. After him, different sects follow different descendants of Ali as their Imam. Ismailis interpret the Koran symbolically and allegorically and believe in a religious hierarchy.
In Pakistan, the largest Shia group, the Asna-e-Ashari, has been the main target of armed Sunni extremists. Ismailis, Bohras and other smaller Shia sects, though occasional targets, have largely stayed unhurt, because of their smaller populations, relative affluence and their tendency to live in close-knit community.
They say they have a population of about 15 million people worldwide, including , in Pakistan. There are also large populations in India, Afghanistan and Africa. In Pakistan, the Ismaili urban population is mostly concentrated in Karachi. But they have a presence in most major cities in Sindh, Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. They are mostly rich businessmen from the Gujrati-speaking belt of India, or small traders and office workers from Sindh. They tend to live close to their mosques, often apart from other communities.
The first wave of Canadian Ismailis — which included my parents and grandparents — arrived in the fall of after the notorious dictator Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of some 80, residents of Asian origin from Uganda. The Aga Khan was ultimately able to secure refuge for roughly 6, Ugandan Ismailis in Canada, thanks to his personal friendship with the prime minister at the time, Pierre Trudeau the two had attended Harvard together in the s , and, as rumour has it, a touch of good fortune.
When, near the end of the evening, the Aga Khan asked how many Ugandan Ismailis Canada would be able to take in, the official caught a glimpse of the same waiter, who held up three fingers on each hand to indicate that the score was tied at 3—3.
Misinterpreting this gesture, the official responded that Canada could accept 6, exiles, which was double the number that had been authorized. This very Canadian origin story turned out to be a good omen for the Ugandan Ismailis and their trajectory as future citizens. Approximately 3, Ismailis initially accepted federal financial assistance to facilitate their resettlement; by the end of their first year in Canada, fewer than were still receiving government help.
According to a follow-up survey conducted at around this time, 89 percent of the Ugandan exiles who wished to enter the Canadian labour force had already done so, and more than 90 percent indicated that they planned to stay in Canada permanently. The Ugandan Asians, of course, had certain advantages that set them apart from other refugee groups.
Over half of the community possessed at least a high school education. Most already spoke English. Among them, the Nizarite Ismailis are a breakaway minority scattered in four continents and whose numerical importance is difficult to assess ranging between five and twenty million people 4. Imam Jafar al-Sadiq was the sixth imam after Ali: those who recognized his son Ismail as successor are the Ismailis or Septimamians.
These are those who recognized Musa al-Kacim as the seventh imam who remained in power until the twelfth imam and died towards The 12 th imam, Mahdi, remains the only imam for a large majority of Shias today. The disciples of the twelve imams are called ithna ashari or duodecimans. His two sons fought for power: Nizar his appointed successor and Ahmed al-Mustali Billah. As such, they were, and are, the source of knowledge and authority, of esoteric truths hidden from laymen and commandments that require total and blind obedience.
The cyclic history contains concealment periods — satr — when imams are hidden from the eyes of their followers, and periods when the unveiled truth is revealed, resurrection — qiyama.
Or the other, the Fatimids, who founded an Ismaili State in North Africa between and , the period considered as the golden age of Ismailism.
The Fatimid caliphate allowed the Ismaili faithful to practice their faith in broad daylight. The State set up an efficient administrative organization with a ministry of Finance, a ministry of Defence, of Justice, etc. During this period of intellectual, scientific, artistic bloom, some Ismailis became eminent scholars who contributed by their theological, philosophical and legal knowledge to enriching Islamic culture. Great importance was granted to education: conferences, sermons and public lecture sessions added to numerous writings in Arabic, the language of science and religion.
In Cairo, which then had an estimated population of around 50, people, houses, palaces, gardens, caravan inns, mosques, including the famous Al-Azhar Mosque, were built. Once the persecutions were over, the State set up a policy of religious tolerance that did not impose Ismailism on Fatimid territories and welcomed other religious and ethnic communities such as the Armenians or the Jews.
Religious mission work — dawa — attracted fresh adherents both in rural and urban areas. The term hachichi 8 , a pejorative word — probably a popular insult in Syria — might have been used against them by Syrians, which was never confirmed by any document.
After being persecuted by Persians, Nizarite Ismailis were later reduced to a minority sect scattered in small communities in territories in far eastern Persia, northern Afghanistan and a few regions of central Asia.
Originally his followers were members of the Lohana, who were a rich class of traders, also known as khoja , an honorary title used as the time to refer to all Nizarites Rashid al-Din Sinan, a Syrian Nizarite, was appointed head of the Ismaili Syrian province where he set up a fidai body.
His rise coincided with the third Crusade Towards , the Nizarite State eventually weakened. It was the end of the Nizarite State that had lasted years.
The only accounts that relate Nizarite Ismaili activities in India are ginans , khoja religious poems, orally passed on by the pirs for centuries then transcribed, much later. After political setbacks, he bought refuge in Afghanistan before settling in Bombay in thus becoming the first Ismaili imam of his lineage to live in India. It confirmed his right to collect cannon fees dime: dassond. His son who succeeded him only reigned four years.
These migrations, which had remained sporadic up to then, were mainly headed for the prosperous island of Zanzibar, the epicentre of a commercial circle which included Eastern Africa coastal territories and at one time spread up to the eastern Congo basin.
Aga Khan III confirmed the interest he had shown in the emigrant communities by paying them an official visit as early as and by promulgating the first Ismaili constitution in Zanzibar in The first Ismaili community settlements were built in Mombasa in , in Nairobi in , and in Kisumu in Salvadori The number of Ismailis, who had settled in Kenya, quickly rose from a few hundred at the beginning of the century to 20, by Ibid: His disciples owe him full allegiance.
It is worth mentioning that when Aga Khan ascended to the throne in , most Ismaili immigrants were still illiterate and destitute. The talikas 12 gave lots of practical advice and encouraged community members to lead their lives and carry out their business the best they could.
By raising the level of education before anything else, they would open up their scope of activities. It took another twelve years actually in , before other Ismaili schools opened in East Africa One cannot stop rain but can protect oneself from it by putting a raincoat.
To help them, he created the Investment Trust, the community financial institution which was supposed to grant attractive facilities to all the faithful. In , Aga Khan III organized a conference in Evian that brought together the Supreme Council secretary, the presidents of provincial councils and Ismaili associations, along with the heads of various institutions.
The early signs of independence appeared in the distance. It had become urgent to look for new direction and select priorities. After this conference, the Aga Khan made a series of decisions involving the members of the community: firstly women to adopt western dress in their daily life. Secondly, English was to replace Gujarati as the teaching language in Ismaili schools.
Thirdly, a scholarship programme was being set up to help poor and deserving pupils. Observing the demonstrated inclination the Ismailis interest in promoting businesses, Aga Khan IV encouraged them to innovate and invest, emphasizing the need for everyone to attain high-level professional training.
In the Industrial Promotion Services I. In the same way in the Tourism Programme Service T. In , the three agencies in charge of the manufacturing, insurance and tourism sectors were merged into a federal institution: the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development AKFED , which works in partnership with development institutions, governmental agencies, the banks and industrial groups.
While they were scattered all over the world and could be seen nearly everywhere as minorities directly threatened by the rise of nationalisms, the Ismailis could open up more to their host countries and demonstrate their commitment to philanthropic and cultural activities. Given that a number of them had been in East Africa for several generations, were attached to their homeland and spoke East African languages including Swahili for most of them, they were able to claim the right to a higher status without disowning their cultural and religious uniqueness.
When he became imam , Aga Khan IV encouraged them to acquire citizenship of the countries they lived in. Promulgated in in Zanzibar, the first Ismaili constitution redefines the Nizarite Ismaili identity compared to that of the Duodeciman Shias and the Sunnis while emphasizing the respect that must be granted to other Muslim communities It endowed the Ismaili community with a new administrative organization in the form of a hierarchical structure of councils whose powers and functions it defines Daftary The constitution instituted the principle of regular assessment whenever changes occurred in the political, social and economic contexts in every country of settlement.
These councils, whose limits of jurisdiction were defined, were placed under the authority of a supra-national board, the East African Council Political and economic measures triggered emigration of variable scale in Kenya and Tanzania. In Uganda, the August 5, expulsion order led to massive emigration of at least 70, Indians to other African countries as well as towards the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States This cumulative effect of political, economic and demographic upheavals slowed down the implementation of the planned administrative and institutional organization, which was postponed until the beginning of the s.
Jamatkhana leaders are in charge of government functions and decentralized administration such as organizing community activities, conflict resolution, tax collection, etc. Keen to first and foremost maintain his authority over all his followers, Aga Khan III insisted on community religious practices being observed exclusively at meeting places under his control.
As they were scattered throughout the vast East African region, Ismailis also had to report whenever they moved and to justify they had paid their of religious fees. As for, the jamatkhanas themselves they were urged to be vigilant and economical with their funds.
The rule of a biannual change of local leadership also applied to them. Initially eleven, the darkhana are now fourteen Such local involvement remains under central authority.
Only three countries do not have this kind of structure: Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, where resident Ismaili communities are led by special committees Daftary The national board also acts as go-between the Aga Khan and the resident communities they represent. They inform the Aga Khan of their specific situation: activities, areas of interest, difficulties and they submit some proposals to his agreement.
Like national boards, they are broken down into regional boards and local boards. Their duty is not limited to the administration and management of religious buildings. Another responsibility of religious boards is to ensure ritual uniformity within all national communities. Therefore they are bound to meet frequently.
Grants and Review Boards ensure conformity to procedures: proper allocation of funds, conformity to accounting regulations and check expenses according to objectives and order possible audits. Authorized to make enforceable rulings within the strict boundaries of Ismaili jamat , these community jurisdictions 29 also act as appellate courts for regional or local boards of arbitration, these boards ruling first in cases of lesser importance.
With its headquarters in the historic jamatkhana premises of Moi Avenue, The Ismaili Board of Kenya runs the constituency and presides over regional and local boards The twenty-two-member board, which meets every three months, is assisted by an executive secretariat in charge of administrative tasks of coordination, management and financial administration These families, which are about twelve in number and whose fortunes date back to years before they emigrated from India, grew rich through their business activities.
Some of them have been awarded noble titles by the Aga Khan in recognition for their past or present achievements Thus the heads of the major institutions: national board and ministerial agencies, except the education services all hold noble titles. Whereas every ministerial agency has at least two title holders within its managerial committee, the National Board of Kenya has eight title holders out of twenty-two members Within this leading minority, the first stratum includes members the grandsons or great grandsons of the old highly prestigious families which have been ennobled for a long time.
Whatever the position they hold, whether they are a jamatkhana mukhi , the member of the Ismailia Province Council or the head of the Indian Commercial Association, etc. Real social mobility has begun. The numbers of institutions created by governance, the abundance of available positions, the launching of new economic programmes, sustainable development projects have offered new generations a whole range of activities. The social promotion which has certainly been gained by individual effort is also the result of both an education policy carried out for decades and of a policy of material and financial assistance to poor background families.
Young Ismaili graduates have formed a pool which business men draw their staff from and among which the Aga Khan administration chooses its leaders. These educated and qualified people, who have often been educated in the best Anglo-Saxon universities, can now apply for high-level positions, within and outside the community they come from.
In this patrilineal Muslim society that the Ismaili community represents, the persistence of unions between relatives attests to the permanence of endogamy. Once it has been extended to a broader family horizon, the relational endogamy rule seems to suit Ismaili aristocratic families willing to seize opportunistic unions without departing from the requirement of class equality. Custodians of old genealogies, the notables can only marry women or men of their standing.
One can mention the case of two old families that concluded five marriages between them within the same generation. Isogamic marriages not only endure but are highly considered within the Kenyan Ismaili community and the union interplay tallies with some family names in high-level positions.
Some Kenyan families who lived abroad agree to conclude distance marriages with young people who have remained in Kenya. A few Ismailis, who had settled in Western countries, have married European women, particularly in the United Kingdom. Such marriages are scarce and most often occur between intellectuals. As for marriages with Africans, there are no more than a few dozens in Kenya. Such unions run counter to cultural and religious prohibitions since a very small number of African families have adopted the Ismaili religion so far.
Mixed Ismaili-African marriages are concentrated on the coastal region and necessarily concern Ismaili men marrying Muslim African women. The biographical notes that have been gathered corroborate these general observations. Within the framework of community life any Ismaili participates in committees for young people, women, etc.
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