Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.Copyright Lawsuit: Defenses Glorifying the Aga Khan filed in federal Court - 2010-04-29
In a surprisingly rapid twist of events, both Mr Tajdin and Mr Jiwa have filed their respective statements of Defense this 29th of April 2010. They affirm to being devoted followers who will unconditionally abide by the wishes of the Aga Khan, whom they glorify in their defense.
Mr Tajdin declares that:
He has not been served yet but the ethics imposed upon him by his faith demands that he should not keep in ignorance the public by being silent on the issue and should clarify all of the facts, pertaining to this lawsuit, of which he is aware.
He reaffirms his allegiance to the Aga Khan, is willing to submit to any of his wishes, and is ready to surrender himself and all his possessions to the Imam.
He has been printing Farman books since 1992 with approval and instructions from the Imam received on August 15, 1992 in Montreal.
He has not received any communication from the Imam from 1992 to 2009 instructing him to stop publication.
He cannot stop publication without instruction from the Imam as this would be a breach of his oath of allegiance to the Imam.
All Farman publications were financial deficit projects done as a volunteer service and large numbers of books were distributed free of charge.
Farman sharing is a historic Ismaili tradition which still continues today.
The current Ismaili Constitution does not restrict the right to publish Farmans
Mr Tajdin concludes that:
He has no choice but to await further direct instructions from the Imam.
He reaffirms his allegiance to the Aga Khan, is willing to submit to any of His wishes, and is ready to surrender himself and all his possessions to the Imam.
Mr Jiwa states that:
"This action does not appear to have been authorized personally by the Aga Khan .."
"In distributing Farman books obtained from Tajdin to other Ismailis, he has not violated either the Ismaili Constitution or any Farmans"
He has not violated the copyright act as "Tajdin was given express authority by the Imam" and regardless of the fact that "the limitations period provided for by the Copyright Act also bars this action as the books containing the Farmans were commenced publication in the year 1992", he will still do whatever the Imam tells him to do.
Mr Jiwa clarifies finances:
He "obtains these books for C$50.00 and sells them for C$50.00 or gives them free, without any profit.
"All monies received by him from the sale of (other) books after 2005 were delivered to the Jamatkhanas"
Mr Jiwa further states that:
"If the Imam edited the Farman before releasing to the Jamats, in effect he is superceding the Farman he made orally previously."
He "unconditionally reconfirms his oath of allegiance to his Imam" and "if the Imam does not desire his Farman books to be distributed to the Jamats (...) this defendant will submit to the instructions of His Imam without reservation whatsoever"
Replies From the Plaintiff are due within 10 days, and Affidavits of Documents are due 30 days later.
[Update from May 6: Ogilvy Renault, the law firm which launched the case has asked for an extension of 15 days to reply to the Defense. They claim delays due to breakdown of email servers, blackberry communication, travel of senior lawyer, time difference with Paris etc...The more delays in this file, the more damage it creates to the reputation of the Ismaili community, the Imam and the defendants. It is to the advantage of all parties that this case be withdrawn from the courts.]
[Update from June 22: Defendants have filed a Motion for summary Judgement to have the case dismissed.]
[Update from September 5:
Online Book that gathers court materials as well as articles that are currently available for the ongoing 2010 Lawsuit:
Copyright Lawsuit 2010: Online Book of All available Materials
News on cross-examinations:
Copyright Lawsuit: CROSS_EXAMINATIONS Table of Contents - 2010-09-04
Latest Development
Copyright Lawsuit: Imam Appears for Discovery and Ends the Case - 2010-10-15
As users are asking to read the letters from Nagib and Alnaz on the court docket, the latest have been attached on the following link:
A. Various Court Filings
Revised Factums have been posted Here:
2010-11-29 Summary Judgment : Plaintiffs Revised Combined Factums of Reply and of Motion
2010-11-29 Summary Judgment: Defendants' Revised Factums of Motion and of Reply
There has been proven fraud in the recent past in the Aga Khan's domain by the Aga Khan's agents:
Aga Khan Lawsuit: Fraud at Aga Khan Studs - 2000-02-22
2011-05-25: A Jamati Member who has never met the Defendants volunteered as his brotherly duty to pay the $30,000 that was demanded in the Plaintiff''s submissions and that was accordingly ordered by the judge.
Read the full details of the $30,000 payment directly to H.H. The Aga Khan.
2011-06-16: The Appeal Memorandum of Fact and Law against the Summary Judgment has been filed in court by the defendants on June 16th, 2011.
Read the Full Appeal Memorandum of Fact and Law
Link to Court Docket Case T-514-10
Link to Court Docket Appeal A-60-11
Link to Court Docket Appeal A-59-11
Link to Court Docket Appeal A-156-13
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Tajdin Defence Apr 29.10.pdf | 491.02 KB |
| Jiwa AK Defence Apr 29.10.pdf | 543.82 KB |
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Comments
@bloglaw
Following blindly will lead to being discarded from the jamat. History is proof. All should consider: why would mhi make public farmans and emphasize on following the Constitution "in letter and in spirit" and then give private guidance to SS which conflicts his own Constitution and public farmans. Mhi has urged us to use intellect.
Mhi cannot and will not give any private guidance that would contradict his public farmans and constitution which is applicable for all except for that particular individual but not for public.
His direction to jamats to seek accountability must be based on some foundation. What is it?
Consider police of any society. They are seeking accountability from people but not arbitrary. Those who do so arbitrary are considered lawless countries. Police seek accountabity based on laws. Your actions only when against the law is when he stops you and tickets you.
How do we seek accountability. It can't be arbitrary. Our base IS firstly Constitution and secondly PUBLIC farmans and we can and must seek accountability when any institution - note not mukhis kamadias - member breaches the constitution and farmans. If we don't or we buy their argument that mhi told us (privately) or SS said this or that we are at fault.
Otherwise what is the point of oath to protect and defend the constitution?
Each member who does not fulfil his oath is misleading the imam, the jamat and himself and matter how much time or effort he puts in will not only be "useless" but he will get a noose tightened in due course.
No one can escape. Now some people think that by the way mhi says and blesses often.
Don't be mistaken. ALL blessings are conditional!!!!!
Every Deedar every Farman is qualified by mhi. It is not free for ALL present. He starts by saying "My BELOVED spiritual children". The question each should ask, am I his beloved S.C,?
If one breaches his oath etc, can he be beloved? See life of Abu Bakr. Classic example. He helped our beloved Prophet and Islam a lot yet was not allowed to or guided to become Ismaili.
MSMS has made some farmans where he had divided Ismailis into 2 (or 3 depending on the Farman re Yezids being present in jks).
Chandraat Farman is made not for Ismailis but for true Ismailis, and he had imposed a duty on life members: convert Ismailis into true Ismailis.
So each of us has to ask - am I a true ismaili? Am I mhi's beloved spiritual child? Note: in my statement of defense I have quoted mhi as saying that those who do not abide by my guidance 'lose the right to be part of the Jamat".
So each should ask: have I lost the right to be part of the Jamat?