Ismaili Muslims all over the world yesterday kicked off a yearlong celebration commemorating the Golden Jubilee of their spiritual leader, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan.
Many North Texans will join the celebration with events throughout the year.
There are an estimated 15 million Ismaili Muslims living in some 25 countries – mainly in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America. About 20,000 Ismailis live in Texas; the Dallas-Fort Worth area has the third-largest congregation in the U.S.
There are four Ismaili Jamatkhanas, or centers, in North Texas. One of the largest opened last year in Collin County.
"Many Ismailis have come to Texas for its quality education system," said Rizwan Sheikh, a volunteer for the Ismaili community. "There is also the attraction of a sound business environment."
Ismaili Muslims may hail from different parts of the world – and are of different ethnicities and cultures – but they will all join together to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.
"On July 11, 2007, and throughout the year, all over the world, Ismailis will be expressing their gratitude and admiration for the extensive work of the imam and for his spiritual and temporal guidance to the community," Mr. Sheikh said.
Mr. Sheikh and Rafiq Lakhani are among the organizers planning events for the yearlong celebration. While there have been several private events in the Ismaili centers, there are several functions that will be open to the public. These include the annual Partnership Walk, set for Oct. 14; a national sports tournament in November in Carrollton; and a museum lecture series titled "Sufis, Shi'is and Shahs: the Great Shrines of Iran, 1500-1650," set for March 12 at the Dallas Museum of Art.
Ismailis are also known as Shias and represent one of the two major branches of Islam. The Sunnis make up the second branch.
According to Anthony Mansueto, the division emerged as a result of an early dispute over Islamic leadership.
"The Sunni argued that the caliph, the successor of the prophet Muhammad, should be elected, while the Shias argued that succession should remain within the direct line of the prophet's closest relatives," said Dr. Mansueto, whose doctorate is in religion and society from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. He is now dean of communications and humanities at the Spring Creek campus of Collin County Community College in Plano.
In an article written in preparation for the Golden Jubilee, Dr. Mansueto pointed out that the division also reflected profound differences in leadership styles. "The Sunnis, stressing Islam's historic emphasis on effective political engagement, opted for caliphs, who were primarily political and military leaders. The Shias looked for leaders known for wisdom and spirituality."
Eventually even the Shias became divided. "The vast majority [those we hear most about in Iran and Iraq] believes there was an unbroken line of 12 imams." The Ismailis trace their lineage to the seventh imam, Isma'li bin Jafar (721-755). The Ismailis believe that the law is embodied in the Quran as well as the sayings and the practices of Muhammad.
As Muslims, the Ismailis believe that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger. They believe that Muhammad was the last and final prophet of Allah and that the Quran, Allah's final message to mankind, was revealed through him.
The Aga Khan is a direct descendant of Muhammad. He succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, as the 49th hereditary imam on July 11, 1957, when he was 20 years old. Prince Karim Aga Khan is the son of Prince Aly Khan and Princess Tajudowlah Aly Khan. He was born in Geneva and graduated from Harvard University with an honors degree in Islamic history in 1959.
Since assuming the role as imam, the Aga Khan has continued his grandfather's concern for the well-being of Ismailis as well as all Muslims, said Mr. Lakhani.
In the Ismaili tradition, the imam's jubilee celebrations offer occasions to launch new social, cultural and economic development projects, with the goal of improving the quality of life for all.
"The Ismaili faith calls for us to do good ... that we must do all we can to leave this world a better place than we found it," Mr. Sheikh said.
"A big part of the Islamic ethic is to have compassion for those less fortunate," Mr. Sheikh said.
The Aga Khan heads the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the world's largest aid and cultural organizations, which spends more than $300 million each year to build schools, universities and hospitals in the Third World. The network also hosts cultural exhibitions around the globe annually.
"We are very privileged to be a community with such a leader to guide us," Mr. Lakhani said.