Golden Jubilee: Visits : canada visit

Canada visit



Mawlana Hazar Imam marks Golden Jubilee visit to Canada by opening the first Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat


Day or night, light or dark, from as far as across the river in Gatineau, the building stands out on Ottawa’s prominent Ceremonial Boulevard; its glass dome, inspired by rock crystal, gleaming like a jewel. This is the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat - the first such building in the world, and a true landmark, both symbolic and structural.
The building was inaugurated by Mawlana Hazar Imam during his Golden Jubilee visit to Canada with the opening attended by Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper as well as former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. Also present were Prince Amyn, Princess Zahra, Prince Rahim, Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya. The 350 guests included senior government ministers, Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, several members of Parliament, diplomats, senior leaders of the global Jamat as well as heads of various Aga Khan Development Network agencies and institutions.
Mawlana Hazar Imam described the significance of the event noting, “What we celebrate today can be seen as a new creative link between the spiritual dimensions of Islam and the cultures of the West. Even more particularly, it represents another new bridge between the peoples of Islam and the peoples of Canada.”
Situated on Sussex Drive, off Confederation Boulevard, the ceremonial route around the heart of the capital, the building stands prominently alongside various ambassadorial buildings on Ottawa’s historical “Mile of History” in between the Embassy of Saudi Arabia on one side and Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs on the other.
Standing in the awe-inspiring glass-domed atrium designed by world-renowned architect Fumihiko Maki, Mawlana Hazar Imam reflected on the symbolism of rock crystal, which inspired the building’s design, and its representation of the mystery of God’s Creation. “…Its translucency, its multiple planes, and the fascination of its colours – all of which present themselves differently as light moves around them. The hues of rock crystal are subtle, striking and widely varied – for they can be clear or milky, white, or rose coloured, or smoky, or golden, or black,” he said. “It is because of these qualities that rock crystal seems to be such an appropriate symbol of the profound beauty and the ever-unfolding mystery of Creation itself – and the Creator.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam also spoke about the long partnership between the Ismaili community and Canada, attributing the great rapport between the Ismaili and Canadian communities through the years to the shared commitment to a common ethical framework, and to the ideals of pluralism. He continued, observing that “the spirit of pluralism, at its base, is a response to the realities of diversity — a way of reconciling difference on the one hand with cooperation and common purpose on the other. It is an attitude, a way of thinking, which regards our differences not as threats but as gifts — as occasions for learning, stretching, growing — and at the same time, as occasions for appreciating anew the beauties of one’s own identity.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam went on to say that the building represents yet another step in a long path. “It will give us another platform for strengthening and extending our relationship. It will be a site for robust dialogue, intellectual exchange, and the forging of new partnerships - with government, and with the institutions of civil society and the private sector of Canada and so many other countries.”
An Architectural Marvel


The Delegation building was designed by the internationally celebrated Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki. Conceived as a pavilion in a park, and inspired by natural rock crystal, the building’s unique design emanates a feeling of openness and transparency, providing a dynamic setting for dialogue and the exchange of ideas, collaboration and intellectual discourse to broaden thinking and inform policy on solutions to improve the human condition.
“The building is centred around an open-air chahar-bagh, a garden that plays off the traditional Persian four-division garden. A frequent landscape design in Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia, the Ottawa version is adapted with evergreen junipers, boxwood hedges, silverberry trees and flowering ground cover. From the garden, light streams through large glass panes into the entire building.
The atrium is the Delegation’s most distinctive feature. An open space whose highest point measures 17 metres, the atrium is airy and filled with light, covered by an asymmetrical glass roof, which with its multiple planes, simulates rock crystal. Light coloured flooring made from Canadian maple further heightens the sense of illumination in this space.
Beautiful jali screens on the four sides of the atrium give the effect of enclosing the large space without creating a significant barrier to the flow of light. Such patterned lattices are traditionally found in South Asian architecture, including the Taj Mahal and Rajasthani palaces.
Some 300 glass panels enhance the sense of openness and transparency, making it possible to see through the 87-metre long building. The primary walls of the facade are made of neoparies, a unique building material made of crystallised glass, and which has a marble-like appearance, changing colour depending on the time of day.
The tiles pick up and reflect colour from the surrounding environs, including green and autumnal red from the vegetation, blue from the sky and gold from the sun.”
[Karim H. Karim, “Light Upon Light” Ottawa Magazine (Feb/Mar 2009)]


The opening of the Delegation building took place in the second part of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee visit to Canada.
Through both parts of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Canadian visit, the entire Jamat was vibrant and alive with the excitement of having their Imam physically present in Canada. Thousands of murids lined the streets to greet Mawlana Hazar Imam on his arrival in each city, waving flags and calling out messages of welcome and affection – a momentous first for Canadian Ismailis. The spirit of celebration was evident in the very fabrics of the cities themselves, with areas transformed by street banners and flags raised in honour of the Golden Jubilee. Festivities abounded across the country as Jamati members of all ages gathered to celebrate, play dandia, participate in musical devotional expressions, volunteer their time and energy, and share meals and stories with their Ismaili brothers and sisters.
On the first leg of his visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived to a ceremonial welcome in the capital city Ottawa where he was met by Honourable Ministers John Baird and Jason Kenney. Later, he called on Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, at Rideau Hall before visiting Parliament Hill where he met with Ministers and other government officials. In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam attended a working dinner with the Honourable Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation and Margaret Biggs, President of the Canadian International Development Agency.
In Toronto, Mawlana Hazar Imam called on the Premier of the Province of Ontario, the Honourable Dalton McGuinty and thereafter attended the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Aga Khan University and McMaster University, which addresses objectives shared by both institutions in the health sciences, the social sciences, humanities and in business. The Memorandum was signed by McMaster University President, Dr. Peter George, and President Firoz Rasul of the Aga Khan University, in the presence of Canada’s Minister of International Cooperation, the Honourable Bev Oda, and Mawlana Hazar Imam. At the ceremony, Bev Oda spoke of the significance of this Memorandum and paid tribute to Mawlana Hazar Imam’s work: “With the signing of your agreement today, the Aga Khan and McMaster Universities are embarking on a new, exciting journey. A journey that will put to work all the knowledge and expertise you have gained over a quarter century of cooperation. … So with all humility and great gratitude, I thank Your Highness for this close relationship that we have with your leadership, your wisdom, your many followers. To be part of your great work is truly a privilege.”
From Toronto, Mawlana Hazar Imam went on to Calgary, where he was received by government officials as well as a ceremonial guard representing the Calgary Police Service, Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services. Hundreds of members of the Jamat lined the streets of downtown Calgary to welcome their beloved Imam.
In Calgary, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with Linda Hughes, Chancellor of the University of Alberta, and Dr. Carl Amrhein, the University’s Provost and Vice-President (Academic). He also called on the Honourable Norman L Kwong, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, and his wife, Her Honour Mary Kwong, at McDougall Centre. Mawlana Hazar Imam attended a reception and luncheon hosted by the Aga Khan University (AKU), where he addressed a group of Canadian businessmen who founded the Awali Project in partnership with the University’s Institute for Educational Development. Awali — which means beginning in Swahili — has brought together private Canadian citizens, the Canadian International Development Agency and AKU to invest in the development of quality education in East Africa. At the luncheon, Mawlana Hazar Imam commented on the generosity of the Canadian people and how they have helped AKU to develop: “At some stage an institution has to achieve a level of recognition whereby society comes forwards to sustain the institution. It is no longer an institution of one individual or one community, it becomes a national institution. That only happens, I think, when that institution has matured, grown and demonstrated valid results. And I think today, I can say that AKU has achieved that in Africa, in Asia, and that we have achieved it essentially through Canadian individuals, Canadian support and Canadian willingness to look at the developing world as it is, not as certain people would like it to be.”
Continuing his very busy schedule, Mawlana Hazar Imam then travelled on to Vancouver, where again, the streets were lined with members of the Jamat welcoming the Imam. Later, he met with the Mayor Derek Corrigan of Burnaby who announced the creation of a new 13-acre public park on the occasion of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee. “We are honoured to create this park on the occasion of His Highness’s Golden Jubilee as the City of Burnaby’s recognition and thanks to the Aga Khan and the Ismaili Community for making Burnaby home,” said the Mayor. Following the meeting, Mawlana Hazar Imam attended a luncheon hosted in his honour by British Columbia Premier, the Honourable Gordon Campbell. Guests included prominent members of Vancouver’s academic and corporate sectors, as well as community leaders. The Premier spoke about the contribution made by the Ismaili community in BC and across Canada: “It touches us in British Columbia when we go to the Partnership Walk and we see literally thousands and thousands of people, not just Ismaili people, but many, many others as well joining the Ismaili community here. And most importantly, young people, young people who are becoming aware of the fact that we live in a great place and there may be things we can do to help others live in better places around the world. That is your message, and it is a message that is based on not just talking about the opportunities here before us but actually taking steps down that road to hope and to promise that you have talked about so much in the past.”
In all three cities - Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver - Mawlana Hazar Imam granted Golden Jubilee Darbars to thousands of murids from Canada and around the world, who had come to partake in the historic occasion. As murids congratulated each other on the occasion of this historic visit, the feeling was palpable that, united by allegiance to and love of their Imam, they really were of one heart — one Jamat.
Before departing from Canada, at the end of the first part of his Golden Jubilee visit to the country, Mawlana Hazar Imam attended a dinner held in his honour by the Ismaili Council for Canada and other Jamati institutions. During the dinner, he expressed his happiness at the progress the Jamat had made over the years. “I am infinitely proud, infinitely proud of the leadership that is coming from Canada, or from communities that have left their homelands in difficult circumstances, built a new future for themselves here in Canada, empathised with Canadian values and are able today to bring back to their home countries, not only new knowledge, new competencies, but also Canadian values. And I think those Canadian values will serve you well as they have done here in Canada, and I believe they will serve you well abroad,” he said.
Mawlana Hazar Imam and the guests were entertained by the National Ismaili Musical Ensemble and were treated to a short play titled Alim Wa'l Ghulam: The Master and His Disciple. “I particularly want to say to the young people who performed this evening, how happy and proud I am, not only of the show that they demonstrated, but of the remarkable talent that they showed all of us this evening. That is another sign of a great civilisation -talent in art, talent in expression,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam in acknowledging the performers.

“For half a century you have provided spiritual guidance for Ismailis and worked to improve the quality of life in their communities. Your name has also become synonymous with humanitarian aid and development in countries beset by conflict and poverty. And perhaps most importantly of all, you have acted as a bridge-builder between faiths and cultures.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper

“In Islamic thought, as in this building, beauty and mystery are not separated from intellect — in fact, the reverse is true. As we use our intellect to gain new knowledge about Creation, we come to see even more profoundly the depth and breadth of its mysteries.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam

“It is our prayer that the establishment of the Delegation will provide a strongly anchored, ever-expanding opportunity for rich collaboration – in the devoted service of ancient values, in the intelligent recognition of new realities, and in a common commitment to our shared dreams of a better world.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam