New Ismaili centre offers a place for 'contemplation'

Dubai: Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, yesterday said that the new Ismaili Centre in Dubai is a place for peaceful contemplation.

"It is not a place to hide from the world, but rather a place which inspires us to engage our worldly work as a direct extension of our faith," the Aga Khan told a big gathering at the opening of the Ismaili Centre in Dubai. The gathering mainly comprised of Ismaili community members who travelled to Dubai from around the world to participate in the event.

Also present were Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group; and Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

The centre has been built on a piece of land donated by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The Aga Khan, who is the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, thanked Shaikh Mohammad for his generosity and said: "We welcome our new Ismaili Centre in a setting which has itself become a great hub of cosmopolitan activity and truly global crossroads. We hear a great deal these days about the words 'convergence' and 'connectivity'. In my judgment, Dubai is a place where those words truly come to life."

Global village

He noted that Dubai has become the very embodiment of the global village, placing itself at the forefront of an enormous surge towards global convergence.

"Shaikh Mohammad has provided a powerful example of how the ethics of our Islamic faith can be taken into the world, through his affirmation of a pillar of Islamic values and the spirit of generosity towards others," he added.

About the new Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan said the new centre is itself a profoundly spiritual place. "Its defining symbolism is inspired by the Fatimid tradition-stretching back over 1,000 years and widely shared with sister traditions throughout the Islamic world-from Baghdad to Bokhara," explained the Aga Khan.

He said the centre in Dubai is planned with a view to becoming a landmark in the cosmopolitan cultural picture of the city.

The opening of the centre also coincided with the golden jubilee celebrations of the Aga Khan being Imam of the Ismaili Muslim community for the last 50 years. The Aga Khan Cultural Trust has developed a park next to the Ismaili Centre as a gift from the Aga Khan to Dubai residents.

Facilities

Learning centre

The new centre in Dubai is the fourth Ismaili Centre in the world with the other three in London, Vancouver and Lisbon. The centre offers a range of cultural and educational activities.

The centre in Dubai has been built over an area of about 13,000 sq m and also houses an early learning centre which has a capacity for 225 children. The centre will provide facilities to promote cultural, educational and social programmes from the broadest, non-denominational perspective within the ethical framework of Islam.