Source: translated via Google
2008-07-06 11:00:09
Lisbon 06 Jul (Lusa) – The Prince Karim Aga Khan, spiritual leader of institutional and ismailis million Muslims living in some 25 countries vai be in Portugal from 10 to July 14.
The Aga Khan is 49 of the hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismailis Muslims and directs a community of 15 million Muslims, eight thousand of which reside in Portugal.
For his followers, Karim Aga Khan, who acceded to the throne of the Ismaili Imamat July 11, 1957, is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, daughter of the Prophet.
According to the tradition of Shia Islam, Imam of the mandate encompasses both the spiritual issues and materials.
During the year of Jubilee which began in July 2007, Aga Khan made several official visits, in response to calls from heads of state.
In visits to countries such as India, United States, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Madagascar and the United Kingdom, the spiritual leader of ismaelitas met with heads of state and government and revisitou the programmes and projects for the development of the network Aga Khan.
The visit to Portugal, which takes place from 10 to July 14 and that concide with the celebration of the day (July 11) in which the prince acceded to the throne 50 years ago, is being prepared with the help of more than 700 volunteers are expected over 15 thousand ismaelitas or the Portuguese territory and other countries.
The Jubilee celebrations of the Imam, according to the community, offering opportunities for the launch of new development projects in the social, cultural and economic.
According to the ethics of faith, these projects aim to improve quality of life of most vulnerable in society with the creation of schools, hospitals and housing projects.
In its Silver Jubilee, 25 years ago, the current Aga Khan launched new institutions and projects of social and economic development that have contributed to improving the lives of millions in the developing world.
These initiatives are now part of the Aga Khan Network for Development (Aga Khan Development Network – AKDN), a group of institutions whose mandates ranging from health and education to architecture, the micro-finance the promotion of private sector initiative and the revitalization of historic cities – all of them acting as catalysts for development.
The Aga Khan Foundation is one of those institutions that make up the network and to commemorate the golden jubilee of a project is under way to establish a school of excellence for children and young people who show high capacity but have financial difficulties.
The project, according to the network representative in Portugal for the Aga Khan Development, Commander Ahmad Nazim, is still being negotiated up knowing only that should be in the greater Lisbon area and will have to receive internship scheme for students from around the country .
This academy of educational excellence is similar to others already set up the network in the world.
The AKDN spent over 320 million dollars annually in activities of social and economic development and operates more than 200 institutions of health care, including nine hospitals and over 300 schools in the developing world.
Following the tradition of their ancestors – back one thousand years until the founding of the first universities and institutions of education in the Muslim world – the Aga Khan continues to stress the importance of education.
Its recognition of the need for a commitment of the “Society of Knowledge” global led to the creation of Aga Khan University (AKU) in Pakistan, for 25 years – the first private university and independent management in this country.
The AKU has become, however, an international university and today operates in nine university complex in the world.
The Aga Khan Fund for Culture (Aga Khan Trust for Culture – AKTC) – another institution of the utmost importance of AKDN – has been developing various projects, ranging from the holding of exhibitions of Islamic art for the rehabilitation of buildings, neighborhoods and historical cities, of Hunza in northern Pakistan, to Kabul, Afghanistan, in Cairo, Egypt, Mali, North Africa.
Ismailimail 