21 September 2011 – Our youth “feel strongly about not wasting resources, leaving a better place for future citizens. I think they are taking a lot more responsibility about our world and that is a good thing because it tells us that they will be good leaders for the future.”
Our instinct, as parents, Mr. Sunderji says, is to protect, however, “that is one of the challenges of our organizations. How do we build bridges not only within members of our own community, but also with members of other communities, many of whom sometimes have the same fears. These bridges need to allow dialogue and inclusion based on common values of peace and caring for one another.”
In Ontario, the population of the Ismaili Muslim community is about 50,000 people, of which almost 80% are the residents of the Greater Toronto Area. There are numerous Jamatkhanas (places of community gathering, prayer and contemplation) in the GTA, with four of these Jamatkhanas located in Don Valley East and West. As a community, Ismailis are employed in all sectors of economy. An estimated 20 per cent of them are entrepreneurs and many are in positions of leadership in academia, industry and government. Construction of an Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum in North York speaks volumes of the commitment of this community to Canada and its belief in multiculturalism , and the future of pluralism in Canada.
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