Irshad
Mubarak - Roshorv, Bartang Valley
Irshad
Mubarak - Porshniev, Badakshan
Irshad
Mubarak - Shugnan, Tajikistan
Aga
Khan Outlines Path to Peace in Afghanistan
Irshad
Mubarak of Mowlana Hazar Imam Shah Karim Al Hussain Aga Khan
Roshorv, Bartang Valley, Tajikistan
25th September, 1998
My beloved spiritual children and My brothers and sisters in Islam from
Bartang Valley,
Today is a day of profound joy and happiness for Me, as I am once again
with
My Jamat here in Tajikistan. A little more than three years have passed
since the first time I set foot on the beautiful earth of this area
of
Tajikistan. I take this occasion to thank the President for his invitation,
and for having accompanied Me to Khorog. He and his government in Dushanbe,
and the administration of the Hukumat of Gorno-Badakshan have been
most
generous in facilitating My visit.
I am deeply conscious of the time, commitment and voluntary service
which
innumerable men and women in government, and even more individuals
in all
walks of life, have contributed to make My visit and this Mulaqat possible,
and I express to them My particularly warm gratitude and My admiration
for
this collective effort.
I would like to say to My Jamat of Bartang, how much I admire the work
you
have done, the way you have prepared this area for the Mulaqat, the
welcome
on the mountains. And I hope that this collaborative effort you have
shown
in welcoming the Imam-of-the-Time to Bartang will remain a strong force
for
work and peace and unity in the years ahead.
On this day of joy and happiness, and at the beginning of this Irshad,
I
convey to all My Murids My most affectionate and most loving blessings,
and
I pray that Allah may bring to all of you here present, and to your
families
and homes, peace, hope and confidence in the future.
At the time of My previous visit, I underlined the absolute necessity
for
the good of all Tajiks that peace should be re-established in this
country.
I urged you never again to use arms to resolve differences, and I am
profoundly happy that since 1995, Badakshan has been peaceful. I convey
to
you My congratulations and My respect for having made Islam’s ethic
of peace
a central focus of your daily lives, and of relations amongst you.
I am aware that nonetheless, certain aspects of your lives continue
to
remain precarious, in particular food security, but I am convinced
that this
precariousness is significantly reduced in relation to three years
ago.
Hopefully, with the peace that you have nurtured, and your hard work
and
your willingness to change, it will not be more than two to three years
until Badakshan is able to feed its population.
While we all work together to improve the productivity of your land,
and
thereby give future generations the basic premises on which they can
continue to live in this high mountain area, we must, at the same time,
prepare future generations for the world in which they will live. It
will be
significantly different from that of today. Your children will need
a
knowledge base adapted to the ways in which they will make their time
productive, so new areas of knowledge are required. Ideally, they should
be
rooted in your educational system and in up to date or new institutions.
Further to improve the quality of life in Badakshan, every effort must
be
made to eliminate preventable disease. Future medical services will
need to
be designed to respond to the new sicknesses which will appear, and
which
will replace the earlier ones, as they always do particularly in rapidly
evolving societies.
In due course, you should be able to create individual and family wealth,
and when that occurs, the future generations of your families will
need to
know how to protect and develop that wealth, so that it remains secure,
and
indeed grows as one generation passes it on to the next.
I am told that the new irrigation channels under construction will enable
you to irrigate more land, to make this area of Badakshan more productive.
And I urge you to make as much land as possible as productive as possible
.
If you are successful in producing excess food, turn that food into
wealth
and spend that wealth wisely. But if you are blessed with productive
land, I
urge you to take what the land will give you, and to turn it into resources
for yourselves and future generations. The resources you create can
go into
improving your housing. They can go into offering better education
to your
children. They can go into areas such as improved health care. There
are so
many opportunities to use savings well. But first you have to achieve
those
savings.
The improvement in the quality of life in Badakshan, for which we are
all
working together, must not be allowed to introduce into your society
unethical behaviours, or social attitudes which are incompatible with
those
that our faith- Islam- directs us to follow. This world faith has over
its
1400 years of history, and practised by over a thousand million people,
been
given different interpretations. This reflects the diversity of the
peoples,
the history and the languages of the millions of Muslims who make up
the
Ummah. We must take note respectfully of this plurality, but we must
never
ignore that there are fundamental concepts and belief which bind all
Muslims
together : the unity of Allah and that Prophet Muhammad (Salal Allah
‘alayhi
wa alihi was salam) was His last and final Messenger. These are convictions
shared by every Muslim wherever he or she may be. Today, however, I
want to
address a different aspect of our faith which unites all the interpretations
of Islam, and which I hope will become the central premise upon which
we can
all build our civil societies of the future. I refer to the ethics
of our faith.
Wealth and power are not objectives in themselves, but are to be used
in the
service of others. Those whom life has marginalised are to be helped.
This
help is best if it is aimed at enabling the marginalised to free themselves
from their constraints. Allah’s greatest gift to mankind – our intellect
–
is to be protected and enhanced. It must not be damaged, even less
destroyed. Anything to do with drugs is therefore to be rigorously
avoided.
Knowledge is to be sought from wherever it can be found, but it must
be used
within the ethics of our faith. We are to live in peace and with due
consideration for others. We must seek the dignity of our families
and the
privacy of our homes. The natural beauty and resources of our world
are
entrusted to us during our lifetime, and we must leave the world improved.
Here, in the case of Bartang, I would underline that the ethical principle
which must apply is that the resources that Allah has placed at your
disposal must be used wisely, and the product must be used generously.
Absolutely we must respect the sanctity of life. It is the Holy Quran
itself
which says, " And who so saves a life, it is as if he had saved the
entirety
of mankind."
These are some of the ethical premises on which we must seek to build
civil
society here, and in other parts of the world. They are premises which
can
guide, and be intertwined, with all the actions of our everyday lives.
I
draw them to your attention for our endeavours to improve the quality
of our
lives must not result in social attitudes, or behaviours which are
in
conflict with these ethics.
Allah has placed resources at your disposal, and this should inspire
you,
and youwould use them wisely and safely.
To all of you who are here today, and to your families wherever they
may be,
in Tajikistan, or abroad, I give My most affectionate loving blessings.
I
pray for the eternal peace and rest of the souls of the deceased members
of
your families, and for your strength of Iman, for your peace and your
well-being.
Muskil Asan har ruz-u, har shab.
Khonoabad, Khonoabad, Khonoabad.
Irshad
Mubarak of Mowlana Hazar Imam Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan
Porshniev, Badakshan, Tajikistan
25th September, 1998
My beloved spiritual children, and My brothers and sisters in Islam,
Today is a day of profound joy and happiness for Me, as I am once again
with
you in person. A little more than three years have passed since the
first
time I set foot on the earth of this beautiful area of Tajikistan.
I take
this occasion to thank the President for his invitation, and for his
having
accompanied Me to Khorog. He and his government in Dushanbe, and the
administration of the Hukumat of Gorno-Badakshan have been most generous
in
facilitating My visit.
I am deeply conscious of the time, commitment and voluntary service
which
innumerable men and women in government, and even more individuals
in all
walks of life, have contributed to make My visit and this Mulaquat
possible,
and I express to them My particularly warm gratitude and My admiration
for
this collective effort.
On this day of joy and happiness, and at the beginning of this Irshad,
I
convey to all My Murids My most affectionate and most loving blessings,
and
I pray that Allah may bring to all of you here present, and to your
families
and homes peace, hope and confidence in the future.
At the time of My previous visit, I underlined the absolute necessity
for
the good of all Tajiks that peace should be re-established in this
country.
I urged you never again to use arms to resolve differences, and I am
profoundly happy that since 1995, Badakshan has been peaceful. I convey
to
you My congratulations and respect for having made Islam’s ethic of
peace a
central focus of your daily lives, and of relations amongst you.
I am aware that, nonetheless, certain aspects of your lives continue
to
remain precarious, in particular food security, but I am convinced
that this
precariousness is significantly reduced in relation to three years
ago.
Hopefully, with the peace that you have nurtured, and your hard work
and
your willingness to accept change, it will not be more than two to
three
years until Badakshan is able to feed its population.
While we all work together to improve the productivity of your land,
and
thereby give future generations the basic premises on which they can
continue to live in this high mountain area, we must, at the same time,
prepare future generations for the world in which they will live. It
will be
significantly different from that of today. Your children will need
a
knowledge base adapted to the ways in which they will make their time
productive, so new areas of knowledge are required. Ideally, they should
be
rooted in your educational system and in up to date or new institutions.
Further to improve the quality of life in Badakshan, every effort must
be
made to eliminate preventable disease. Future medical services will
need to
be designed to respond to the new sicknesses which will appear, and
which
will replace the earlier ones, as they always do particularly in rapidly
evolving societies.
In due course , Inshallah, you should be able to create individual and
family wealth, and when that occurs, the future generations of your
families
will need to know how to protect and develop that wealth, so that it
remains
secure, and indeed grows, as one generation passes it on to the next.
The improvement in the quality of life in Badakshan, for which we are
all
working together, must not be allowed to introduce into your society
unethical behaviour, or social attitudes which are incompatible with
those
that our faith – Islam – directs us to follow. This world faith has,
over
its 1400 years of history, and practised by over a thousand million
people,
been given different interpretations. This reflects the diversity of
the
peoples, the history and the languages of the millions of Muslims who
make
up the Ummah. We must take note respectfully of this plurality, but
we must
never ignore that there are fundamental concepts and belief which bind
all
Muslims together : the unity of Allah and that Prophet Muhammad (Salal
Allah
‘alayhi wa alihi was salam) was His last and final Messenger. These
are
convictions shared by every Muslim wherever he or she may be. Today,
however, I want to address a different aspect of our faith which unites
all
interpretations of Islam, and which I hope will become the central
premise
upon which we can all build our civil societies of the future. I refer
to
the ethics of our faith.
Much attention and effort has been concentrated on improving the quality
of
life here in Badakshan, and while this goal is appropriate and would
be
fully accepted by all the present schools of Islam of which I am aware,
it
must not become the sole objective of our endeavour. It is essential
that
those efforts we make to improve the quality of our daily lives, should
be
made within the ethics of our faith, and that whatever results we achieve
should be enjoyed within the framework of those ethics. Because the
ethics
and ethical premises of civil life are the same in all schools of Islam,
we
have the remarkable opportunity to build the future of the civil societies
in which we will live, on premises which will unite all Muslims, and
not
divide them.
Wealth and power are not objectives in themselves, but are to be used
in the
service of others. Those whom life has marginalised are to be helped.
This
help is best if it is aimed at enabling the marginalised to free themselves
of
their constraints. Allah’s greatest gift to mankind – our intellect
– is to
be protected and enhanced. It must not be damaged, even less destroyed.
Anything to do with drugs is therefore to be rigorously avoided. Knowledge
is to be sought wherever it can be found, but it must be used within
the
ethics of our faith. We are to live in peace and with due consideration
for
others. We must seek the dignity of our families and the privacy of
our
homes. The natural beauty and resources of our world are entrusted
to us
during our lifetime, and we must leave the world improved. Absolutely
we
must respect the sanctity of life. It is the Holy Quran itself which
says,
"And who so saves a life, it is as if he had saved the entirety of
mankind."
These are some of the ethical premises on which we must seek to build
civil
society here, and in other parts of the world. They are premises which
can
guide, and be intertwined, with all the actions of our everyday lives.
I
draw them to your attention for our endeavours to improve the quality
of our
lives must not result in social attitudes, or behaviour which are in
conflict with these ethics.
To all of you who are here today, and to your families wherever they
may be,
in Tajikistan, or abroad, I give My most affectionate loving blessings.
I
pray for the eternal peace and rest of the souls of the deceased members
of
your families, for your strength of Iman, for your peace and well-being.
Muskil Asan har ruz-u, har shab.
My beloved spiritual children, My brothers and sisters in Islam,
This visit to Tajikistan is most deeply happy for Me. And though I will
be
leaving in a short number of days, I would wish you to know that at
all
times you are in My heart, My thoughts and My prayers. I pray to Allah
for
your peace, for your happiness, for your unity, for the fulfilment
of your
wishes, and for Mushkil-asan, har ruz-u, har shab.
Irshad
Mubarak of Mowlana Hazar Imam Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan
IRSHAD MUBARAK OF MOWLANA HAZAR IMAM SHAH KARIM AL HUSSAINI AGA KHAN
MADE IN
TAJIKISTAN, AND CONVEYED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THE JAMAT OF AFGHAN SHUGNAN
ASSEMBLED ACROSS THE RIVER PANJ
Shugnan, Tajikistan
25th September 1998
My beloved spiritual children and My brothers and sisters in Islam from
Shugnan and other areas of Afghanistan,
Today is a day of profound joy and happiness for Me, to address My spiritual
children and My brothers and sisters in Islam from Afghan Shugnan.
I am most
grateful for all the support which has been given by your authorities,
and
those of Tajikistan, to enable this Irshad to be conveyed to you in
person.
I am deeply conscious of the time, commitment and voluntary service
which
innumerable men and women in all walks of life, have contributed to
make
this contact possible. I see My Jamat from Shugnan. I express to the
authorities My particularly warm gratitude and My admiration for this
collective effort. In it, I see a symbol that if there is a will to
make
difficult things happen, then that will can be fulfilled.
On this day of joy and happiness, and at the beginning of this Irshad,
I
convey to all My Murids My most affectionate and most loving blessings,
and
I pray that Allah may bring all of you here present, and to your families
and homes, peace and hope in the future.
I have observed with great pain and sadness, Muslims fighting against
Muslims in Afghanistan, and it is My deepest wish and prayer that all
Afghans should, as promptly as possible, re-establish open and brotherly
dialogue among themselves, as our faith instructs us to do, so that
Islam’s
ethic of peace becomes a national reality.
Islam, our faith, has, over its 1400 years of history, and practised
by over
a thousand million people, been given different interpretations. This
reflects the diversity of the peoples, the history and the languages
of the
millions of Muslims who make up the Ummah. We must take note respectfully
of
this plurality, but we must never ignore that there are fundamental
concepts
and belief which bind all Muslims together: the Unity of Allah and
that
Prophet Muhammad (Salal Allah ‘alayhi wa alihi was salam) was His last
and
final Messenger. These are convictions shared by every Muslim wherever
he or
she may be. But in addition to the fundamental concepts to which I
have
referred, the ethics of our faith are common to all schools of Islam.
We are not allowed to live in hate. Wealth and power are not objectives
in
themselves, but are to be used in the service of others. Those whom
life has
marginalised are to be helped. This help is best aimed at enabling
the
marginalised to free themselves from their constraints. Allah’s greatest
gift to mankind – our intellect – is to be protected and enhanced.
It must
not be damaged, even less, destroyed. Anything to do with drugs is
therefore
to be rigorously avoided. Knowledge is to be sought from wherever it
can be
found, but it must be used within the ethics of our faith. We are to
live in
peace and with due consideration for others. We must seek the dignity
of our
families and the privacy of our homes. The natural beauty and resources
of
our world are entrusted to us during our lifetime, and we must leave
the
world improved. Absolutely we must respect the sanctity of life. It
is the
Holy Quran itself which says, "And who so saves a life, it is as if
he had
saved the entirety of mankind."
These are the ethical premises on which we need to build to bring peace
to
Afghanistan, to eliminate hate and division, and thereafter rebuild
the
country for the benefit of all Afghans.
To all of you who are here today, and to your families wherever they
may be,
in Afghanistan, or abroad, I give My most affectionate blessings. To
all My
beloved spiritual children and My Muslim brothers and sisters, I convey
to
you My prayers for Mushkil asan, for peace, for the resolution of your
worldly problems, for unity in your country and in your families, for
good
health and happiness. I pray for the eternal peace and rest of the
souls of
the deceased members of your families and for your peace and well-being.
Muskil-Asan har ruz-u, har shab.
Khonoabad, Khonoabad, Khonoabad.
Aga
Khan Outlines Path to Peace in Afghanistan
ISHKOSHIM, On the Afghan-Tajik Border, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/-- In a
powerful appeal to all Muslims in Afghanistan, Shia and Sunni alike,
His
Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili
Muslims,
outlined a basis for constructing a new and more stable civil order
in Central
Asia.
"All Afghans should, as promptly as possible, re-establish open and
brotherly dialogue among themselves, as our Faith instructs us to do,
so that
Islam's ethic of peace becomes a national reality." "We are not
allowed to
live in hate."
Announcing his intention to continue humanitarian relief programmes
in
Afghanistan, the Aga Khan made a commitment to also support the rehabilitation
of education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure. These
efforts will
commence in areas where collaboration with local communities and other
agencies can facilitate the transition to long-term development.
Addressing crowds of tens of thousands at centres along the Pyanj River
that marks the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the Aga Khan
credited the establishment of peace in regions of Tajikistan still
emerging
from civil strife for the success of agrarian reform, health, education
and
economic regeneration programmes undertaken by the Aga Khan Development
Network (AKDN).
Speaking to Sunni and Shia Muslims at Porshniev, Tem, Roshorv, Vanj,
Langar, Ishkoshim and Yoget during an eight-day official visit to Tajikistan,
the Aga Khan noted "with great pain and sadness, Muslims fighting against
Muslims in Afghanistan." "We must respect the sanctity of life,"
the Aga Khan
enjoined, citing a verse of the Holy Qur'an which says, "And whoso
saves a
life, it is as if he had saved the entirety of mankind." He observed
that
"because the ethical premises of civil life are the same in all schools
of
Islam, we have the remarkable opportunity to build the future of civil
societies in which we will live, on premises which will unite all Muslims,
and
not divide them."
"Wealth and power," the Aga Khan said, "are not objectives in themselves,
but are to be used in the service of others." "Those whom life
has
marginalised are to be helped . . . to free themselves from their
constraints." "Anything to do with drugs," he emphasised, "is
to be
rigorously avoided." It is on these ethical premises, said the,
Aga Khan,
that we need to "bring peace to Afghanistan, to eliminate hate and
division,
and thereafter rebuild the country for the benefit of all Afghans."
By mobilising US$ 110 million in collaboration with international donors
over the past six years, the AKDN's efforts in Tajikistan in humanitarian
assistance, the privatisation of agriculture, investment in health
and
education, and the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities, have
significantly enhanced living conditions for populations in an area
covering
half the country. Tajik communities that faced starvation only
five years
ago, now expect to be food self-sufficient within three years.
AKDN
programmes have nearly tripled wheat yields and doubled potato yields
in parts
of the country most affected by the civil war. Today, former
combatants in
the Garm Region, once the stronghold of the armed opposition, have
become
successful farmers.
AKDN has provided emergency inputs and technical assistance to sustain
and
improve the delivery of educational and healthcare services.
Through
scholarships and innovative educational programmes, AKDN has increased
the
capacity of universities across the country to teach English, market
economics
and humanities with a focus on the cultures of Central Asia.
Localised
microcredit programmes have created new jobs and are transforming the
barter
economy by revitalising entrepreneurial activity. AKDN is investing
in
infrastructure through projects in the power and road construction
sectors.
At earlier meetings in Dushanbe with Tajikistan's President Emomali
Rakhmonov and Sayid Abdullo Nuri, the Chairman of the Commission for
National
Reconciliation, the Aga Khan emphasised that the country's peace process
and
economic development are mutually reinforcing.
The opportunities that peace can bring were highlighted by major new
initiatives discussed during the Aga Khan's visit. A primary
and secondary
school, the Aga Khan Lycee, was inaugurated as a "centre of excellence"
to
serve as a model for educational institutions throughout Central Asia.
The
Network is actively supporting completion of the Darwaz-Kulyab Road,
complementing the Network's funding of the Murghab-Kulma segment of
a new
"Silk Route" connecting Central Asia to the Indian Ocean through both
China
and Pakistan. Planning for an international university for Central
Asia
specialising in the problems of high mountain societies has commenced,
on the
basis of the submission by an international group of prominent experts
of a
report jointly commissioned by President Rakhmonov and the Aga Khan.
The Aga Khan Development Network is a group of private, non-denominational
development agencies and institutions with specific mandates that range
from
health and education to rural development, culture, the built environment
and
the promotion of private sector enterprise. These agencies and
institutions,
working together, seek to empower communities and individuals, often
in
disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities.
For further information, please contact:
The Information Office Telephone: 33-3-44-58-4000
Aiglemont Fax: 33-3-44-58-1114
Source: Aiglemont Information Office
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Khan addresses thousands in Tajikistan - BBC News
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