For days leading up to Diamond Jubilee, volunteers in the Northeastern United States worked tirelessly to prepare for the highly anticipated, momentous, and memorable occasion. Through sleepless nights and countless hours of logistical meetings, site setup, and performance practices, the Northeastern USA Diamond Jubilee Opening Ceremony brought together 12 Jamats from cities such as Boston, New York, Washington, DC, and more to celebrate our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam. When Jamati members were asked what this Diamond Jubilee experience meant to them, one theme clearly stood out: connectedness.
One of the greatest aspects about being Ismaili is our social, cultural, and traditional network where we create lifelong friendships with our fellow Ismaili brothers and sisters. During the Diamond Jubilee year, the successes of various Imamat institutions will intersect to create lasting legacies and memories on a grand scale.
“This Diamond Jubilee was a unique experience because I was able to do seva through what I am most passionate about: dance,” one performer in the Opening Ceremony said. By being able to express our love for the Imam through the passions that touch us most deeply, the Jamat is able to feel connected to the Imam through both love and spirituality.
At the Northeast medical infirmary on July 11, one individual described how she arrived at the infirmary feeling somewhat lightheaded, but was surprised and pleased to see that her former Al-Ummah participant would be the one treating her. She felt comfort and pride that a girl whom she mentored as a teenager had become a successful professional. In reflection, she realized that Al-Ummah was one of the initiatives from Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Silver Jubilee, and here 35 years later during Diamond Jubilee, his vision of One Jamat came full circle.
The global broadcast of the Homage Ceremony also brought the Jamat together. Afterwards, one Jamati member said, “With the technology and drones during the ceremony, it was the closest that I have ever felt to deedar without the presence of Hazar Imam.”
Our connectivity to the rest of the Jamat has now become digital as well. The iOS and Android app for the event at the Philadelphia Expo Center featured a barcode for the Treasure Hunt as well as a map and schedule of the day’s events. Country-specific Ismaili Instagram accounts, Facebook pages, an app, and this website also enable Jamati members to virtually interact with Jamats around the world.
During the 60 years of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Imamat, he has improved the cultural footprint of people around the world by developing flourishing institutions rooted in Islamic ethics. With his encouragement and the Time and Knowledge Nazrana initiative, many in the he Northeastern Jamat have had the opportunity to use their talent and to experience the value of volunteering for projects for the AKDN and the Jamat, here and abroad.
The bond that the global Jamat witnessed on Diamond Jubilee inauguration illustrated our gratitude to Hazar Imam for working tirelessly to improve our well-being, and keeping us connected to one another as a global Jamat.
