Ismailis in Action
All over the United States, Ismailis, either individually or as part of a Jamati or institutional program, are engaged in interesting activities that are informative or inspirational.
A former IBM executive’s new book encourages women to harness their power to propel them to success.
The Ismaili Muslim Students Association (IMSA) at The University of Texas at Austin was presented with the Outstanding Student Organization Award at its annual Tower Awards/ The award, presented in May 2022, recognized its contribution toward civic engagement efforts and inspiring actions in the community.
“We’re so pleased that in Plano and all over the world, today is Ismaili CIVIC Day. We are a diverse city, and these kinds of efforts are what make our community so great. We thank you for what you do for the community and for the world, and for Plano.” These were remarks made by John Muns, Mayor of Plano, Texas.
“Let’s fulfill and mean the term, ‘One Jamat’ in its true sense, by not marginalizing us, feeling sorry for us, or only remembering us once a year during Special Needs Awareness Week. Instead, be open to including us, welcoming us, accommodating us in every event, as all we seek is love.” - Students of the Dallas Creative Learning Center.
Riaz Patel is an Executive Producer/Director with NBC Universal in Los Angeles, currently making non-fiction television shows
Dr. Ariff Kachra, the Dean for the University of Central Asia, had only a moment to meet with Naseem Jaffer during a layover at the San Francisco airport in 2015. He had heard of Naseem’s experience in preparing curricula from when she helped pilot the Ta’lim curriculum used in religious education classes, her services in analyzing and improving underperforming schools in California and Massachusetts, and her master’s degree in education with a focus on mathematics.
Dr. Henna Budhwani is a tenured Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, Visiting Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), and affiliated faculty at Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine, Center for Translational Behavioral Science.
City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner: “I am a member of the Ismaili Community...honorary!”
May 2021 was momentous for Laila and Arif Merchant as the beaming parents watched their triplets cross the stage and graduate from The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta. What made this milestone even more special is that their children graduated top of their class, with Aqil as Valedictorian, and Alma and Anusha as co-Salutatorians.
A short and poignant new film captures the imagination and underscores social issues leading to suicides among girls in Northern Pakistan. Depicting the strains caused in families and villages by the impact of higher education, the film Darya Kay Iss Paar (This Bank of the River) makes its statement with little dialogue. The emotions, confusion, and despair are all too obvious in the actress who plays the part of a tormented young girl.
If smell is a word and perfume literature, then “oud” is scripture buried deep in our history. Oud, Oudh, aloeswood, agarwood, or “liquid gold,” as it is commonly referred to, originates from the Agar (Aquilaria) tree in the forests of the Indian Subcontinent & South East Asia. The oil itself is produced by the tree as a means of protection in response to a bacterial infection.
In his speech at the Inauguration ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Hazar Imam spoke about the power and influence that younger generations have in shaping their communities and societies as they progress through their education.
“It is my hope that it will be members of this new generation who, driven by their own wide knowledge and inspiration, will change their societies; that they will gradually replace many of the external forces that appear, and sometimes seek, to control our destinies,” Hazar Imam said.