Featured Stories
This section of The.Ismaili/USA features important stories and information.
An Interview with Dr. Ali Asani about contemporary issues facing Muslims
30 July 2018
The.Ismaili is pleased to bring you Sahil Badruddin’s interview with Dr. Ali Asani. He is a Professor of Indo-Muslim Religion and Cultures, the Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University, and part of Harvard’s Online Religious Literacy Project. He discussed his insights on the necessity of religious literacy, Harvard EdX and online courses, intellectual diversity and pluralism, rise of the non-religious in America, media, storytelling and perception of Muslims, nationalism, Harvard’s courses on Shi’ism and Ismaili Thought, and his vision for the future.
A Discussion with Professor Hussein Rashid
28 May 2018
Professor Hussein Rashid discusses his work, perceptions of Muslims, cosmopolitan ethics, attitudes towards faith, materialism, and religious and cultural literacy.
Voices of the American Ismaili Community
12 March 2018
Three Ismailis express their views about their Ismaili identity.
Beyond Tolerance: Expanding our Vocabulary
11 March 2018
“O Mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women.” (Holy Qur’an, 4:1)
Providing the Spark of Hope
2 March 2018
"There are those who enter the world in such poverty that they are deprived of both the means and the motivation to improve their lot. Unless these unfortunates can be touched with the spark which ignites the spirit of individual enterprise and determination, they will only sink back into renewed apathy, degredation and despair. It is for us who are more fortunate to provide that spark." -Mawlana Hazar Imam speaking at the inauguration of the Aga Khan Baug Housing project at Versova, Mumbai, India, January 17, 1983
An Interview with Dr. Eboo Patel
5 January 2018
Recently, Sahil Badruddin, an interview host for OnFaith (onfaith.co), sat down with Dr. Eboo Patel.
Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn
7 December 2017
Two educators build unexpected careers in education when they move to America - one preparing kids from infancy, and the other readying students for adulthood.
A Community Effort: Improving Quality of Life through Education
29 November 2017
Growing up in Hunza, Northern Pakistan, Shahzadi Khan and her family lived a comfortable life. Her father was a teacher at the Aga Khan School and earned an income sufficient to support his family, so Shahzadi went to boarding school, and she and her siblings focused only on their studies.
A Principal’s View: Education as Soul-bearing and Soul-shaping
28 November 2017
With ever-changing pressures on the public school system, Principal Alykhan Boolani tackles systemic inequality with surgical precision.
The American Ismaili Community
14 November 2017
Anthropologist Dr. Zahra Jamal speaks to a cross-section of the Jamat to discover what being an American Ismaili Muslim means to them.
Home Away From Home – One Jamat Across the World
1 October 2017
In August and September, the global Jamat explored the first theme of the Diamond Jubilee year: “Celebrating the Grace of Jamatkhanas and Ismaili Centres in our Lives.” We have focused, through various initiatives and programs, on the meaning and importance of Jamatkhanas to each of us, and the diverse ways in which we engage with and use our Jamatkhanas. This article highlights the role of Jamatkhana for one US family. As we engage with other Diamond Jubilee themes through the course of this year, we will continue to highlight experiences of the Jamat with those themes.
Community Experiences of Diverse Jamats
24 September 2017
The Jamats from Central Asia and the Middle East have rich traditions and cultures. What has been their experience in integrating into the US Jamat, and how do they retain their traditions?
