To be an Ismaili is to be part of a community; for many Ismailis their membership is fuelled by identity. 'Ismailism' is not just their religion on a Friday, it's their identity all week. Though their faith may be fluctuate, Ismaili immigrants to the West rarely lose their Ismaili identity. This strong common identity is forged around an unswerving loyalty to the Aga Khan and maintained by a sense of active participation in a self-sufficient community.
For an Ismaili, community means a needed but often inescapable bond. Support ranges from career counselling to regular social events. Community becomes an extension of family and is relied upon for help in time of need.
Perhaps the strongest sense of community is found among our Ismaili friends who have immigrated to a foreign land. Though Ismailis are, at the instruction of the Aga Khan, often the first to assimilate into the local culture, the fact that they've often emigrated as a whole community makes community bonds that much tighter.
Ismailism is the urn that holds the history of generations, a family heirloom, prized and protected above all.
Originally published 2 years ago