A list of prominent Ismaili websites
“We ought not to be ashamed of appreciating the truth and of acquiring it wherever it comes from, even if it comes from races distant and nations different from us...”
Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi
(c. 800-866)
500 years of doubt and concealment were brought to an end in the mid-18th century as the 43rd Imam of the Ismaili faith came out of hiding in south eastern Iran.
But it's with the 46th Imam, Hasan 'Ali Shah, that Ismaili history took a turn.
Knowledge is as much a pillar of the Ismaili faith as any theological concept and perhaps second only to the adoration of the Aga Khan in the thoughts of our Ismaili friends.
Knowledge is key in every gnostic faith, and Ismailism is no exception.
PBS' Religion and Ethics program focussed this week on the Aga Khan. Their 10 minute interview/documentary can be viewed here.
Most interesting is the response of the various Ismailis interviewed as they talk about their Imam.
History in the making here as the Aga Khan recently signed an agreement with the nation of Portugal for the establishment there of the permanent Seat of the Imamat for at least the next 25 years.
This is the first time in modern Ismaili history that the Imamat (office of the Imam) has had a physical home.
[News agencies are reporting](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/21/us-tajikistan-floods-idUSKCN0PV1MV20150721) 7 dead, 5 missing, 10 000 forced to evacuate and over $100 million worth of damage due to recent flooding in Tajikistan. The worst hit area is Gorno-Badakshan, home to a large, semi-autonomous Ismaili population.
Similarly, over 300 000 have been displaced in Chitral, Pakistan.
Our belated congratulations to Prince Rahim Aga Khan and his wife Princess Salwa, who gave birth to Prince Irfan on 11th April in Geneva, Switzerland.
Let us pray for the health of mother and baby and for the blessings of the Lord God on the young boy's life.
Many of you will be aware of the disgusting terror attacks carried out in Karachi on Wednesday that left 45 Ismailis dead at the hands of IS-affiliated terrorists. You can read the Al Jazeera report *here* or watch CNN's disturbing report *here*.
The *Ismaili Friends* network joins the Aga Khan in condemning this atrocity as a
"senseless act of violence against a peaceful community"
**Key Countries**: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
**Number of Ismailis**: Unknown, probably less than 20000, with 8000 in Kenya
Ismailis first arrived in East Africa in the early 19th century from India.
In just a few days time, the Muslim holy month of _Ramadan_ comes to an end. Across the world millions of Muslims are fasting from all food and liquids during daylight hours. Many will be making _Hajj_ (pilgrimage) to Mecca, the holiest city in the Muslim world.
For most Ismailis, however, this month has passed with little or no difference.
Alamut had fallen, the Imam had been slain by his Mongol captors and the Ismaili empire lay in tatters. Ismailis were massacred and dispersed across the region.
The history of the next 500 years is obscure, as Ismaili scholars themselves admit. For the first 200 years the Imams were unknown and even now our Ismaili friend can only claim to know their names.
Muhammad II now ruled as Imam over all Nizari Ismailis from his castle in Alamut, Persia whilst the Syrian Ismaili faction operated under the delegated leadership of the legendary Old Man of the Mountain. Feared by Crusaders and Saladin alike for his devoted assassins who wreaked havoc and terror in the Holy Land, he even had the King of Jerusalem assassinated in 1192.
In 1210, Muhammad II died and was succeeded by his son, Hassan III who immediately ordered his followers to embrace Sunni Islam.
“The Ismailis have almost continuously faced the hostility of the majority of Muslim dynasties and groups. Indeed, they have been amongst the most severely persecuted communities in the Islamic world. As a result, the Ismailis have been obliged for the most part to live clandestinely, guarding secretly their religious beliefs and literature.”
('Ismailis - Their History and Doctrines' by Farhad Daftary )
**Population**: 30 million
**Number of Ismailis**: Estimates range between 200 000 to 2 million
**Key Area**: Badakhshan, Baghlan Province
*Reuters* are reporting "chaotic scenes" as aid is delivered to the scene of last Friday's devastating landslide in Afghan Badakhshan. Armed militia are allegedly re-directing relief supplies to their own villages.
Please continue to pray for the 4000 survivors and displaced villagers.
On Friday a huge landslide devastated a village in the remote north-eastern corner of Afghanistan. The BBC are reporting over 2500 buried alive and more than 4000 displaced.
You can read and watch the latest from the BBC *here*
With Easter approaching, here's an interesting 20 minute video detailing the Ismaili interpretation of the life and death of Jesus.
There's a lot to unpack in this short lecture and it serves as an interesting introduction to Ismailism in its own right. For now, let's concentrate on just a few points:
**Population**: 1.35 billion (22 million Xinjiang)
**Number of Ismailis**: 40 000
**Key Area**: Xinjiang Province - The most western of China's provinces, incorporating the Chinese Pamir Mountains. Home to the Uyghurs as well as the Chinese 'Tajiks'. Key towns are Tashkurgan and Kashgar, along with the provincial capital, Urumqi.