What Aga Khan does for the Muslim World

Recently there has been some feeble propaganda attempts by Ismailis to convince Muslims living the in the West and the ‘liberal’ Muslims living in Muslim lands about how ‘philanthropic’ is Aga Khan and how humanitarian are his projects for everyone and not just Ismailis.

Nothing can be further from the truth. All of Aga Khan’s attempts at establishing institutions are strictly, compulsorily and firmly, for-profit institutions. The poster child of Aga Khan’s public welfare institutions is Aga Khan Hospital and the Aga Khan Hospital is also a testimony to the ‘for-profit’ claim which I mentioned above. The Aga Khan Hospital is not just one of the expensive, but the most expensive healthcare institutions in the cities where it is present. In Kenya, the cost of delivering a baby at Aga Khan Hospital is a whopping KSh 400,000. Together with that, it has had an outstanding number of malpractice and medical negligence cases in Karachi, Pakistan and Nairobi, Kenya. These are not mere claims of medical malpractice, but are civil cases against the hospital and it’s trustees and are publicly available for viewing on the internet. Click here for an example.

The newly opened Serena Hotel in Kabul offers rooms starting at $250-a-night, that’s what an average Afghan makes in a year – including the ones employed at the Serena Hotel in Kabul. These Serena Hotels also openly sell alcohol contradictory to what Islam teaches, but that’s another topic and already addressed in the Inside Ismailism blog previously.

The above is a photo of the bar at Kampala Serena Hotel serving a variety of whiskeys, wines and spirits is courtesy of TripAdvisor.

The above is a photo of a promotional campaign from Serena Hotels, sent from their official Twitter account.

An acknowledgement by General Manager of Serena Hotels, of the review posted on TripAdvisor for the Johnny Walker Black Tie Dinner. Courtesy of TripAdvisor.

Aga Khan’s institutions do focus on poverty alleviation, but these programs are only inward-facing – strictly focused towards the Ismaili community. The aim is to get as many family ‘on their feet’ as possible, for each family which is able to feed itself is required to pay 12.5% of it’s monthly income to Aga Khan.

This 12.5% paid by Ismaili families is called ‘dasond’ which means ‘tenth-part’. Modern day Ismaili missionaries claim that this is a combination of zakat (2.5%) and ushr (10%). However, that’s simply not true because zakat is never ever paid on income and is paid on excess and unconsumed wealth which lies with a Muslim for more than a year. The history of dasond is revealed in Ismaili ‘ginans’ or hymns which are written by their ‘pirs’ or saints in gujrati language.

Ismailis at that time were required to pay their dasond (tenth part) to the then present-day Imam (spiritual father), and were required to pay 2.5% to the pir (spiritual mother) – both from their monthly earnings, completely contradictory to Islamic teachings. However, when Aga Khan came into power, he claimed both positions, Imam and Pir, for himself and asked to be paid both of these shares to himself. This is also a reason why Ismaili missionaries, such as Kamaluddin Alimohammad and Abu Aly A. Aziz can be heard calling the Aga Khan as ‘ruhani ma baap’ or spiritual father and mother in their sermons. All of these historical facts are completely hidden from the present-day Ismailis and the dasond is just equated to zakat and ushr.

It’s not just the issue of dasond vs. zakat. It’s also the issue of the Islamic prayer vs. The Ismaili prayer and the issue of Hajj vs. The Glimpse of Aga Khan and the issue of Ramadhan fasting vs. Shukarvari Beej which distance Ismailism from Islam. All Muslims, including Shia and Sunni adhere to the five basic pillars of Islam of the testimony of faith, prayer, zakat, hajj and fasting whereas Ismailis come in and claim that prayer means not praying as the Prophet (pbuh) did, fasting does not mean abstaining from food and drink, zakat is not paid yearly on excess wealth to the poor but monthly on the income to the Imam (Aga Khan), and Hajj is just getting a glimpse of Aga Khan with your very own eyes.

The Ismaili version of Hajj.

Obviously on a religious ground, Ismailis have not feet to stand on, as all their claims of following Islam just do not make any sense whatsoever, and they then cite the Aga Khan Hospital and other highly profitable institutions which are just businesses run by Aga Khan. The list of these business is not small, it’s a HUGE list.

Aga Khan has cleverly banded all of these institutions under AKFED (Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development) which on the face of it, sounds very philanthropic, but it’s not. AKFED is nothing but a private holding company under which all of Aga Khan’s highly profitable institutions including banks, insurance companies, telecommunication companies, airlines and hotels operate such as:

Banks and Insurance Companies:
Habib Bank Limited
Development Credit Bank
Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank
Jubilee Insurance
Diamond Trust Bank

Airlines:
Air Mali
Meridiana Fly
Air Uganda

Telecommunication:
Roshan Telecommunications
Mwananchi Communications
Tcell Tajikistan

Hotels:
Kabul Serena Hotel
Faisalabad Serena Hotel
Islamabad Serena Hotel
Quetta Serena Hotel
Swat Serena Hotel
Nairobi Serena Hotel
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge
Serena Mountain Lodge
Polana Serena Hotel
Kampala Serena Hotel
Lake Victoria Serena Resort
Mivumo River Lodge
Selous Wildlife Lodge
Lake Manyara Safari Lodge
Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Arusha Mountain Village
Zanzibar Serena Inn

Energy:
Azito Energie
Pamir Energy

Auction Houses:
Arqana – One of the world’s largest racehorse auctioning and breeding houses

The Aga Khan Foundation in Canada (AKFC) was recently under investigation and did not reveal it’s audited financial statements to the public. It received $41.9 government funding in 2013 and did not spend that money. In fact, it was found that the AKFC had “enough cash-in-hand to operate for 8 years without even raising even a single penny”. This was reported in Toronto Star and Bloomberg.

Aga Khan’s relationship with the current prime minister was also recently questioned, and is currently under investigation for calling Justin Trudeau’s family to a vacation. Canada has given AKFC $310 million since 2004 and Aga Khan’s vacation call to Trudeau seemed more like a ‘generous cut’ than a generous gift.

Investigation into the Trudeau-Aga Khan relationship resulted in the striking discovery that the island at which Aga Khan hosted Justin Trudeau was owned by an off-shore company. The Panama Leaks database contained the name of this company through which it was found that this company is owned by two other companies. Even the helicopter which was used for transport was owned by an off-shore company. This is the modern way of weaving private property ownership into layers and layers of companies registered in off-shore tax havens. It is impossible for anyone to determine wealth of individuals who use these off-shore companies.

 

Above: Ismaili priest Nasiruddin Hunzai performing a Ismaili religious ritual with Ismaili women. Nasiruddin Hunzai was the leader of Ismailis in Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan areas and frequently toured globally. He passed away in 2017.

A few weeks into this and the Paradise Papers were revealed in which Aga Khan’s name was prominently featured. Aga Khan was found to hide the ownership of his expensive multi-million dollar yachts under an off-shore company called Bravo Romeo. Just one of the yacht he owns was valued at 200,000,000 British Pounds in 2014.

Aga Khan was also highly criticized when he milked the Canadian government to grant him $30 million dollars from the tax payers money to establish the Global Center for Pluralism. Moreover, Aga Khan got the premises for the Global center for Pluralism against just $1 for a 99-year lease and later got permission for sub-lease half of the property at market rate to other tenants. This prime piece of real estate was formerly the Canadian War Museum.

Aga Khan and his Ismaili community were also under investigation, this time by the FBI for money laundering when Ismaili community members were found smuggling dasond money (yes, the same 12.5%) across the US-Canadian border. Fortunately for Aga Khan, the Ismailis involved took the blame and the prison sentence upon themselves. The entire saga was covered by CBC’s Fifth Estate documentary called “God’s Money”.

Aga Khan was also revealed to have funded Tajik separatist terrorists against the current Tajik government and the story was published as ‘West plans new country for Ismaelites’ [sic] in Press TV.

The Aga Khan also owns a $100 million island in the Bahamas, a superyacht with which he breaks speed records, racehorses which win him derby money and settles record million-dollar divorces with Western supermodels who go back to Christianity after ‘accepting Islam’ while married to Aga Khan. But that’s a another bunch of topics.

Above: Aga Khan enjoys a vacation on one of his yachts in the Summer of 2017. Just one of his yachts was valued at 200 million pounds in 2014.

Whether you are a Ismaili or a Muslim, whenever you are giving your ‘time and money’ to anything owned and operated by Aga Khan, know where you time and money is going, as the money trail always leads to the truth behind the façade.

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Ismāʿīlī Fakelore: The Mystical Meeraj – Whose Hand Was It Anyway?

The Ismāʿīlī Fakelore section on the Inside Ismāʿīlīsm Blog contains those stories which are spread from generation-to-generation through word-of-mouth in the Ismaili community.

None of these stories have been proved through history or through witnesses. The so-called ‘englighened Ismāʿīlīs’ proudly pass on these fakelore down to the next generations.

Here is the first of these Ismāʿīlī Fakelore:

The year was 1939. Imame Zaman was Mawlana Sultan Mohammad Shah. The place is Hasanabad, Bombay, India. The occasion is Mawla’s padhramni for Deedar (where Aga Khan is physically seen by the Ismaili community).

Hasanabad compound is grandly decorated for padhramni. The Mausoleum where Imam Hasan Ali Shah is buried looked glorious. There are four pillars surrounding the parthar which are richly decorated with gold toppings. Thousands of Ismailis had gathered to meet with Imame Zaman. Those days the Ismailis there were very fortunate. They used to be able to meet with Mawla on one to one basis during a ceremony called ‘dast poshi’, an opportunity to pay homage to the Imam of the time on an individual basis.

This is a very significant event in a murid’s life. When Mawla was residing in Bombay and did not travel to Europe he used to meet with the jamat very frequently on a regular basis on Saturdays.
It was the time of such an event. Murids were waiting anxiously for Mawla’s arrival. Ginans and tasbih were recited for intazaari.
One missionary was making a vaez as a routine during the intazaari period.

He was talking at length about Prophet Mohammad’s very significant event of Meraj. The remarkable event when Prophet was given the fortitude of making a mystical journey to meet with God the almighty. The Missionary was describing the history to the jamat in a very vivid and impressive manner.

Among the thousands of murid there was a single mother carrying her six months old child in her arms.

She had traveled from Punjab for meeting with the Imam. The kid was beautiful. Due to the weather changes and long journey etc. the child developed very high fever. The woman was a very young mother. She had barely made it in time for the deedar. Being new to the area she thought soon after the deedar she will take the child to the doctor.

She decided she will fast unto the time she has the deedar. She however underestimated the seriousness of the fever in a child six months old.

She found a place closer to the stage and started praying for the child’s health. Soon the high temperature had adverse effect on the child’s brain, the baby became unconscious.

Soon he was non-responsive.

She tried to feed him wake him up, but he remained cold and non responsive. She started quietely in her heart an intense invocation of Ya Ali, Ya Ali, Ya Ali,with all her concentration.

She was a woman of great faith.

She thought Mawla is arriving in seconds. It was pointless to disturb thousands in their deedar in order to take the kid to the hospital. She was not very educated. She decided to just sit and call Ya Ali and have faith that he will save the child.

She indeed was very naive. Tears were running down her eyes and she kept reciting ‘Ya Ali’ tasbih with real faith and belief.
Here the Missionary was progressing in describing the event of Meraaj ‘…and Rasulallah saw that a hand came out from behind the curtain, to accompany the prophet to eat dinner.

Rasulallah was surprised to find the hand so familiar.

It resembled the hand of Ali, and Oh! even the fingers were same like Ali’s , same palm and same nails and even the color of the skin was same as Ali’s and above all he was stunned to see the same Ring on the finger.

(here this this guy tries to impress that Allah’s hand which came from behind curtain looked like Ali’s hand with Ali’s ring on (Allah’s) finger)

He identified the Ring to be the same one that he had given to the lion who met him on the way to the journey of Meraaj.

The Prophet (pbuh) was in a state of awe! He was indeed surprised with all the truth that he was witnessing. The gathered Ismailis were engrossed in the description of the scene of Meraaj as presented by the Missionary. And the whistle blew; signifying Mawla’s arrival .the leaders became alert.

The missionary stopped the Vaez.

Pretty soon Imame Zaman’s car entered the gate of Hasanabad. Missionary initiated the salvat tasbih.

And the wonderful voice of Mawla was heard saying ‘Khanavadan, Khanavadan’

Murids hearts were delighted; eyes were full of tears with emotions.
Imam the manifestation of same Noor as Ali was present right there and the believers were drenched with the rain fall of Noor and Rahemat. The true momins were engrossed in the holy deedar each one asking in heart and mind their own wishes to come true.

Mawla arrived on the member of Hasanabad the famous mausoleum and sat down and gave lots of blessings to the jamat and made a a firman and then asked:

‘Who was making the vaez when I arrived?’

The Missionary came forward humbly with hands joined in submission, ‘me Khudavind’, said he.

What was the subject missionary?’ asked Mawla.

‘Khudavind’ I was talking about the Meraaj’ said the missionary in a rather frightened voice.

‘Where were you in your description?’asked ‘I was at the point where the Prophet Mohammad reached the 7 th heaven and was presented with milk and honey and dates and the prophet said he had never eaten any of his meals alone,at that time a hand came from behind the curtain which supposedly was ALLAH ‘S hand but had a great resemblance to the hand of ALI!’

‘Mawla I was at this juncture in my vaez and I heard the whistle of your arrival so I stopped the vaez and I leaded the salvat tasbih.’ The missionary said.

‘Ok do you know whose hand was that?’ asked Mawla

‘Mawla you know it better’ said the missionary.

‘Yes indeed’ said the Imam, then he stood up and raised his right hand and said, ‘Yes it was this hand, this very hand’

(Here Imam says his hand is same as Allah’s Hand)

The jamat witnessed in awe. He then sat on the chair and began the ceremony of Dast poshi, where the murids came one by one to the stage and got the chance to pay the homage in an individual manner.
In the meantime the Punjabi lady’s baby had stopped breathing she was holding him against her chest and saying zikr tasbih of Ya Ali , Ya ali.

She was in deep shock but she was a true believer .

She was debating in her mind what to do?

Cry loudly and make a show versus just keep praying and take the benefit of the deedar and not spoil the event for thousand others.
What ever is to happen will happen? She thought and surrendered herself to the will of Ali.

She decided she will go up to the stage so she can have better deedar but will not go right up to Mawla with the dead baby. Her heart was weeping. She collected all the strength and went on the parthar but stood away from Mawla tightly holding the kid in her arms against her chest.

She was about to move away when Imam’s kind voice struck her ears, ‘come here’

She was hesitant, but moved a step in the direction of Mawla
He said, ‘Come closer’

Mawla himself stood up halfway and placed his right hand on her head and then looked at the child and touched the child’s body with his hand and said ‘Say Haizinda’

Lady said ‘Khudavind, Haizinda’

‘Yes, now say Kayam paya’

‘Khudavind, Kayam paya’.

And at that moment the baby started crying!

‘Look your kid is crying. Khanavadan, now go and feed your kid and take him to a doctor’ .

The woman was overwhelmed with joy, love, and surprise shock and much more, she quickly collected herself and gratefully left the stage.

People in the line following her were wondering what happened!
What was bestowed on this woman!

Mawla sat back and continued as normal without any mention.

What was this?

A miracle or what?

Please recite the salvat.

From the Gujarati book “Mowla Ni Madhur Vatu“, Page 178 to 190
Authors: E. Valiyani and Sairab Abu Turabi
English translation by: Dolly Chandani M.D.
Los Angeles California, Feb 4th, 2008

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