by KEERTHI MOHAN AGA KHAN OPENS ACADEMIC CENTRE IN LONDON AS BRITAIN PAYS TRIBUTE TO ISMAILI LEADER ON HIS DIAMOND JUBILEE AS IMAM OF THE COMMUNITY ISMAILI spiritual leader the Aga Khan met British prime minister Theresa May, international development secretary Penny Mordaunt as well as Prince Charles, as the latter inaugurated the Aga Khan Centre in north London last week. This year marks the diamond jubilee (60 years) of the Aga Khan as the 49th hereditary imam (spiritual leader) of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims and the UK government celebrated the milestone by hosting a series of events in his honour. Last Tuesday (27) saw the opening of the Aga Khan Centre (AKC), an academic building for teaching, research and cultural exchange, in London’s King’s Cross. The Prince of Wales praised the Aga Khan for being a source of inspiration to the more than 15 million Ismaili Muslims spread across 25 countries. the Aga Khan shakes hands with Prince Charles at the launch “In holding dear the values of humility, honour, magnanimity and hospitality, the Ismaili community takes its inspiration from their imam, and from his extraordinary greatness of soul,” Prince Charles said. Designed by renowned architect Fumihiko Maki, the AKC will be the new permanent home for three institutions – the Aga Khan Foundation (UK), the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) and the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (ISMC). The centre will serve as an academic centre, and will not have a religious function. In his remarks at the launch, the Aga Khan said he hoped that “from this new home, these education-oriented institutions would contribute powerfully to building new bridges of understanding across the gulfs of ignorance”. “One of the central challenges that faces our world today is the challenge of harmonising many…
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