His Highness Aga Khan IV
Imam of Shia Nizari Ismaili Islam
Rank 49th Nizari Ismaili Imām
Name Shah Karīm al-Hussaynī
Birth December 13, 1936 (age 75)
Birthplace Geneva, Switzerland
Life Duration
Before Imamat: 20 years, 210 days
(1936–1957)
Imamate: 54 years, 340 days
(1957 – present)
Titles His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV
Religion
Shia Nizari Ismaili Islam
Residence and Secretariat Aiglemont estate in Gouvieux, France
Networth
$800 million USD (2010) [1]
Ali ·Ḥassan ·Ḥusain
as-Sajjad ·al-Baqir ·aṣ-Ṣādiq
Ismā‘īl ·Muḥammad
Aḥmad ·at-Taqī ·az-Zakī
al-Mahdī ·al-Qā'im ·al-Manṣūr
al-Mu‘izz ·al-‘Azīz ·al-Ḥākim
az-Zāhir ·al-Mustansir ·Nizār
al-Musta′lī ·al-Amīr ·al-Qāṣim
Aga Khan I ·Aga Khan II
Aga Khan III ·Aga Khan IV
Forbes describes the Aga Khan as one of the world's ten richest royals with an estimated net worth of $800 million USD (2010). Additionally he is unique among the richest royals as he does not preside over a geographic territory.[1] He owns hundreds of racehorses, valuable stud farms, an exclusive yacht club on Sardinia,[21] a private island in the Bahamas, two Bombardier jets, a 12-seat helicopter,[22] a £100 million high speed yacht named after his prize racehorse,[23] and several estates around the world, including an estate called Aiglemont at Gouvieux, north of Paris. His philanthropic institutions, funded by his followers, spend about $600 million per year - primarily in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.[24] In 2007, after an interview with the Aga Khan, G. Pascal Zachary, of the The New York Times, wrote, "Part of the Aga Khan's personal wealth [used by him and his family], which his advisers say exceeds $1 billion [USD], comes from a dizzyingly complex system of tithes[25] that some of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims pay him each year [one of which is called dasond[25][26], which is at least 12.5% of each Nizari Ismaili's gross[25] annual income] - an amount that he will not disclose but which may reach hundreds of millions of dollars annually."[8]
Among the goals the Aga Khan has asserted he works toward are the elimination of global poverty; the promotion and implementation of pluralism; the advancement of the status of women; and the honoring of Islamic art and architecture.[24][27][28][29][30] He is the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private development networks in the world. The organization has said it works toward improvement of the environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalisation of historic cities.[27][30][31][32][33][34] Since his ascension to the Imamate of Nizari Ismailis in 1957, the Aga Khan has been involved in complex political and economic changes which have affected his Nizari Ismaili followers, including the independence of African countries from colonial rule, expulsion of Asians from Uganda, the independence of Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan from the former Soviet Union and the continuous turmoil in Afghanistan and Pakistan.[27] During his visit to India in 1983, the Aga Khan said:
There are those who enter the world in such poverty that they are deprived of both the means and the motivation to improve their circumstances. 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, degradation and despair. It is for us, who are more fortunate, to provide that spark.[citation needed] ”
Born Prince Karim Aga Khan, the Aga Khan IV, is the eldest son of Prince Aly Khan, (1911–1960) and his first wife, Princess Tajuddawlah Aly Khan, formerly the Hon. Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller (1908–1997), the eldest daughter of the 3rd Baron Churston.[35] Born in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 13, 1936, Prince Karim was declared healthy despite being born prematurely.[36] The Aga Khan's brother, Prince Amyn, was born less than a year later. Their parents divorced in 1949, in part due to Prince Aly Khan's extramarital affairs[37], and Prince Aly Khān shortly after married Rita Hayworth - with whom he had a daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, the half-sister of Aga Khan IV. The Aga Khan IV also had a half-brother, Patrick Benjamin Guinness (1931–1965), from his mother's first marriage, as Joan Yarde-Buller was previously married to Loel Guinness of the banking Guinnesses.[38]
Prince Karim spent his childhood in Nairobi, Kenya,[39] where his early education was done by private tutoring. His grandfather, Aga Khan III, engaged Mustafa Kamil, a teacher from Aligarh Muslim University, for both Prince Karim and Prince Amyn[citation needed]. Prince Karim later attended the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, the most expensive boarding school in Europe[40], for nine years where he ended up with, in his words, "fair grades."[38] As a youngster Prince Karim would have preferred to attend MIT and study science, but his grandfather, Aga Khan III, vetoed the decision and Prince Karim attended Harvard University, from where he graduated in Islamic History.[41]
When his grand father passed away, the young Prince was thrust into the position of the Aga Khan (IV), and he went from being not only a university student but also to replacing his grandfather as the new Nizari Ismaili Imam. He says about it: "Overnight, my whole life changed completely. I woke up with serious responsibilities toward millions of other human beings. I knew I would have to abandon my hopes of studying for a doctorate in History."[38] Aga Khan IV graduated from Harvard in 1959, two years after becoming the Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History (with Cum Laude honors) and his varsity H for soccer.[38]
The young Aga Khan was a competitive downhill skier, and he skied for Iran in he 1964 Olympic Games, where he ranked 53rd out of 96 in the giant slalom event.[38][42] Riots broke out in East Africa during the Innsbruck winter games, and the Aga Khan was besieged with cables and questions from Ismaili leaders, some of whom had flown to Innsbruck, asking their imam for guidance. Specifically, should thousands of Ismailis try to hold on in East Africa or should they return to India and Pakistan.[38]
Paul Ress, of Sports Illustrated, writes that the young, contact lens wearing Prince turned Aga Khan IV, having responsibility to go with his wealth, did not live the playboy lifestyle of his father. He did, however, relish "...speed on water as well as on snow, highways and in the air..." and increased the speed of his family yacht. Noting he could no longer afford to risk his life on a piste (ski run), the Aga Khan also habitually drove at 90 to 145 miles an hour, "road permitting."[38] Ress writes about traveling to Chantilly in one of the young Prince's Maseratis. The chauffeur, Lucien Lemouss, slowed to 80 miles per hour as they fell in behind a slower moving Ferrari, and the young Prince had the chauffeur pull over, took over the driver's seat, and swiftly passed the Ferrari.[38]
The young Aga Khan, who at times was followed by "telephoto maniacs" (i.e. paparazzi), discusses his privacy:
I take all sorts of precautions when I go out with friends. I have taught myself not to show any emotion in public places. I never sit next to a woman with whom the press is trying to link me. Here in Gstaad I go often to a bistro outside the village for a fondue because the proprietor will not let anyone take pictures in his establishment. I stopped going to certain Paris theaters because I discovered they were tipping off the press to my presence. I realize that I may seem extreme on the subject, but do not forget that my mail has been stolen and my servants bribed. Close personal friends have taken private snapshots of me in my home and then sold them to magazines. I have been blackmailed on the telephone. All I desire is to have my private life respected. Is that unreasonable?[38]
[edit] Marriages, divorces and children
The Aga Khan married his first wife, former British model Sarah ("Sally") Frances Croker-Poole, who assumed the name Begum Salimah Aga Khan, on October 22, 1969 (civil) and October 28, 1969 (religious), at his home (at that time) in Paris, France. The couple were married for 25 years, during which they had three children. Not many years into the marriage, the Aga Khan (potentially influenced by his father's history of marital infidelity[37]) engaged in multiple extramarital affairs[43], greatly displeasing Begum Salimah.[43] By 1984, the Aga Khan and Begum Salimah took to separate lives.[43] However, their marriage did not officially end by divorce until eleven years later, in 1995. The Aga Khan agreed to pay £20 million in a divorce settlement, and Begum Salimah sold jewels she received as gifts, including the Begum Blue diamond, for £17.5 million.[43][44][45] The Aga Khan and Begum Salimah had one daughter and two sons together:
Princess Zahra Aga Khan (born September 18, 1970)
Prince Rahim Aga Khan (born October 12, 1971)
Prince Hussain Aga Khan (born April 10, 1974)
The Aga Khan married for the second time with Gabriele zu Leiningen, who assumed the name Begum Inaara Aga Khan, at his walled compound and chateau, Aiglemont, in Gouvieux, France, on May 30, 1998. However, a little over six years later - on October 8, 2004 - an announcement was made that the Aga Khan and Begum Inaara were to seek a divorce.[46][47] Begum Inaara (like the Aga Khan's previous wife, Begum Salimah) claimed the Aga Khan had engaged in an extramarital affair while married. Specifically, Begum Inaara argued that her husband had been involved in an affair with an air hostess.[48] In September 2011, a divorce settlement was reached[49] and Begum Inaara was to receive a settlement amount of £50 million - overturning a lower court ruling of one-fifth of this amount, after the French court overseeing the settlement at the time found the Aga Khan exclusively at fault for adultery.[48] It was revealed in the court that Begum Inaara had hired a private detective to track the Aga Khan's movements with the air hostess. An intra-marriage liaison of the Aga Khan with Beatrice von der Schulenburg, whom the Aga Khan has been close to for five years and whom it is expected the Aga Khan would marry following completion of the divorce with Begum Inaara, was also highlighted by the Begum's lawyers.[48] However, the £50 million settlement was contested by the Aga Khan to France's highest court, shortly after being announced. As a result, divorce proceedings are still ongoing (potentially taking several years to resolve), but, the Aga Khan is said to remain legally married to Begum Inaara in the meantime.[50] By Begum Inaara, the Aga Khan has a son:
Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan (born March 7, 2000)
[edit] Ascension to Nizari Ismaili Imamat
Following the death of his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan (Aga Khan III), Prince Karim, at the age of 20, became the 49th Imām of the Nizari Ismailis and Aga Khan IV, bypassing his father, Prince Aly Khān, and his uncle, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, who were in direct line to succession. In his will, the Aga Khan III explained the rationale for choosing his eldest grandson as his successor (which marked the first time in the claimed history of the Nizari Ismaili chain of Imamat that a grandson of the preceding Imam - instead of one of the sons of the preceding Imam - was made the next Imam):
In view of the fundamentally altered conditions in the world has provoked many changes, including the discoveries of atomic science, I am convinced that it is in the best interests of the Nizari Ismaili community that I should be succeeded by a young man who has been brought up and developed during recent years and in the midst of the new age, and who brings a new outlook on life to his office.[51]
In light of the request expressed in his grandfather's will, the Aga Khan IV has sometimes been referred to by Nizari Ismailis as the "Imam of the Atomic Age."[52] The will of the Aga Khan III added that the next Aga Khan, in the first several years of his Imamat, should look to the Aga Khan III's widow for guidance on general matters pertaining to the Imamat:
I DESIRE that my successor shall, during the first seven years of his Imamat, be guided on questions of general Imamat Policy, by my said wife, Yvette called Yve Blanche Labrousse, the BEGUM AGA KHAN, who has been familiar for many years with the problems facing my followers, and in whose wise judgment, I place the greatest confidence.[53]
[edit] Nizari Ismaili Imamat
Upon taking the position of Imam, the Aga Khan stated that he intended to continue the work his grandfather had pursued in building modern institutions to improve the quality of life of the Nizari Ismailis[citation needed]. Takht nashini (installation of the new Imam) ceremonies occurred at several locations over the course of 1957 and 1958. During this time, the Aga Khan emphasized to his followers the importance of fostering positive relations with different ethnicities[citation needed] - a message highly appropriate considering the racially tense atmosphere in East Africa at the time between blacks and South Asians. During the Aga Khan's installation ceremonies in the Indian subcontinent, the Aga Khan stressed his commitment to improving the standard of living of Nizari Ismailis and encouraged cooperation with individuals of other religions[citation needed]. The main themes that the Aga Khan emphasized to his community during these first few months of his Imamat were material development, education, interracial harmony, and confidence in religion[citation needed].
In 1972, under the regime of the then President Idi Amin of Uganda South Asians, including Nizari Ismailis, were expelled. The South Asians, some who whose families had lived in Uganda for over 100 years, were given 90 days to leave the country.[54] The Aga Khan picked up the phone and called long-time friend, then Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau. Trudeau's government open its doors, and five thousand Nizari Ismailis immigrated to Canada.[55] The Aga Khan also undertook urgent steps to facilitate the resettlement of Nizari Ismailis displaced from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, as well as Burma, to other countries[citation needed]. Owing to his personal efforts[citation needed], most of these Nizari Ismailis found new homes - not only in Asia, but, also in Europe and North America[citation needed]. Most of the initial resettlement problems were overcome remarkably rapidly by Nizari Ismailis due to their educational backgrounds and high rates of literacy[citation needed], as well as the efforts of the host countries, and the moral and material support from Nizari Ismaili community programs.
In view of the importance that Nizari Ismailism places on maintaining a balance between the spiritual well-being of the individual and the quality of his or her material life[citation needed], the Imam's guidance to his community deals with both aspects of the life of his followers. The Aga Khan has encouraged Nizari Ismailis, settled in the industrialized world, to contribute towards the progress of communities in the developing world through various development programs[citation needed]. In fact, The Economist noted that Nizari Ismaili immigrant communities integrated seamlessly and did better at attaining graduate and post graduate degrees, "far surpassing their native, Hindu, Sikh, fellow Muslims, and Chinese communities[citation needed]."
The Aga Khan has described his role as Imam as being partly to uplift the material and spiritual well being of Nizari Ismailis - a duty which requires an understanding of Nizari Ismailis in the context of their geographic location and their time.[36] He elaborated on this concept in a 2006 speech in Germany stating:
The role and responsibility of an Imam, therefore, is both to interpret the faith to the community, and also to do all within his means to improve the quality, and security, of their daily lives.[56]
This engagement of the Aga Khan with Nizari Ismailis is claimed to also extend to the people with whom the Nizari Ismailis share their lives, locally and internationally.[57] The Aga Khan is one of several Shia "Ulama" signatories of the Amman Message, which gives a broad foundation for defining those denominations of Islam that should be considered as part of the wider Muslim Ummah[58], even if they may not have been viewed as part of it until recent decades.[59][60][61]
The previous Nizari Ismaili Imam, Aga Khan III, indicated that alcohol was outright forbidden for all Muslims[62]. In contrast to the Aga Khan III, when the current Nizari Ismaili Imam, Aga Khan IV, was asked about his view on the consumption of alcohol in a 1965 interview with the Sunday Times, he said the following[63]:
Our belief is that the thing which separates man from the animals is his power of thought. Anything that impedes this process is wrong. Therefore alcohol is forbidden. I have never touched alcohol. But this, to me, is not a puritan prohibition. I don't want to drink. I've never wanted to drink. There's no pressure being placed on me by my religion.
[edit] Divine Nature of the Imam in Nizari Ismailism
During the time of the 46th, 47th, and 48th Imams (Aga Khan I, Aga Khan II, and Aga Khan III) of the Nizari Ismaili community, respectively - and particularly prior to the creation of the independent country of Pakistan (a major hub for Nizari Ismailis) in 1947 - virtually all available sources of information indicated that the position of the Imam in Nizari Ismailism was that of a living god, the incarnation of God, and/or the manifestation of God.[64][65] According to the 1866 Khoja Case (also known as the "Aga Khan Case"),[66] presided over by Justice Sir Joseph Arnould in the High Court of Bombay, and where Aga Khan III (grandfather of Aga Khan IV and the 48th Imam) served as defendant, the Imam was described as "...an incarnation of God..." to his community of followers. This assertion was reaffirmed in the 1908 Haji Bibi Case,[67] presided over by Mr. Justice Russell in the High Court of Bombay, where Aga Khan III also served as defendant. In this latter case, the Imam was referenced by virtue of the thrice daily main prayer of the Nizari Ismaili community, the Doowa, as:
...God, the High, the Great, the Merciful, the Magnanimous, the Good, the Great Holy Providence (Who is) in the district of Chaldea, in Persia, in human form, descended from the seventy-seven Patras (ancestors) and who is the forty-eighth Imam (Spiritual Chief) the tenth Naklanki Avatar, our Master, Aga Sultan Mahomed Shah [the given name of Aga Khan III], the Giver.
Note: The word Naklanki or Nakalanki means the stainless one, and it is a name of the tenth avatar originally identified with Ali.[19]
It was also revealed in the Haji Bibi case that the Doowa had gone unchanged since the time of the 46th Imam (Aga Khan I), other than for accounting for changes in the name of the Imam as one passed and a new one was introduced.[67] Additionally, Aga Khan III wrote in a public letter entitled "I Belong to No Country," in 1934, that:
I am a direct descendant of the Prophet and a large number of Muhammadans numbering about 20 millions acknowledge me as their head. They pay me tribute and worship me, who have the blood of the Prophet in my vein.[68]
In the mid-20th century, Norman Lewis wrote, "The Aga Khan is the spiritual and temporal head of the sect and possesses attributes of divinity."[69] Meanwhile, in a paper discussing the theology of East African followers of the Aga Khan, H.S Morris quotes a Nizari Ismaili that was living in East Africa and educated in England, but, who had never visited India, as saying:
Our Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, is like your Jesus Christ. Even Hindus believe that God will never leave the world deserted, we believe that God, that is Vishnu, descended to earth in Ali [as the Tenth Avatar] and has never left us. When the Imam dies the Light moves on to his son: it follows like the sacred blood—like the King. The King never dies.[14]
However, since a certain number of undefined years after the formation of the independent country of Pakistan (a major hub for Nizari Ismailis, as indicated earlier) in 1947, and particularly since the advent of the 49th Imam, Aga Khan IV, in 1957, the bulk of the public information available on the position of the Imam in Nizari Ismailism indicates that the position is 'less divine' than during the lives of previous Nizari Ismaili Imams - or, even a non-divine position. For instance, in 1967, Thomas Thompson, of Life Magazine (now Time Magazine) wrote: "His [Karim Aga Khan's] authority is roughly analogous to that of the Pope in Roman Catholicism, and he is considered the only mediator between his people and God. The Aga Khan is not considered divine."[70] Additionally, in response to a December 1983 Life Magazine article, Aga Khan IV's representatives stated that it was incorrect for Life Magazine to interpret him as either "a living god," or as a "spokesman for Allah."[71] The same response stated that the oneness and uniqueness of Allah (compared to Allah's creation), Tawheed, is a fundamental principle of Islam. Finally, in 1987, while writing how the Aga Khans III and IV adjusted Khojah Nizari Ismaili religious practice, which for decades had contained "mystical-Indian" Hindu aspects, to conform more with "prophetic-Arabic" Islamic practice, Ali S. Asani noted that the Khojah group of Nizari Ismailis accepted the changes in part because of their strong belief and trust in the guidance offered by their "divinely-appointed" Imam.[19]
There may be a difference between the publicized position of the Imam in Nizari Ismailism, as per the present Aga Khan and his representatives, versus the position he occupies in the private worship services of Nizari Ismailis (which are not open to the public nor other Muslims). For instance, a report was issued at the 1975 "Ismailia Association Conference" - a meeting of the Aga Khan with senior Nizari Ismaili council leaders from several countries - to address the question of the divinity of the Imam. It mentioned: "The Imam to be explained as 'mazhar' [manifestation or reflection] of God, and the relationship between God and the Imam to be related to varying levels of inspiration and communication from God to man."[72] Multiple prominent Nizari Ismaili websites have publicly indicated that the position of Imam is that of the bearer of a unique concept, common to certain denominations of Shia Islam, referred to as (the eternal) Noor of Allah ("Light of God").[15][73] It is unclear whether the Noor of Allah is a portion of God that the Aga Khan is believed by Nizari Ismailis to bear, or the same as God. Additionally, The Encyclopedia of Ismailism, by Mumtaz Ali Tajddin, a Nizari Ismaili, states that: "The Imam is the mazhar (manifestation) of God on earth as the electric bulb is a device of manifestation of electricity, which itself is invisible. The bulb plays the same role as the body of the Imam. Thus, the Imam is held to be the manifestation of the divine light, which is ever-present in the world."[74] Thus, multiple sources that come from inside the Nizari Ismaili community strongly indicate that Aga Khan IV is viewed by Nizari Ismailis as the incarnation of God or as having a portion of God inside of him (and thereby being divine) - as was the case with his grandfather (based on available historical information), Aga Khan III. This is despite the Aga Khan IV's own indications to the contrary in the public eye.[75]
[edit] Silver Jubilee of Nizari Ismaili Imamat
From July 11, 1982 to July 11, 1983 - to celebrate the present Aga Khan's Silver Jubilee, marking the 25th anniversary of his accession to the Imamat[citation needed] - many new social and economic development projects were launched. These range from the establishment of the US$450 million international Aga Khan University with its Faculty of Health Sciences and teaching hospital based in Karachi[citation needed], the expansion of schools for girls and medical centers in the Hunza region[citation needed] (one of the remote parts of Northern Pakistan bordering on China and Afghanistan that is densely populated with Nizari Ismailis), to the establishment of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program[citation needed] in Gujarat, India - and the extension of existing urban hospitals and primary health care centers in Tanzania and Kenya[citation needed].
[edit] Golden Jubilee of Nizari Ismaili Imamat
July 11, 2007 to July 11, 2008 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Aga Khan's reign of Imamat (Golden Jubilee). On this occasion, leaders representing Nizari Ismailis from different areas of the world gathered at the Aga Khan's residence to pay homage to the Imam[citation needed]. As part of the Golden Jubilee, the Aga Khan made official visits to various countries - using the visits to recognise the friendship and longstanding support of certain leaders of state, government, and others, to the Aga Khan and his Nizari Ismaili community, as well as to lay the foundations for certain future initiatives and programmes.[76] Areas of the world visited included the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Aga Khan also organised a Nizari Ismaili sports meet in Kenya, and teams of Nizari Ismailis from different areas of the world came to play in this event.[77]
[edit] Promotion of Islamic architecture
In 1977, the Aga Khan established the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, an award recognizing excellence in architecture that encompasses contemporary design and social, historical, and environmental considerations. It is the largest architectural award in the world and is granted triennially.[citation needed] The award grew out of the Aga Khan’s desire to revitalize creativity in Islamic societies and acknowledge creative solutions for buildings facilities and public spaces[citation needed]. The prize winner is selected by an independent master jury convened for each cycle[citation needed].
In 1979, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) respectively, established the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA), which is supported by an endowment from Aga Khan. These programs provide degree courses, public lectures, and conferences for the study of Islamic architecture and urbanism. Understanding contemporary conditions and developmental issues are key components of the academic program.[78] The program engages in research at both institutions and students can graduate with a Master of Science of Architectural Studies specializing in the Aga Khan program from MIT's Department of Architecture.
[edit] Aga Khan Development Network
The Aga Khan is founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the largest private development networks in the world,[citation needed] which coordinates the activities of over 200 agencies and institutions, employing approximately 80,000 paid staff, the majority of whom are based in developing countries[citation needed]. Its partners include numerous governments and several international organizations. AKDN agencies operate in the fields of health, education, culture, rural development, institution-building and the promotion of economic development, with special focus on countries of the Third World. It is dedicated to improving living conditions and opportunities for the poor, without regard to their faith, origin or gender[citation needed]. The AKDN’s annual budget for non-profit development activities in 2010 was approximately US$ 625 million[citation needed]. The network operates in more than 35 of the poorest countries in the world[citation needed].
AKDN includes the Aga Khan University (AKU), the University of Central Asia (UCA), the for-profit Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS), the Aga Khan Education Services (AKES), the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS), and the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM). One of the companies that the AKFED is the main shareholder of is the famous Serena Hotels Group[79] - a chain of luxury hotels and resorts primarily located in Africa and Asia. Despite the Quran's prohibition on alcohol (a prohibition that is accepted by Nizari Ismailis[63]), many of Serena's properties have bars and serve alcohol to guests - including in Muslim nations like Pakistan.[80] The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA)is the largest architectural award in the world[citation needed]. The Aga Khan is also the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, which he founded in 1977[citation needed]. He is also a Vice-President of the Royal Commonwealth Society[citation needed].
Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), an affiliate of the AKDN, is responsible for emergency response in the face of disaster. Recent disasters that FOCUS was involved in helping address, include the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan (AKDN earthquake response) and the South Asian Tsunami[citation needed].
Significant recent or current projects that are related to development and that are being led by the Aga Khan include the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat and the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) in Ottawa, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, the Al-Azhar Park ([2]) in Cairo, the Bagh-e Babur restoration in Kabul, and a network of full IB residential schools known as the Aga Khan Academies (AKA). Since 2001, the Aga Khan has mobilized over $750 million in Afghanistan[citation needed]. His personal contribution has been larger than any single donor and more than most countries.[citation needed]
The Aga Khan has expressed concern about the work of the AKDN being described as philanthropy. In his address to the Tutzing Evangelical Academy in Germany, he described this concern:
Reflecting a certain historical tendency of the West to separate the secular from the religious, they often describe [the work of the AKDN] either as philanthropy or entrepreneurship. What is not understood is that this work is for us a part of our institutional responsibility – it flows from the mandate of the office of Imam to improve the quality of worldly life for the concerned communities.[56]
[edit] Thoroughbred horse racing
Racing silks of Aga Khan
At his self-titled estate Aiglemont, at Gouvieux in the Picardie region of France - about 4 kilometres west of the Chantilly Racecourse - the Aga Khan operates the largest horse racing and breeding operation in the country. In 1977, he paid £1.3 million for the bloodstock owned by Anna Dupré and in 1978, £4.7 million for the bloodstock of the late Marcel Boussac.[81]
The Aga Khan owns Gilltown Stud near Kilcullen, Ireland, and Haras de Bonneval breeding farm at Le Mesnil-Mauger in France. In March 2005, he purchased the famous Calvados stud farms, the Haras d'Ouilly in Pont-d'Ouilly and the Haras de Val-Henry in Livarot. Haras d'Ouilly had been owned by such famous horsemen as the Duc Decazes, François Dupré and Jean-Luc Lagardère.
In 2006 the Aga Khan became the majority shareholder of the well known and highly respected French horse auction house Arqana.[82]
On October 27, 2009 it was announced that Sea The Stars winner of the Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), Coral Eclipse Stakes (Eng-G1), Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-G1), Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-G1), and $5.8 million Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will stand stud at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud in Ireland.
In May 2012, The Aga Khan received the ITBA Special Recognition Award at the ITBA Regional Awards for Kildare and Dublin. The award a plaque highlighting his Irish-bred Group 1 winners was in recognition of the outstanding success enjoyed by the Aga Khan since he took control of his family's bloodstock in 1960.[83]
[edit] Personal finances
The Aga Khan IV owns estates in several countries, jets, helicopters, hundreds of racehorses, yachts, a private island, and fancy cars. In 2007, G. Pascal Zachary, of the The New York Times, noted that "Part of the Aga Khan's personal wealth [used by him and his family], which his advisers say exceeds $1 billion [USD], comes from a dizzyingly complex system of tithes that some of the world's 15 million Nizari Ismailis pay him each year [one of which is called dasond[11][12], which is at least 12.5% of each Nizari Ismaili's gross[25] annual income] - an amount that he will not disclose but which may reach hundreds of millions of dollars annually.".[8][25] In 2009, it was noted in Forbes that the Aga Khan's worth was $800 million, down $200 million from the previous year.[84] Additionally, the Aga Khan owns and operates the biggest horse racing and breeding operation in France, and this operation is considered one of his main sources of income.[82]
In the Encyclopaedia of Ismailism, Mumtaz Ali Tajddin, a Nizari Ismaili, describes the components of dasond that come from the gross income of the 15 million followers of Nizari Ismailism and that go to the Imam of Nizari Ismailism, Aga Khan IV:
The tenth part of the income [10% of gross income] is separated along with 2½ zakat [2.5% of gross income], making the deduction of 12½ from the income [12.5% of gross income]. The tenth part solely belongs to the Imam, while 2½ part being zakat for the welfare purpose. Both parts (10 & 2½) are presented to the Imam.[26]
No documented records whatsoever are kept - at least that are accessible to either the public or to the Nizari Ismaili community - of how the Aga Khan uses the tithes that are given to him, and to what extent they benefit the Aga Khan personally versus benefiting the Nizari Ismaili community (or others). In a 1958 televised interview with London journalists, approximately one year after becoming the 49th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili community, the Aga Khan claimed that the tithes are voluntary and are used "...either to grant scholarships to students, to grant capital to a school or a hospital."[85] He was not asked whether he keeps a portion of the tithes for himself and/or his family in the interview, and was not asked to expand on how the tithes are used beyond the few ways he mentioned, however. Aga Khan IV's statement in the interview on the tithes being voluntary contradicts the statement of his grandfather - the previous Nizari Ismaili Imam, Aga Khan III - based on the latter's 1948 farman (confidential pronouncement intended only for Nizari Ismailis) documented at a well-known Nizari Ismaili website, which indicates that the giving of tithes is the "first of all duties" of a Nizari Ismaili.[86] Additionally, according to a 1949 cover story on the Aga Khan III in Life Magazine (now Time Magazine), by Robert Coughlan, the giving of tithes to the Aga Khan is a "religious duty." In this same story, Aga Khan III claimed that he "uses only about 10%" of the tithes collected from Nizari Ismailis for his own personal use.[64] This is consistent with Hatim Amiji, of Harvard, who while writing about the Aga Khan III noted: "Although the Imam was the sole, legal owner of all communal funds and incomes, in practice he gave much of it back to the community."[25] Assuming Aga Khan III's claim in Life Magazine was accurate, it indicates an amount collected by the Aga Khan for personal use that is almost certainly at least in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually (aligning with the amount reported by G. Pascal Zachary of the New York Times[8]), given the reported size of the Nizari Ismaili population. Tithes not only include dasond (at least 12.5% of the gross annual income of each Nizari Ismaili), but, also a vast and extensive array of other amounts[25] to be paid in the course of private worship services (not open to the public or other Muslims) at Nizari Ismaili jamatkhanas (places of worship) - as indicated in the High Court of Bombay's 1908 Haji Bibi Case, in which Aga Khan was the main defendant.[67]
The Aga Khan is and has been involved in other business ventures such as luxury hotels. In the 1990s, the Aga Khan had a group of $400 a night Italian luxury hotels, called Ciga. This group embarked on an ill-timed expansion that lead to a $640 million debt. In attempt to combat this debt, the Aga Khan's holding company Fimpar S.p.A. planned to raise $200 million on the Milan stock exchange but the First Gulf War scared people off.[87] Ultimately IMI Bank A.G. of Germany seized the assets of Fimpar S.p.A.[88] Currently the Aga Khan, through his for-profit fund for economic development, is the largest shareholder in the Serena Hotels chain.[89]
[edit] Yacht Alamshar
The Aga Khan has purchased 49.99 meter yacht, Alamshar, with a price tag of £100 million. The yacht is named after a prized racehorse of his, and it was supposed to have a top speed of 60 knots in hopes of setting a new transatlantic speed record. The yacht reached a top speed of 30 knots at its initial trials.[23]
[edit] Bahamas environmental impact controversy
The Aga Khan has recently sparked an eco-political debate in the Bahamas following his dredging of the sea bed and construction measures on his private island Bell, which is situated in the middle of Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park and where he is arranging for a new residence.[90] The controversy, involving politicians and environmentalists, was regarding a permit to dredge a channel for the Aga Khan's yacht to his private island.[91] Environment minister Earl Deveaux, "Helicopter Earl," admitted to using the Aga Khan's 12 seat luxury helicopter to survey the area prior to granting the permit, additionally the Aga Khan donated $1 Million to Bahamas National Trust.[92] A lawsuit was filed by an environmental group known as Save the Exuma Park (STEP) in attempt to prevent or reduce the dredging.[93] Bahamas senator Jerome Fitzgerald claims that the dredging, on behalf of the Aga Khan, in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park has violated environmental impact requirements and caused considerable environmental degradation, potentially effecting the many Bahamian entrepreneurs rely on the park for their income.[22]
[edit] Titles, styles and honours
Styles of
The Aga Khan
Reference style
His Highness
Spoken style
Your Highness
Alternative style
Sir
[edit] Titles and styles
1936–1957: Prince Karim Aga Khan
1957–present: His Highness The Aga Khan IV
The title 'Prince' is used by the Aga Khans and their children by virtue of their ancestry from Shah Fath Ali Shah of the Persian Qajar dynasty. The title was officially recognized by the British government in 1938.[94]
Farhad Daftary wrote of how the honorific title 'Aga Khan' was first given to Aga Khan I at the age of thirteen after Aga Khan I's father's murder:
At the same time, the Qajar monarch bestowed on him the honorific title (laqab) of Agha Khan (less commonly but more correctly transcribed as Aqa Khan), meaning lord and master.
Daftary additionally commented, "The title of Agha Khan remained hereditary amongst his successors."[4] In a legal proceeding, Aga Khan III noted 'Aga Khan' is not a title, instead it is a sort of alias or "pet name" that was given to Aga Khan I when he was a young man.[67]
The style of 'His Highness' was formally granted to the Aga Khan IV by Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom in 1957 upon the death of his grandfather Aga Khan III.[95] The granting of the title to the Aga Khan IV was preceded by a strong desire by the Aga Khan III to see the British monarchy award the title to his successor[53], and the title is not hereditary[53]. Giving of the title has been a traditional gesture by British sovereigns since the first Aga Khan allied himself with Britain against Afghanistan, however.[38]
The style of 'His Royal Highness' was granted to the Aga Khan IV by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran in 1959.[96] The Shah of Iran was overthrown in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The Aga Khan does not use this style and is internationally only named with the style 'His Highness'.[97][98][99]
Over the years, the Aga Khan has received numerous decorations, honorary degrees, and awards in recognition of the various dimensions of his work, and for his service to humanity.
