Upon his arrival in Ottawa, Mawlana Hazar Imam is received by President Mohamed Manji of the Ismaili Council for Canada. The Honourable Ministers John Baird and Jason Kenney welcomed Hazar Imam on behalf of the Canadian Government. Photo: Gary Ottehttp://www.theismaili.org/cms/622/Canada-visit
Zee's Notes: Mubaraki to all on MHI's touchdown on Tuesday November 18th, 2008 at Ottawa's Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Some interesting notes on watching the video:
Hazar Imam was met by 2 senior Cabinet Ministers from the Canadian Government as he came down the stairs off the Gulfstream jet - the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. Next was Mohamed Manji, President of the Ismaili Council for Canada
Mobina Jaffer, the senator from BC, was the first in line to receive MHI followed by her spouse Mr. Nurullah Jeraj. Yasmin Ratansi, the Liberal member of Parliament for Toronto's Don Valley East riding was next.
The most heart warming welcome was with Justin Trudeau, recently elected as Liberal MP for the Papineau riding in Quebec, who also happens to be the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau - a great friend of MHI. Indeed MHI was present at the funeral in October 2000 at Montreal's Notre-Dame Basilica. A cheer ensued from the jamat, watching the video, at Burnaby Lake JK as this exchange took place.
Also in line was BC Judge Sheni Dossa (wearing the red scarf) and her spouse. Next, and receiving a cheer also from the local BC crowd, off course was our very own Darkhana M/K's (Salim and Leila Ahmed and Karim and Shairoz Nathoo) , who also had travelled to Ottawa to receive MHI.
After the Nashid al-Imamah and the Canadian national anthem, MHI's motorcade departed and passed through Lansdowne Park where the Ottawa jamat had gathered to celebrate MHI's arrival. Some great pictures and first hand commentary on this at http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/ottawa-photos/ .
All in all, a great start to MHI's historic visit to Canada on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee.
1 comment:
The Aga Khan was not in a Gulfstream jet, which is an aircraft he used many years ago before he upgraded. His current aircraft is the Canadian made ultra-fast and ultra-long-range Bombardier Global Express.
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