Saturday, May 23, 2009
Ismailis in the News - USF Mourns loss of Graduate
TAMPA, Fla. (May 19, 2009) The University of South Florida is mourning the loss of recent graduate Aly Zain Lakdawala, 21. The United States Embassy in Costa Rica confirmed that his body was found one nautical mile offshore near where he was swimming with other USF students in the Pacific Ocean near Matapalo. Lakdawala graduated from USF on May 1 with dual majors in International Studies and Philosophy, and was well known at USF for his involvement in community service. Since May 8, 14 USF students have been working with the organization "International Volunteer HQ" in rural Costa Rica. The trip was part of a community service trip of USF's alternative spring break program. Lakdawala went missing when a heavy current caught some of the group swimming during a lunch break midday Saturday May 16. Costa Rican coast guard, police, lifeguards and Red Cross have been searching for him. USF staff and the director of the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement were with the group during the entire trip. Maria Crummett, Dean of International Affairs, and other staff flew to Costa Rica to assist his father in rescue efforts. Media inquiries, please contact Lara Wade, News Director, lwade@admin.usf.edu, office phone 813-974-9060, cell phone 813-833-1498.
Ismailis in the News - India's Salim and Sulaiman Merchant nominated for Emmy
Salim and Sulaiman are Hindi music directors and singers in India. The duo consists of two brothers, Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant. Salim and Sulaiman have been composing music for over a decade having scored for movies such as Chak De India, Bhoot, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Matrubhoomi and Fashion. The duo has also composed for several Indi-pop performers including Viva, Asmaan, Shweta Shetty, Jasmine and Style Bhai among others, composed and produced several TV commercials and collaborated with a artistes such as Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Sultan Khan. They got their first break when Karan Johar asked them to compose the music for his movie, Kaal. After that, they have gone to do movies with well-known producers and directors like Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai and Ram Gopal Varma. Before composing music, they were composing the background scores for movies. They are famous for their background scores in horror flicks.
http://www.salimsulaiman.com/
Salim-Sulaiman nominated for Emmy
Times of India - May 21, 2009
Here's news of another case of Indian music going global. Our very own hit-making duo of Salim and Sulaiman Merchant has been nominated for a prestigious ...
Salim-Sulaiman bag Emmy Awards nomination
Oneindia - May 19, 2009
After AR Rahman did the nation proud by bagging two Oscars for his Slumdog Millionaire score, it's now the turn of ace music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman to ...
Salim Sulaiman go global now!
India-Forums.com - May 22, 2009
2009 seems to be the for the Indian music industry. After AR Rahman winning various awards all around the globe, it's time ... 2009 seems to be the for the ...
Salim-Sulaiman Nominated for Daytime Emmy!
Bollywood Spice - May 19, 2009
By Stacey Yount - BollySpice.com Salim-Sulaiman are known in Bollywood for their outstanding musical scores and soundtracks and now they are garnering ...
Aga Khan Gift to Burnaby Mayor
His Highness the Aga Khan in Berlin
Focus Summer 2009 Hike4Life
WHAT: FOCUS Summer 2009 Hike4Life in Kyrgyzstan
WHEN: July 30 – August 9, 2009
WHY SHOULD YOU PARTICIPATE? This is an incredible opportunity to challenge yourself, to meet people from other parts of the world, and to build lifelong friendships, while raising vital funds for Focus Humanitarian Assistance. Your participation will assist FOCUS in enabling disaster resilient communities.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 31, 2009 or when all places are filled, whichever is earlier.
APPLICATION AND EVENT INFO: Available at http://www.focuschallenge.org/.
QUESTIONS: Can be referred to info@focuschallenge.org.
Tentative Itinerary: July 30 - August 9, 2009 (with approximate hike durations and distances)
Ismailis - Shah Hasan Ali Mausoleum
World Partnership Walk - Over $45m raised
(Sunday, June 7th, in Ottawa
Sunday, June 14th, in Calgary)
WorldPartnershipWalk.com
Zee' Notes: This month the news spotlight has been on the World Partnership Walk to be held in various Canadian and US cities. Who would have ever thought the growth of this initiative from $50,000 in its inaugural year 25 years ago to last year's $5.5 million raised to help fight global poverty - and off course the impact much more due to matching contributions from various Government organizations. So if you have done your part in signing up to walk and got sponsors from your circle of life have a lot of fun and for those who haven't done so it's never too late and remember you are helping someone who, thru AKDN, may help jumpstart their family to a better life - you don't need any motivation then that....
Here some coverage for the Walk:
Vancouver Sun
Seaway News
Fighting poverty with cookies
Cornelia Naylor, Surrey NowPublished: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Rotman MBA students visit Dubai Ismaili Centre
http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2009/week19/Tuesday/050517.htm
Ismailis in the News - Ali Velshi - CNN
Here is a great article on Ali's trek from Canada's centre of the universe to now the actual centre of the universe - New York City. I never knew his father is Murad Velshi - the first Ismaili in Canada to be elected as a member of a legislature - Provincial or Federal - he was an MPP in Ontario in 1987-1990.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Ismailis in the News - Bilal Rajan
Here's a couple of recent articles...
Ismailis in the News - Dr. Vali Jamal
First his story as articled in New Vision in December 2007
The JAN Project - May 24th, 2009
Click on the photo...
When clinical professor Jan Christilaw first arrived in Uganda, she found a country “so vibrant and full of life it’s like a heartbeat. You land there and you see mangoes hanging from the trees and you think, how can this place be poor? It’s just dripping with lush vegetation and the weather is perfect and there are fruits and vegetables everywhere.”
“A woman was admitted, [who] had been in obstructed labour for days and was in septic shock and HIV positive. She died that afternoon.You hear these statistics, but when it happens when you’re there, it’s unbelievable. Suddenly, it’s a real person with a real family. It changes everything in terms of how you think about it.”
The Makerere University hospital delivers 27,000 babies a year—nearly 20,000 more than BC Women’s Hospital—and faces a number of pressing problems, including a lack of resources to deal with this huge demand for maternal health care.
If you wish to make an online donation click here:
Thursday, May 07, 2009
NUR LIGHT - The Essence Art Exhibition - May 13 to May 29
LIGHT - The Essence
Art Exhibition
May 13 to May 29
Opening celebration: May 13 at 7:00pm
Roundhouse Community Centre
181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
tel 604.713-1800
http://www.roundhouse.ca/index.php
A Roundhouse Partnership
Of the heavens and the earth
The likeness of His Light is as a niche
Wherein is a lamp - the lamp is in a glass
The glass as it were a brightly shining star
Kindled from a blessed Tree
An Olive neither of the East nor of the West
Whose oil is well-nigh luminous
Though no fire touched it
Light upon Light
Allah guides to His Light
Whom He Wills
(Qur'an 24:35)
and is prevalent as a symbol of 'the good" in popular culture. Light, in poetry, philosophy and visual arts in the Islamic tradition (though not exclusive to it), is an intricately layered reality, metaphor and symbol, is not literally perceptible to the eye, but rather, concealed within the core of being itself. It is this symbolic illumination that gradually reveals the essence of things
Amir Ali Alibhai
Jabbar Al Janabi
Sherazad Jamal
Pari Azarm
Mohamed Somani
Rozita Moini Shirazi
Rubina Rajan
Riyadh Hashim
Alia Noormohamed
Nabil Adnan
Naznin Virji-Babul
Farida Mawji
Join us at 3pm on May 23rd for music and dance performances in celebration of light, with Ibrahim Hanna, Sufi dancer Tanya Evanson, and much much more. In conjunction with the exhibition Riyadh Hashim will offer workshops on Islamic Calligraphy (see the Roundhouse Program Guide for more information)
Aga Khan Visit - San Antonio April 2008
http://www.pcma.org/Convene/Issue_Archives/September_2008/Eat_Pray_Love.htm
As well, the Austin Jamat pulled off the following to celebrate 50 years of MHI Imamat - simply unbelievable !!!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Prince Rahim Aga Khan in Syria to discuss AKDN
Apr 30, 2009
Aleppo, (SANA)-Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri discussed Thursday with Prince Rahim Karem Agha Khan cooperation between the Syrian government and Agha Khan Development Network, and the importance of its developmental and social projects in Syria.
Both sides reviewed the situation and stages of the projects being implemented by the Network in Aleppo and their positive impact on boosting social and tourist development in the Syrian second city.
During the meeting held at Aleppo Governorate building, the two sides underlined the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation in the rural development and small village projects.
Mazen Eyon
http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2009/04/30/224293.htm
Samir Alibhai's Film 'The Aga Khan - Voice of Reason' to broadcast on BC's Knowledge Network
Shamir Alibhai is the young filmaker who has traveled the world showcasing this documentary. You can follow his blog at http://agakhanfilm.blogspot.com/
Ismaili Ginans in Burushaski
Burushaski (Urdu: بروشسکی - burÅ«́Å¡askÄ«) is a language isolate (that is, not known to be related to any other language of the world).[1] It is spoken by some 87,000 (as of 2000) Burusho people in the Hunza, Nagar, Yasin, and parts of the Gilgit valleys in the Northern Areas in Pakistan.
Ismaili Geet - 'Karibu Karim' by Shaheena Karim - Youtube
Ismailis in the News - John Hopkins student Salman Mohammed named to USA Today First Academic Team
"I very much appreciate being recognized by USA Today; it's quite humbling," said Mohammed, winner of the university's Chester Wickwire Award for Diversity in 2006, the Johns Hopkins Exemplary Leadership Award in 2006-2007 and a 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Community Service. "The things I have done are a product of how I was raised and what I believe," he said. "As a child I looked up to His Highness the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. The Aga Khan's vision has led to the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of institutions working to improve the lives and conditions of people in the developing world. Thus, as an Ismaili Muslim, I am passionate about serving my local communities in urban Baltimore and also the larger world community."
http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2009/04may09/04usatoday.html
Ismailis in the News - Odessa, Missouri C-Store Owner shot dead in family tragedy...
Ismailis in the News - Ugandan Business Tycoon and Rally Champion Riyaz Kurji Dies in Crash
Uganda: Fare Thee Well, Riyaz Kurji
Thousands bury rally driver Kurji New Vision
OBSERVER LOCKER ROOM: Farewell Kurji The Observer
Uganda People News: Hundreds burry Riyaz UGPulse.com
Daily Nation
TRIBUTE: Kurji is cut down in his prime
It was all about speed for fallen Kurji Daily Monitor
Renown rally driver Kurji dies Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
Rwanda: Kurji Wins Pearl of Africa Rally AllAfrica.com
Celebrate Kurji's life
Dar motorists mourn Kurji
Kurji confident
Kurji's death: Motor-sport always a risk