Ismaili Community in Contemporary Situation
Inspirational Ismaili women at the United Nations
The United Nations, is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and being a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.
The Ismaili had the opportunity to speak with four Ismaili women working at the United Nations (UN) to learn about their careers, their work, and the role of the UN over its 74 year history.
Samina, Nahla, Nazneen and Shenaz have spent many years working across various agencies and departments of the UN. Here they share their experiences and stories about their public service.
Investing in local communities: Samina Anwar’s work at the UN has spanned 15 years and four agencies. She is currently a Program Manager at the United Nations Capital Development Fund, where she manages innovative financial instruments and investments that promote equitable local economic development across Africa and Asia. Samina says she is motivated to provide “suitable solutions to local needs by using her own experience and putting herself in the shoes of communities.”
Advising on high-level gender policy: Nahla Valji is the Senior Advisor to the Secretary-General (SG) on gender – a topic which has been a top priority for the SG, both inside and outside the UN. Nahla has worked on the UN’s gender parity strategy and its implementation, and manages a large European Union investment to support reforms to end violence against girls and women.
Investigating gender and health: With more than 20 years at the UN, Nazneen Damji initially joined the UN as a Fellow with the Institute for Leadership Development. As a policy advisor on gender equality, HIV, and health, she oversees UN Women’s policy and programming efforts on gender equality dimensions of HIV and AIDS as well as on women’s health.
Long-term service: Shenaz P. Nagji has had a stellar 38-year-long career at the UN in Conference Secretariats and various Departments such as Technical Cooperation, Disarmament, Political Affairs, Peacekeeping and Field Support, and has seen the institution’s evolution over time. A few highlight accomplishments include: servicing high level meetings and conferences both at UN Headquarters and abroad, accompanying high level delegations away from UN Headquarters, setting up and scaling down the election office in Cape Town for the historic post-apartheid South African elections, acting as an election observer in Angola and Eastern Slavonia, and at times supporting 500 to 1,000 field staff.
nahla_valji.jpeg
Nahla Valji is a Senior Advisor to the UN's Secretary-General.
Nahla Valji is a Senior Advisor to the UN's Secretary-General.
Motivations and influences
The four UN staff members share how they have been motivated by their backgrounds and life experiences not just to serve others, but also to take the specific paths they have followed to and through the UN.
Originally from Hunza, Samina’s career was influenced by her upbringing in the mountainous areas of northern Pakistan, where career opportunities were relatively scarce. There, she witnessed the potential of investing in local economic development and the profound impact it had on the livelihoods of women and men. This prompted her to study economics and social policy at the London School of Economics.
Coming from a refugee family that left Uganda for Canada, Nahla says she always knew she wanted to focus on refugees and migration with a gender lens. She got her start working with local non-governmental organisations in South Africa on rule of law and transitional justice issues for 10 years. She also founded an academic journal on transitional justice. During this time, she was asked to consult for UNIFEM, the precursor to UN Women, which proved to be her entry point into the UN.
Similarly, Nazneen was volunteering with a domestic violence shelter in her native Nairobi while working at the UN Environment Programme, when she became interested in the intersection of gender equality and health. Listening to women’s stories, she better understood how the UN could contribute. She recalls the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV – the first Special Session on a disease. The double stigmatisation of women and HIV presented an imperative for Nazneen to act: “The stigma has fuelled me to do even more, to be interested in how I can play a role in leaving no one behind.”
samina_anwar_2.jpeg
Samina Anwar’s work at the UN has spanned 15 years and four agencies.
Samina Anwar’s work at the UN has spanned 15 years and four agencies.
From Mtwara, Tanzania, Shenaz has no shortage of inspiring anecdotes from her time at the UN. Particularly stirring is her story of volunteering in the initial establishment of the UN Mission in East Timor. While she was constantly evolving in her professional capacity, in moments of reflection on her time at the UN, Shenaz feels abundantly blessed to have had these opportunities. Upon her retirement, Shenaz received the Certificate of Service from the then Secretary-General for her numerous years of dedicated service to the UN.
Identity and success
In reflecting on how the Ismaili values of integrity, compassion in a pluralistic setting, and seeking and sharing knowledge have shaped her career, Shenaz recalls that she was noticed for her ethical workplace practices. She applied the principle of fairness when managing staff and their requests and “looked at everyone with the same eye.” She takes inspiration from Nelson Mandela exercising the ethic of forgiveness in victory and Kofi Annan, seeing his humility and modelling of pluralistic values first-hand. In today’s material world, Shenaz’s faith reminds her to be compassionate, “to others and to ourselves,” to respect different views, to seek knowledge, and to serve others.
The emphasis on the values of hard work, kindness, and generosity meant that Samina has been able to easily adjust to different contexts and does not see cultural differences as barriers: “Human beings are meant to be diverse, that is our strength.” The women also see a strong link between these Ismaili values and the UN’s principles of equality, pluralism, diversity, and justice.
There is a history of connections between the UN and the Ismaili Imamat. It is well-known that Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah served as President of the League of Nations in 1937, the precursor to the UN. In 1966, Prince Sadruddin became the youngest and ultimately longest serving UN High Commissioner for Refugees. This link continues today; Nahla points to the words of her boss, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who delivered the Global Centre for Pluralism’s Annual Pluralism Lecture in June this year, highlighting the UN and AKDN’s shared values. Their long-standing partnership was illustrated during the Deputy SG’s subsequent visit to the Aga Khan Hospital in Bamyan, which partners with the UN Population Fund.
Role of the UN over the years and today: “It is the best body we have”
All four women see a critical role for a body that, in the words of Samina, “creates a unique space for dialogue among all nations,” that collectively “keeps an eye on challenges for the human race,” that encourages cooperation and considers all member states and their citizens equal. Particularly in a world where challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and conflicts do not acknowledge borders, the role of the UN is clear to Nahla: “Where else are issues going to be addressed? What is the alternative?” Nazneen uses the example of HIV to illustrate the importance of the UN’s multilateral approach, particularly on the African continent: “If we didn’t have the UN, we wouldn’t be where we are with the response to the epidemic.”
shenaz_nagji.png
Shenaz Nagji has had a 38-year-long career at the UN, and has seen its evolution over time.
Shenaz Nagji has had a 38-year-long career at the UN, and has seen its evolution over time.
The new Sustainable Development Goals , “a blueprint for a world we should build today” according to Nahla, are a global all-inclusive agenda based on the UN’s core values. The 17 goals aim to create peaceful and inclusive societies by the year 2030. Nazneen discusses examples of the UN’s unique role in addressing the shrinking space for civil society at national levels and believes that, in the absence of the UN as a broker, we would see a harmful reduction in the important space civil society occupies.
The evolution of gender at the UN
Nahla recalls that the 15-year commemoration of Women, Peace, and Security in the UN Security Council was the largest open debate in the history of that body, proving that issues relating to gender are both important and are attracting greater acknowledgement. The creation of UN Women — a full agency dealing with gender issues — was an important evolution of the UN in 2010. The agency has “an incredibly important mandate to ensure the UN as a whole delivers on 100% of the population,” says Nahla. She, along with Nazneen and Samina, have all had experience with the agency or its precursor and contend that this change has resulted in significant gains. Today, gender equality is high on the agenda in the policy space, leading to the formation of interagency networks, gender strategies, and improved reporting. Internal efforts at senior levels to achieve gender parity have been amplified, as evidenced by the SG’s goal of gender parity in the selection of heads of UN agencies.
However, they note challenges, including funding incommensurate with a growing mandate, a misunderstanding that “gender” relates only to women, a discomfort with the shifting balance of power as women take on new roles, and a growing pushback in some parts of the world against women’s rights. Samina cautions that a balanced approach is necessary to achieve the agency’s mandate, with the provision of technical support, measurable indicators of progress, and appropriate budget allowances.
Inspiration for the future
nazneen_damji.jpg
Nazneen Damji initially joined the UN over 20 years ago.
Nazneen Damji initially joined the UN over 20 years ago.
While appreciating the gains the UN has made over the years, the organisation should not be over-romanticised. Nazneen advises: “Don’t join the UN to say you’re in the UN; the glamour ends on day three, just like any other workplace.” She reminds us to be practical, level-headed, and extremely patient. All four women look forward to the energy and critical thinking approach young people bring in improving the UN.
“Multilateralism is not dead,” says Nazneen. The rise in activism, young energy, and an interest in a global approach to crises such as climate change provide new opportunities and reasons for optimism.
In reflecting on their careers, Samina, Nahla, Nazneen, and Shenaz all agree on the importance of mentorship, with some saying they may not have progressed as far as they have without a good mentor. Having supervisors with a true agenda to motivate staff, who helped them grow in their own thinking, encouraged self-reflection, modelled good leadership, trusted them, and provided opportunities for growth, played a pivotal role in the advancement of their careers. These successful women who have dedicated their inspiring careers to the noble mission of the United Nations all now embody the characteristics of inspiring leaders and act as mentors themselves with the hope of inspiring the next generation of professionals in international public service.
——
Nadia Hasham is a senior analyst at the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/our-stories/inspira ... ed-nations
The United Nations, is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and being a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.
The Ismaili had the opportunity to speak with four Ismaili women working at the United Nations (UN) to learn about their careers, their work, and the role of the UN over its 74 year history.
Samina, Nahla, Nazneen and Shenaz have spent many years working across various agencies and departments of the UN. Here they share their experiences and stories about their public service.
Investing in local communities: Samina Anwar’s work at the UN has spanned 15 years and four agencies. She is currently a Program Manager at the United Nations Capital Development Fund, where she manages innovative financial instruments and investments that promote equitable local economic development across Africa and Asia. Samina says she is motivated to provide “suitable solutions to local needs by using her own experience and putting herself in the shoes of communities.”
Advising on high-level gender policy: Nahla Valji is the Senior Advisor to the Secretary-General (SG) on gender – a topic which has been a top priority for the SG, both inside and outside the UN. Nahla has worked on the UN’s gender parity strategy and its implementation, and manages a large European Union investment to support reforms to end violence against girls and women.
Investigating gender and health: With more than 20 years at the UN, Nazneen Damji initially joined the UN as a Fellow with the Institute for Leadership Development. As a policy advisor on gender equality, HIV, and health, she oversees UN Women’s policy and programming efforts on gender equality dimensions of HIV and AIDS as well as on women’s health.
Long-term service: Shenaz P. Nagji has had a stellar 38-year-long career at the UN in Conference Secretariats and various Departments such as Technical Cooperation, Disarmament, Political Affairs, Peacekeeping and Field Support, and has seen the institution’s evolution over time. A few highlight accomplishments include: servicing high level meetings and conferences both at UN Headquarters and abroad, accompanying high level delegations away from UN Headquarters, setting up and scaling down the election office in Cape Town for the historic post-apartheid South African elections, acting as an election observer in Angola and Eastern Slavonia, and at times supporting 500 to 1,000 field staff.
nahla_valji.jpeg
Nahla Valji is a Senior Advisor to the UN's Secretary-General.
Nahla Valji is a Senior Advisor to the UN's Secretary-General.
Motivations and influences
The four UN staff members share how they have been motivated by their backgrounds and life experiences not just to serve others, but also to take the specific paths they have followed to and through the UN.
Originally from Hunza, Samina’s career was influenced by her upbringing in the mountainous areas of northern Pakistan, where career opportunities were relatively scarce. There, she witnessed the potential of investing in local economic development and the profound impact it had on the livelihoods of women and men. This prompted her to study economics and social policy at the London School of Economics.
Coming from a refugee family that left Uganda for Canada, Nahla says she always knew she wanted to focus on refugees and migration with a gender lens. She got her start working with local non-governmental organisations in South Africa on rule of law and transitional justice issues for 10 years. She also founded an academic journal on transitional justice. During this time, she was asked to consult for UNIFEM, the precursor to UN Women, which proved to be her entry point into the UN.
Similarly, Nazneen was volunteering with a domestic violence shelter in her native Nairobi while working at the UN Environment Programme, when she became interested in the intersection of gender equality and health. Listening to women’s stories, she better understood how the UN could contribute. She recalls the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV – the first Special Session on a disease. The double stigmatisation of women and HIV presented an imperative for Nazneen to act: “The stigma has fuelled me to do even more, to be interested in how I can play a role in leaving no one behind.”
samina_anwar_2.jpeg
Samina Anwar’s work at the UN has spanned 15 years and four agencies.
Samina Anwar’s work at the UN has spanned 15 years and four agencies.
From Mtwara, Tanzania, Shenaz has no shortage of inspiring anecdotes from her time at the UN. Particularly stirring is her story of volunteering in the initial establishment of the UN Mission in East Timor. While she was constantly evolving in her professional capacity, in moments of reflection on her time at the UN, Shenaz feels abundantly blessed to have had these opportunities. Upon her retirement, Shenaz received the Certificate of Service from the then Secretary-General for her numerous years of dedicated service to the UN.
Identity and success
In reflecting on how the Ismaili values of integrity, compassion in a pluralistic setting, and seeking and sharing knowledge have shaped her career, Shenaz recalls that she was noticed for her ethical workplace practices. She applied the principle of fairness when managing staff and their requests and “looked at everyone with the same eye.” She takes inspiration from Nelson Mandela exercising the ethic of forgiveness in victory and Kofi Annan, seeing his humility and modelling of pluralistic values first-hand. In today’s material world, Shenaz’s faith reminds her to be compassionate, “to others and to ourselves,” to respect different views, to seek knowledge, and to serve others.
The emphasis on the values of hard work, kindness, and generosity meant that Samina has been able to easily adjust to different contexts and does not see cultural differences as barriers: “Human beings are meant to be diverse, that is our strength.” The women also see a strong link between these Ismaili values and the UN’s principles of equality, pluralism, diversity, and justice.
There is a history of connections between the UN and the Ismaili Imamat. It is well-known that Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah served as President of the League of Nations in 1937, the precursor to the UN. In 1966, Prince Sadruddin became the youngest and ultimately longest serving UN High Commissioner for Refugees. This link continues today; Nahla points to the words of her boss, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who delivered the Global Centre for Pluralism’s Annual Pluralism Lecture in June this year, highlighting the UN and AKDN’s shared values. Their long-standing partnership was illustrated during the Deputy SG’s subsequent visit to the Aga Khan Hospital in Bamyan, which partners with the UN Population Fund.
Role of the UN over the years and today: “It is the best body we have”
All four women see a critical role for a body that, in the words of Samina, “creates a unique space for dialogue among all nations,” that collectively “keeps an eye on challenges for the human race,” that encourages cooperation and considers all member states and their citizens equal. Particularly in a world where challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and conflicts do not acknowledge borders, the role of the UN is clear to Nahla: “Where else are issues going to be addressed? What is the alternative?” Nazneen uses the example of HIV to illustrate the importance of the UN’s multilateral approach, particularly on the African continent: “If we didn’t have the UN, we wouldn’t be where we are with the response to the epidemic.”
shenaz_nagji.png
Shenaz Nagji has had a 38-year-long career at the UN, and has seen its evolution over time.
Shenaz Nagji has had a 38-year-long career at the UN, and has seen its evolution over time.
The new Sustainable Development Goals , “a blueprint for a world we should build today” according to Nahla, are a global all-inclusive agenda based on the UN’s core values. The 17 goals aim to create peaceful and inclusive societies by the year 2030. Nazneen discusses examples of the UN’s unique role in addressing the shrinking space for civil society at national levels and believes that, in the absence of the UN as a broker, we would see a harmful reduction in the important space civil society occupies.
The evolution of gender at the UN
Nahla recalls that the 15-year commemoration of Women, Peace, and Security in the UN Security Council was the largest open debate in the history of that body, proving that issues relating to gender are both important and are attracting greater acknowledgement. The creation of UN Women — a full agency dealing with gender issues — was an important evolution of the UN in 2010. The agency has “an incredibly important mandate to ensure the UN as a whole delivers on 100% of the population,” says Nahla. She, along with Nazneen and Samina, have all had experience with the agency or its precursor and contend that this change has resulted in significant gains. Today, gender equality is high on the agenda in the policy space, leading to the formation of interagency networks, gender strategies, and improved reporting. Internal efforts at senior levels to achieve gender parity have been amplified, as evidenced by the SG’s goal of gender parity in the selection of heads of UN agencies.
However, they note challenges, including funding incommensurate with a growing mandate, a misunderstanding that “gender” relates only to women, a discomfort with the shifting balance of power as women take on new roles, and a growing pushback in some parts of the world against women’s rights. Samina cautions that a balanced approach is necessary to achieve the agency’s mandate, with the provision of technical support, measurable indicators of progress, and appropriate budget allowances.
Inspiration for the future
nazneen_damji.jpg
Nazneen Damji initially joined the UN over 20 years ago.
Nazneen Damji initially joined the UN over 20 years ago.
While appreciating the gains the UN has made over the years, the organisation should not be over-romanticised. Nazneen advises: “Don’t join the UN to say you’re in the UN; the glamour ends on day three, just like any other workplace.” She reminds us to be practical, level-headed, and extremely patient. All four women look forward to the energy and critical thinking approach young people bring in improving the UN.
“Multilateralism is not dead,” says Nazneen. The rise in activism, young energy, and an interest in a global approach to crises such as climate change provide new opportunities and reasons for optimism.
In reflecting on their careers, Samina, Nahla, Nazneen, and Shenaz all agree on the importance of mentorship, with some saying they may not have progressed as far as they have without a good mentor. Having supervisors with a true agenda to motivate staff, who helped them grow in their own thinking, encouraged self-reflection, modelled good leadership, trusted them, and provided opportunities for growth, played a pivotal role in the advancement of their careers. These successful women who have dedicated their inspiring careers to the noble mission of the United Nations all now embody the characteristics of inspiring leaders and act as mentors themselves with the hope of inspiring the next generation of professionals in international public service.
——
Nadia Hasham is a senior analyst at the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/our-stories/inspira ... ed-nations
Ismaili solicitor awarded the Freedom of the City of London
On 17 December 2019, Naureen Karim Shariff was conferred with the Freedom of the City of London in a ceremony officiated in the presence of family, friends, and colleagues at the esteemed Chamberlain’s Court at The Guildhall in London.
The Freedom of the City of London is one of the oldest surviving awards in existence, believed to have been first conferred in 1237. It is the highest honour bestowed on a person connected to the City of London, the UK capital’s historic financial district also known as The Square Mile. Today that boundary has since been extended to candidates who have made a meaningful contribution to the wider area of Greater London.
image1-1.jpeg
Naureen Shariff signs the Freeman’s Declaration Book shortly after being awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
Naureen Shariff signs the Freeman’s Declaration Book shortly after being awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
The ceremony began with Laura Miller, the Deputy Clerk to the Chamberlain’s Court welcoming Naureen and all those present. She went on to explain the ancient customs pertaining to the Freedom, its significance and meaning. Naureen was then invited to read the “Declaration of a Freeman” aloud, following which she signed the Freeman’s Declaration Book and was handed a framed copy of the Freedom to conclude the official ceremony.
The walls of the Chamberlain’s Court are adorned with numerous framed scrolls of past recipients including Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, presidents, world leaders, and luminaries from all walks of life. The central table carries artefacts and memorabilia relating to elements to which the Freedom of the City of London relates either via its Livery Companies or Freemen.
Following the event, two significant points were made by the Deputy Clerk: She announced that Naureen was “the youngest person in the world today to have received the Freedom of the City of London” and that it was a misconception that the Freedom award was male-centric. On the contrary, it is gender-blind because numerous women have been awarded the Freedom since Medieval times.
As a Senior Associate solicitor with Blackfords LLP based on Old Bailey, Naureen is part of a Fraud Investigation and Criminal Defence team. She works closely with individuals, large corporations and Government departments, and is part of a team that works with high net worth individuals who have complex, multi-jurisdictional financial arrangements.
Naureen has a long history of volunteering within Jamati institutions. Until recently she was co-chair of the External Relations team and now serves as a member on the legal committee along with a number of other appointments.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/united-kingdom/soli ... -173435533
*****
Ismaili musician wins Central Asia’s Got Talent
Music college graduate and second-generation singer in his family, Chorshanbe Alovatov from Tajikistan won the popular Central Asia’s Got Talent show final on 22 December 2019. The show, which toured four countries in the region, culminated in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
chorshanbe.jpg
Millions of viewers showed their support for Chorshanbe during Central Asia's Got Talent 2019.
Millions of viewers showed their support for Chorshanbe during Central Asia's Got Talent 2019.
Chorshanbe currently studies at the Institute of Art and Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, and says that music has always been a true passion since early childhood.
“I watched every style and genre, but never had an icon in the music world. I don’t have a favourite song, or favourite singer, because I consider everyone to have talent,” he said.
Chorshanbe has won other awards at the national level, including the Bob Music award earlier in 2019, but this latest triumph has become the most heartwarming so far. His performance of folk and popular music styles on Central Asia’s Got Talent have attracted hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
The news agency Asia-Plus reported that millions of television viewers from all over Central Asia showed their support and voted for Chorshanbe to win.
Photo:
https://the.ismaili/tajikistan/musician ... -173435533
On 17 December 2019, Naureen Karim Shariff was conferred with the Freedom of the City of London in a ceremony officiated in the presence of family, friends, and colleagues at the esteemed Chamberlain’s Court at The Guildhall in London.
The Freedom of the City of London is one of the oldest surviving awards in existence, believed to have been first conferred in 1237. It is the highest honour bestowed on a person connected to the City of London, the UK capital’s historic financial district also known as The Square Mile. Today that boundary has since been extended to candidates who have made a meaningful contribution to the wider area of Greater London.
image1-1.jpeg
Naureen Shariff signs the Freeman’s Declaration Book shortly after being awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
Naureen Shariff signs the Freeman’s Declaration Book shortly after being awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
The ceremony began with Laura Miller, the Deputy Clerk to the Chamberlain’s Court welcoming Naureen and all those present. She went on to explain the ancient customs pertaining to the Freedom, its significance and meaning. Naureen was then invited to read the “Declaration of a Freeman” aloud, following which she signed the Freeman’s Declaration Book and was handed a framed copy of the Freedom to conclude the official ceremony.
The walls of the Chamberlain’s Court are adorned with numerous framed scrolls of past recipients including Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, presidents, world leaders, and luminaries from all walks of life. The central table carries artefacts and memorabilia relating to elements to which the Freedom of the City of London relates either via its Livery Companies or Freemen.
Following the event, two significant points were made by the Deputy Clerk: She announced that Naureen was “the youngest person in the world today to have received the Freedom of the City of London” and that it was a misconception that the Freedom award was male-centric. On the contrary, it is gender-blind because numerous women have been awarded the Freedom since Medieval times.
As a Senior Associate solicitor with Blackfords LLP based on Old Bailey, Naureen is part of a Fraud Investigation and Criminal Defence team. She works closely with individuals, large corporations and Government departments, and is part of a team that works with high net worth individuals who have complex, multi-jurisdictional financial arrangements.
Naureen has a long history of volunteering within Jamati institutions. Until recently she was co-chair of the External Relations team and now serves as a member on the legal committee along with a number of other appointments.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/united-kingdom/soli ... -173435533
*****
Ismaili musician wins Central Asia’s Got Talent
Music college graduate and second-generation singer in his family, Chorshanbe Alovatov from Tajikistan won the popular Central Asia’s Got Talent show final on 22 December 2019. The show, which toured four countries in the region, culminated in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
chorshanbe.jpg
Millions of viewers showed their support for Chorshanbe during Central Asia's Got Talent 2019.
Millions of viewers showed their support for Chorshanbe during Central Asia's Got Talent 2019.
Chorshanbe currently studies at the Institute of Art and Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, and says that music has always been a true passion since early childhood.
“I watched every style and genre, but never had an icon in the music world. I don’t have a favourite song, or favourite singer, because I consider everyone to have talent,” he said.
Chorshanbe has won other awards at the national level, including the Bob Music award earlier in 2019, but this latest triumph has become the most heartwarming so far. His performance of folk and popular music styles on Central Asia’s Got Talent have attracted hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
The news agency Asia-Plus reported that millions of television viewers from all over Central Asia showed their support and voted for Chorshanbe to win.
Photo:
https://the.ismaili/tajikistan/musician ... -173435533
Interview: Dr. Henna Budhwani On Her $900,000 NIMH Research Grant
As a Medical Sociologist specializing in public health challenges in disadvantaged communities, Dr. Henna Budhwani has worked around the globe to improve healthcare and education. An Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Budhwani recently received a $900,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to develop and adapt an HIV prevention program for high-risk groups in the southern United States. Hayat interviewed Budhwani about her project and how her career led to this milestone.
Full interview:
https://hayatlife.com/2019/12/28/interv ... -budhwani/
As a Medical Sociologist specializing in public health challenges in disadvantaged communities, Dr. Henna Budhwani has worked around the globe to improve healthcare and education. An Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Budhwani recently received a $900,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to develop and adapt an HIV prevention program for high-risk groups in the southern United States. Hayat interviewed Budhwani about her project and how her career led to this milestone.
Full interview:
https://hayatlife.com/2019/12/28/interv ... -budhwani/
Count Lutfali Maherali
The article below about my wadabapa (father's eldest brother) published by the Shia Ismailia Association Mombasa Committee. MSMS referred him as Pahelaaj of our times.
P.O. Box
MOMBASA
9.9.69.
Late COUNT LUTFALI MAHERALI.
A life span of 63 years which belonged to late Count Lutfali Maherali
represents a vast ocean of significant events and sweet memories which
have spread in all directions throughout East Africa and far beyond to
other boundaries. The years in which he lived are connected with the
most important period of development in this country which has needed
sterling qualities of its people in its formation.
Count Lutfalibhai had a very auspicious parenthood. He was born in
Mombasa in November, 1906 to a merchant-prince father, the late Mukhi
Maherali Lalji who belonged to the renowned firm of Jiwan Lalji & Co.
founded by the late Itmadi Jiwan Lalji of Zanzibar and later branched
out to Mombasa and Nairobi under late Mukhi Maherali Lalji, late Count
Rajan Lalji and Alijah Gulamhusein Jamal Lalji Mohamedani who is now
the sole survivor of these famous pioneers, and lives at present in
Nairobi with his sons Sultan and Rajal Mohamedani. Strong devotion to
faith, sincere service to others and noble qualities of heart
characterised these late ancestors of Count Lutfalibhai. Many families
who have now established themselves with prosperity in this country
gratefully remember the generosity they had enjoyed from this great
family. Powerful germs of these noble qualities were infused into the
blood of Count Lutfalibhai and fully incubated there by his great father
through personal practice.
The long record of Count Lutfalibhai’s service starts with his joining
our Volunteer Corps at an early age of 17. Therein he rose from the mere
position of a volunteer right to the point of the Major and retired just
a few years ago after many years of service. Mowlana Sultan Mohamed Shah
gave him title of Lieutenant Colonel.
His activities in the Volunteer Corps developed into certain special
branches. The foremost amongst these was aid in Immigration formalities
for our travelling people. Thousands of our people going to and coming
from India and other countries were invariably receiving the benefit of
his assistance and much of his time, energy and money was spent after
this work. There is hardly any family in our community throughout the
lengths and breaths of East Africa who have not the sweet memories of
enjoying his hospitable assistance in one way or the other.
His sincerity in the performance of his duties as a volunteer brought him
closest to each and every family of our community in Mombasa. This
abundant acquaintance of our people brought to him wealth of useful
information of the conditions of our people which subsequently roused in
him a keen urge to make great sacrifices for the improvement of their
economic and social conditions. His great achievements later on as the
chief founder of our Ismailia Corporation, Co-operative Societies and
Co-operative Stores were the important foundation works for the
economic build up of our people. Success achieved in these efforts in
Mombasa encourage our people in other places and the movement spread
throughout East Africa with greatest advantage.
His supreme effort which brought the greatest benefit to the social and
economic welfare of our settlement here, was the establishment of
Building Societies. In spite of very dark prospects and sheer faith and
burning desire to improve the living conditions of his brethren, and he
persevered till he realized his gigantic dream. Hundreds of tenant
purchase flats and houses not only in Mombasa but throughout the East
African countries, stand today as immortal monuments to him. His work
can be compared with some of our greats Pirs whose devotion and love for
our beloved Imam led them to make great sacrifices for the emancipation
of their people.
Besides the will to serve he possessed good abilities to organise and
administrate. The community benefited greatly by his service to our
Education Department through Mombasa Provincial Board and the then
Central Board of Kenya and through the Mombasa Provincial Council on
which he served as a member for four years. He played a useful part in
local politics also and was acting as a member of Mombasa Municipal Board
during the absence of the then sitting member, Councilor A. C. Satchu.
He was entrusted the very important post of the President of the
Ismailia Association for Kenya in which capacity he ably served our
faith for four years. He was connected with organization of Mubarak
Mandal right from its establishment and many happy members gratefully
remember the precious guidance they received from him for their
spiritual advancement. “Ismaili Prakash” a bi-lingual publication of
the Ismailia Association during the station of its headquarters in
Mombasa, was ably managed by the late Count Lutfalibhai for the past 12
years.
The greatest advantage of his organising capacity was received by the
community during the Diamond Jubilee at Dar es Salaam in 1946. It was
mostly due to his great ability that thousands of Ismailis were
transported to and from Dar when S.S. Wasna was commissioned for this
work and our people were able to participate in the celebration with
considerable ease and comfort. Happy episodes of those days full of sweet
memories of Count Lutfalibhai’s service will linger in thousands of
minds for years to come.
Its work with almost all the institutions of our community in Mombasa
made him a sort of live Encyclopedia of our people and advantage of this
was freely available to us whenever any enumeration, a census or a
registration had to be made or many knotty problems in official capacity
or out of it he was constantly available for guidance and assistance
without any distinction of caste, colour or creed.
The spirit of service had deeply penetrated into the whole family as
Countess Zohrakhanubai always stood by the side of her husband in
helping to fulfill many of his multifarious activities, Late Mukhiani
Monghibai Kara Kanji, the late mother of Countess Zohrakhanubai, was
herself a prominent social worker and worked jointly with Count
Lutfalibhai to serve the community. With fullest co-operation of these
worthy ladies Count Lutfalibhai successfully brought up five children
who have now most of them established in life. Today, Abdulali, eldest of
these children, is a fully grown young man who, under loving care and
able support of his uncle, Kamadia Nurkhanbhai Zaver Alibhai, had
completely relieved from the burden of their business to enable him to
devote as much more time as possible after the service of humanity.
This philanthropic and fearless fighter for the cause of the needy
worked relentlessly for all human beings. His admirers include people in
all spheres of life. His charming way to help others ungrudging was
highly esteemed by authorities as well as the general public. He has
helped this country in his most characteristic way and was an asset to
our people.
His family has lost the most. His community and this country can hardly
find a replacement very soon. Yet his life was so remarkable that it must
impress all of us to emulate as many of his qualities as possible. And
those who claim relationship or acquaintance with the late Count and
feel they have incurred and debt of his obligation should voluntary
regard themselves as the trustees of whatever he has left behind him and
see that the family or the functions he undertook should not suffer
because of his going away.
Although people have wept on his departure, there was deep feeling of
happiness on his face when he left this world peacefully, without any
pain or complain, at 3 a.m. on Thursday 4th September, 1969. The cause of
his satisfaction was undoubtedly his “SERVICE for OTHERS”.
P.O. Box
MOMBASA
9.9.69.
Late COUNT LUTFALI MAHERALI.
A life span of 63 years which belonged to late Count Lutfali Maherali
represents a vast ocean of significant events and sweet memories which
have spread in all directions throughout East Africa and far beyond to
other boundaries. The years in which he lived are connected with the
most important period of development in this country which has needed
sterling qualities of its people in its formation.
Count Lutfalibhai had a very auspicious parenthood. He was born in
Mombasa in November, 1906 to a merchant-prince father, the late Mukhi
Maherali Lalji who belonged to the renowned firm of Jiwan Lalji & Co.
founded by the late Itmadi Jiwan Lalji of Zanzibar and later branched
out to Mombasa and Nairobi under late Mukhi Maherali Lalji, late Count
Rajan Lalji and Alijah Gulamhusein Jamal Lalji Mohamedani who is now
the sole survivor of these famous pioneers, and lives at present in
Nairobi with his sons Sultan and Rajal Mohamedani. Strong devotion to
faith, sincere service to others and noble qualities of heart
characterised these late ancestors of Count Lutfalibhai. Many families
who have now established themselves with prosperity in this country
gratefully remember the generosity they had enjoyed from this great
family. Powerful germs of these noble qualities were infused into the
blood of Count Lutfalibhai and fully incubated there by his great father
through personal practice.
The long record of Count Lutfalibhai’s service starts with his joining
our Volunteer Corps at an early age of 17. Therein he rose from the mere
position of a volunteer right to the point of the Major and retired just
a few years ago after many years of service. Mowlana Sultan Mohamed Shah
gave him title of Lieutenant Colonel.
His activities in the Volunteer Corps developed into certain special
branches. The foremost amongst these was aid in Immigration formalities
for our travelling people. Thousands of our people going to and coming
from India and other countries were invariably receiving the benefit of
his assistance and much of his time, energy and money was spent after
this work. There is hardly any family in our community throughout the
lengths and breaths of East Africa who have not the sweet memories of
enjoying his hospitable assistance in one way or the other.
His sincerity in the performance of his duties as a volunteer brought him
closest to each and every family of our community in Mombasa. This
abundant acquaintance of our people brought to him wealth of useful
information of the conditions of our people which subsequently roused in
him a keen urge to make great sacrifices for the improvement of their
economic and social conditions. His great achievements later on as the
chief founder of our Ismailia Corporation, Co-operative Societies and
Co-operative Stores were the important foundation works for the
economic build up of our people. Success achieved in these efforts in
Mombasa encourage our people in other places and the movement spread
throughout East Africa with greatest advantage.
His supreme effort which brought the greatest benefit to the social and
economic welfare of our settlement here, was the establishment of
Building Societies. In spite of very dark prospects and sheer faith and
burning desire to improve the living conditions of his brethren, and he
persevered till he realized his gigantic dream. Hundreds of tenant
purchase flats and houses not only in Mombasa but throughout the East
African countries, stand today as immortal monuments to him. His work
can be compared with some of our greats Pirs whose devotion and love for
our beloved Imam led them to make great sacrifices for the emancipation
of their people.
Besides the will to serve he possessed good abilities to organise and
administrate. The community benefited greatly by his service to our
Education Department through Mombasa Provincial Board and the then
Central Board of Kenya and through the Mombasa Provincial Council on
which he served as a member for four years. He played a useful part in
local politics also and was acting as a member of Mombasa Municipal Board
during the absence of the then sitting member, Councilor A. C. Satchu.
He was entrusted the very important post of the President of the
Ismailia Association for Kenya in which capacity he ably served our
faith for four years. He was connected with organization of Mubarak
Mandal right from its establishment and many happy members gratefully
remember the precious guidance they received from him for their
spiritual advancement. “Ismaili Prakash” a bi-lingual publication of
the Ismailia Association during the station of its headquarters in
Mombasa, was ably managed by the late Count Lutfalibhai for the past 12
years.
The greatest advantage of his organising capacity was received by the
community during the Diamond Jubilee at Dar es Salaam in 1946. It was
mostly due to his great ability that thousands of Ismailis were
transported to and from Dar when S.S. Wasna was commissioned for this
work and our people were able to participate in the celebration with
considerable ease and comfort. Happy episodes of those days full of sweet
memories of Count Lutfalibhai’s service will linger in thousands of
minds for years to come.
Its work with almost all the institutions of our community in Mombasa
made him a sort of live Encyclopedia of our people and advantage of this
was freely available to us whenever any enumeration, a census or a
registration had to be made or many knotty problems in official capacity
or out of it he was constantly available for guidance and assistance
without any distinction of caste, colour or creed.
The spirit of service had deeply penetrated into the whole family as
Countess Zohrakhanubai always stood by the side of her husband in
helping to fulfill many of his multifarious activities, Late Mukhiani
Monghibai Kara Kanji, the late mother of Countess Zohrakhanubai, was
herself a prominent social worker and worked jointly with Count
Lutfalibhai to serve the community. With fullest co-operation of these
worthy ladies Count Lutfalibhai successfully brought up five children
who have now most of them established in life. Today, Abdulali, eldest of
these children, is a fully grown young man who, under loving care and
able support of his uncle, Kamadia Nurkhanbhai Zaver Alibhai, had
completely relieved from the burden of their business to enable him to
devote as much more time as possible after the service of humanity.
This philanthropic and fearless fighter for the cause of the needy
worked relentlessly for all human beings. His admirers include people in
all spheres of life. His charming way to help others ungrudging was
highly esteemed by authorities as well as the general public. He has
helped this country in his most characteristic way and was an asset to
our people.
His family has lost the most. His community and this country can hardly
find a replacement very soon. Yet his life was so remarkable that it must
impress all of us to emulate as many of his qualities as possible. And
those who claim relationship or acquaintance with the late Count and
feel they have incurred and debt of his obligation should voluntary
regard themselves as the trustees of whatever he has left behind him and
see that the family or the functions he undertook should not suffer
because of his going away.
Although people have wept on his departure, there was deep feeling of
happiness on his face when he left this world peacefully, without any
pain or complain, at 3 a.m. on Thursday 4th September, 1969. The cause of
his satisfaction was undoubtedly his “SERVICE for OTHERS”.
Last edited by kmaherali on Fri Jan 10, 2020 7:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
New dean revitalizes Registered Nurse program
As a teenage Yasmin Ali sat by her ill father’s hospital bedside, she discovered her life’s purpose.
“I saw how the nurses were caring for my dad and realized these are the people who are making a difference,” Ali recalled.
At 18, she enrolled in nursing school in her native Pakistan, earning her bachelor’s degree at 21. Today, she is the new Dean of Nursing at Renton Technical College and has rejuvenated the college’s popular two-year Registered Nurse Program.
Ali acknowledges the program has had some growing pains and needed a boost. The program remains under conditional accreditation by the state, but Ali has revitalized it by implementing a more competitive admission policy, hiring new faculty, and strengthening curriculum to prepare students for their licensing exams. In fact, 100 percent of the last cohort of graduates passed the exam. The State Nursing Commission complimented the college on the strides it has made in the past few months. This winter, the program will enroll a new cohort of future nurses.
“RTC’s RN program is thriving under Yasmin’s leadership,” said Christopher Carter, dean of Allied of Health. “We provide a great nursing education to a diverse group of students, and we look forward to welcoming our newest students in January.”
One of the innovations is a virtual simulation software Ali implemented that allows students to see how they handle real world medical situations in a safe environment. The College also has a capital budget request in for a new Health Sciences Building in the future.
More...
https://www.rtc.edu/node/4560
As a teenage Yasmin Ali sat by her ill father’s hospital bedside, she discovered her life’s purpose.
“I saw how the nurses were caring for my dad and realized these are the people who are making a difference,” Ali recalled.
At 18, she enrolled in nursing school in her native Pakistan, earning her bachelor’s degree at 21. Today, she is the new Dean of Nursing at Renton Technical College and has rejuvenated the college’s popular two-year Registered Nurse Program.
Ali acknowledges the program has had some growing pains and needed a boost. The program remains under conditional accreditation by the state, but Ali has revitalized it by implementing a more competitive admission policy, hiring new faculty, and strengthening curriculum to prepare students for their licensing exams. In fact, 100 percent of the last cohort of graduates passed the exam. The State Nursing Commission complimented the college on the strides it has made in the past few months. This winter, the program will enroll a new cohort of future nurses.
“RTC’s RN program is thriving under Yasmin’s leadership,” said Christopher Carter, dean of Allied of Health. “We provide a great nursing education to a diverse group of students, and we look forward to welcoming our newest students in January.”
One of the innovations is a virtual simulation software Ali implemented that allows students to see how they handle real world medical situations in a safe environment. The College also has a capital budget request in for a new Health Sciences Building in the future.
More...
https://www.rtc.edu/node/4560
Ismailis at forefront of advances in science and technology in the United States
Advances in science and technology bring increased opportunities and factors for consideration.
Advances in science, technology, and improved health care and nutrition are all contributing to increased longevity of life, along with advanced diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. A number of Ismailis in the USA are leading the way in these fields of endeavour.
Developing a drug for Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr Nazneen Dewji of Cenna Biosciences Inc.
It is estimated that by the year 2050 there will be about 80 million people over the age of 65 in the US, of which almost half will be over the age of 80.
One growing concern with longer life is Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which results in memory loss and impairs cognitive function, accounting for 60-80% of all dementia cases. Age is a risk factor for AD, which affects 1 in 10 people over the age of 65. This ratio rises to 1 in 2 individuals by the age of 90. At present, there is no disease-modifying drug for AD. Combatting these staggering statistics and the scourge of such diseases is of major concern to healthcare professionals and scientists.
“We are all living very much longer these days and many of us in the developed world can expect to live to be 90,” said Dr Nazneen Dewji, co-founder of Cenna Biosciences Inc, a private biopharmaceutical company in La Jolla, California. “But the developing world is also catching up and in the coming years will be the area of the world with the greatest increase in numbers of people affected with Alzheimer’s disease. This will place an enormous emotional and financial burden on families caring for loved ones with the disease.”
Dr Dewji and her colleague, the late Dr S.J Singer, founded Cenna in 2006, to translate their academic research at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) into a therapeutic response to AD. Aa a professor in the Department of Medicine at UCSD, Dr Dewji has developed a novel approach to inhibit the underlying cause of the disease, the production and accumulation in the brain, of ß-amyloid (Aß). Her proprietary patented technology is different from any other approach by others to inhibit the production of Aß and addresses the many failures in the field. Cenna is developing several peptides and small molecule compounds as disease-modifying drugs for the prevention and treatment of AD. Cenna has been funded exclusively by grants from the National Institutes of Health and other government and non-government sources.
If all clinical trials are successful, it could lead to product licensing, manufacturing, distribution, and sales through appropriate partnerships and joint ventures. An effective disease-modifying therapeutic that slows progression or prevents AD will have significant societal benefits related to the quality of life for an ageing population.
Artificial intelligence for diagnosis and treatment
.
Dr Sahirzeeshan Ali, delivering a TEDx talk in Sugar Land, TX on the use of Artificial Intelligence in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
PHOTO: QUY TRAN
A new revolution is underway with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which is already being utilised for self-driving cars, various algorithms, and robots, as examples.
Dr Sahirzeeshan Ali, Research Scientist at the Center for Computation Imaging and Personalized Medicine at Case Western Reserve Medical University and the Seidman Cancer Center, is conducting research on using AI to examine pathologies in patients, such as cancer cells. By using data from thousands of patients, computer software is being designed to recognise patterns and compare diagnoses and treatments to outcomes, thus being able to model and predict the best course of action for a particular patient.
Radiologists currently make decisions based on their training, perception, and experience, but the mathematical relationships that AI can detect appear to be better at diagnosing and suggesting optimal treatments. Studies in the UK, perhaps the leader in the field of AI for medicine, suggest one in five patients have been misdiagnosed, representing 12,000 scans annually. Unnecessary surgeries could have been prevented at a saving of millions of dollars to the National Health Service.
As Dr Ali said, "Every patient deserves to have his or her own equation, and AI is going to lead to greater personal treatment plans rather than generalizing treatment based on an average patient with particular symptoms or cells visible only to the naked eye."
Dr Ali’s TEDx talk on this topic can be viewed here.
Countering the risk of cyber threats
Kabir Barday, CEO of OneTrust delivers a speech on the subject of cyber security.
The fight against cyber threats and data breaches in security create a major concern for companies and consumers, due to loss of privacy of personal information that is accessed.
Data intrusion and prevention is of paramount concern, and most companies have software to detect such invasions, often belatedly. To counter such risks, Kabir Barday from Atlanta founded OneTrust in 2016. His company’s software is designed to help companies comply with global data protection regulations, including hundreds of data breach laws. The software workflows flag risks in the event that a company is collecting large amounts of personal and/or sensitive data, potentially lowering the risk and cost of breaches. In just three years, OneTrust has become the most widely-used privacy, security, and third-party risk mitigation company in the United States.
Kabir received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Emerging Technology Category in 2019 and OneTrust has been named as one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative companies. It also earned recognition as Atlanta Business Chronicle’s #1 fastest growing company. It now has 1,000 employees and 3,000 major corporate clients around the world.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/our-stories/ismaili ... -173435533
Advances in science and technology bring increased opportunities and factors for consideration.
Advances in science, technology, and improved health care and nutrition are all contributing to increased longevity of life, along with advanced diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. A number of Ismailis in the USA are leading the way in these fields of endeavour.
Developing a drug for Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr Nazneen Dewji of Cenna Biosciences Inc.
It is estimated that by the year 2050 there will be about 80 million people over the age of 65 in the US, of which almost half will be over the age of 80.
One growing concern with longer life is Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which results in memory loss and impairs cognitive function, accounting for 60-80% of all dementia cases. Age is a risk factor for AD, which affects 1 in 10 people over the age of 65. This ratio rises to 1 in 2 individuals by the age of 90. At present, there is no disease-modifying drug for AD. Combatting these staggering statistics and the scourge of such diseases is of major concern to healthcare professionals and scientists.
“We are all living very much longer these days and many of us in the developed world can expect to live to be 90,” said Dr Nazneen Dewji, co-founder of Cenna Biosciences Inc, a private biopharmaceutical company in La Jolla, California. “But the developing world is also catching up and in the coming years will be the area of the world with the greatest increase in numbers of people affected with Alzheimer’s disease. This will place an enormous emotional and financial burden on families caring for loved ones with the disease.”
Dr Dewji and her colleague, the late Dr S.J Singer, founded Cenna in 2006, to translate their academic research at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) into a therapeutic response to AD. Aa a professor in the Department of Medicine at UCSD, Dr Dewji has developed a novel approach to inhibit the underlying cause of the disease, the production and accumulation in the brain, of ß-amyloid (Aß). Her proprietary patented technology is different from any other approach by others to inhibit the production of Aß and addresses the many failures in the field. Cenna is developing several peptides and small molecule compounds as disease-modifying drugs for the prevention and treatment of AD. Cenna has been funded exclusively by grants from the National Institutes of Health and other government and non-government sources.
If all clinical trials are successful, it could lead to product licensing, manufacturing, distribution, and sales through appropriate partnerships and joint ventures. An effective disease-modifying therapeutic that slows progression or prevents AD will have significant societal benefits related to the quality of life for an ageing population.
Artificial intelligence for diagnosis and treatment
.
Dr Sahirzeeshan Ali, delivering a TEDx talk in Sugar Land, TX on the use of Artificial Intelligence in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
PHOTO: QUY TRAN
A new revolution is underway with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which is already being utilised for self-driving cars, various algorithms, and robots, as examples.
Dr Sahirzeeshan Ali, Research Scientist at the Center for Computation Imaging and Personalized Medicine at Case Western Reserve Medical University and the Seidman Cancer Center, is conducting research on using AI to examine pathologies in patients, such as cancer cells. By using data from thousands of patients, computer software is being designed to recognise patterns and compare diagnoses and treatments to outcomes, thus being able to model and predict the best course of action for a particular patient.
Radiologists currently make decisions based on their training, perception, and experience, but the mathematical relationships that AI can detect appear to be better at diagnosing and suggesting optimal treatments. Studies in the UK, perhaps the leader in the field of AI for medicine, suggest one in five patients have been misdiagnosed, representing 12,000 scans annually. Unnecessary surgeries could have been prevented at a saving of millions of dollars to the National Health Service.
As Dr Ali said, "Every patient deserves to have his or her own equation, and AI is going to lead to greater personal treatment plans rather than generalizing treatment based on an average patient with particular symptoms or cells visible only to the naked eye."
Dr Ali’s TEDx talk on this topic can be viewed here.
Countering the risk of cyber threats
Kabir Barday, CEO of OneTrust delivers a speech on the subject of cyber security.
The fight against cyber threats and data breaches in security create a major concern for companies and consumers, due to loss of privacy of personal information that is accessed.
Data intrusion and prevention is of paramount concern, and most companies have software to detect such invasions, often belatedly. To counter such risks, Kabir Barday from Atlanta founded OneTrust in 2016. His company’s software is designed to help companies comply with global data protection regulations, including hundreds of data breach laws. The software workflows flag risks in the event that a company is collecting large amounts of personal and/or sensitive data, potentially lowering the risk and cost of breaches. In just three years, OneTrust has become the most widely-used privacy, security, and third-party risk mitigation company in the United States.
Kabir received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Emerging Technology Category in 2019 and OneTrust has been named as one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative companies. It also earned recognition as Atlanta Business Chronicle’s #1 fastest growing company. It now has 1,000 employees and 3,000 major corporate clients around the world.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/our-stories/ismaili ... -173435533
Receiving the Embrace Civility Award
The 2019 Embrace Civility Award was awarded to Sharmin Barolia by Beverly Hills Mayor, John Mirisch, for her remarkable service in the communities in which she lives. In partnership with the City’s Human Relations Commission, the Beverly Hills City Council found Sharmin’s service to be exemplary of the Commission’s priorities and founding principles.
Although having resided in the United States for less than a year, Sharmin has devoted her time to projects helping refugees acclimate to life in the US by mentoring young graduates and recent immigrants, helping improve their resumes and interviewing skills, and volunteering at the annual Best Buddies event that works towards inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Chair of the Human Relations Commission, Anette Saleh, found Sharmin to be most deserving of the 8th annual Embrace Civility Awards for actively being a “role model of positive behavior, who takes a stand in support of respect and responsible actions, and someone who promotes positive neighbor-to-neighbor relations.” Mayor Mirisch proclaimed Sharmin’s nomination was “an inspired choice, [as Sharmin has] devoted her life to serving the community, volunteerism, and advocacy.”
Sharmin also volunteers as a Census goodwill ambassador, is a member of the Los Angeles HQ Jamatkhana where she heads operations and serves on the Ismaili Volunteer Corps. She also works for the City of Beverly Hills. “I am deeply grateful to the City for honoring me with this award,” said Sharmin upon accepting the award. “Service to the community feels organic. when you grow up as a Shia Ismaili Muslim.”
Assistant Director of Finance, Tatiana Szerwinski, comments that Sharmin’s ethic of service “is evident not only in Sharmin’s personal pursuits, but in her professional work as well … she has demonstrated the principles of civility, respect, and responsible action.” Sharmin is the first City of Beverly Hills employee to receive this award.
The award was preceded by a lively reception for past and present recipients of the Embrace Civility award. Rachel Evans, Human Services Specialist and a staff liaison member of the Human Relations Commission, described Sharmin as the ideal recipient of this award. Rachel is quoted as saying “Sharmin does such great work in the community promoting civility and positive civic behavior and we are so happy to honor her for her efforts.”
https://the.ismaili/usa/receiving-embra ... lity-award
The 2019 Embrace Civility Award was awarded to Sharmin Barolia by Beverly Hills Mayor, John Mirisch, for her remarkable service in the communities in which she lives. In partnership with the City’s Human Relations Commission, the Beverly Hills City Council found Sharmin’s service to be exemplary of the Commission’s priorities and founding principles.
Although having resided in the United States for less than a year, Sharmin has devoted her time to projects helping refugees acclimate to life in the US by mentoring young graduates and recent immigrants, helping improve their resumes and interviewing skills, and volunteering at the annual Best Buddies event that works towards inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Chair of the Human Relations Commission, Anette Saleh, found Sharmin to be most deserving of the 8th annual Embrace Civility Awards for actively being a “role model of positive behavior, who takes a stand in support of respect and responsible actions, and someone who promotes positive neighbor-to-neighbor relations.” Mayor Mirisch proclaimed Sharmin’s nomination was “an inspired choice, [as Sharmin has] devoted her life to serving the community, volunteerism, and advocacy.”
Sharmin also volunteers as a Census goodwill ambassador, is a member of the Los Angeles HQ Jamatkhana where she heads operations and serves on the Ismaili Volunteer Corps. She also works for the City of Beverly Hills. “I am deeply grateful to the City for honoring me with this award,” said Sharmin upon accepting the award. “Service to the community feels organic. when you grow up as a Shia Ismaili Muslim.”
Assistant Director of Finance, Tatiana Szerwinski, comments that Sharmin’s ethic of service “is evident not only in Sharmin’s personal pursuits, but in her professional work as well … she has demonstrated the principles of civility, respect, and responsible action.” Sharmin is the first City of Beverly Hills employee to receive this award.
The award was preceded by a lively reception for past and present recipients of the Embrace Civility award. Rachel Evans, Human Services Specialist and a staff liaison member of the Human Relations Commission, described Sharmin as the ideal recipient of this award. Rachel is quoted as saying “Sharmin does such great work in the community promoting civility and positive civic behavior and we are so happy to honor her for her efforts.”
https://the.ismaili/usa/receiving-embra ... lity-award
Technovation adds new Board Member: Anar Simpson
New member’s advocacy expertise will strengthen the organization’s expansion of AI and tech entrepreneurship programs for underrepresented girls and families.
Technovation is proud to announce the addition of Anar Simpson, a key influencer for women, girls and technology, to its board of directors as it continues to build programs for girls and families that create a foundation for lifelong learning.
Technovation’s board of directors offers a wide range of experience and perspectives to help guide and support the organization as it develops free AI and technology entrepreneurship programs that bring communities together to explore new technologies.
A longtime champion for Technovation, Anar Simpson works on the digital inclusion of women with governments, international agencies and technology companies. Her advocacy, partnership, and growth efforts span the policy level – ranging from Deputy to the United Nations High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment to Strategic Partnerships Advisor to the US State Department’s TechWomen initiative. Simpson has served for several years as Technovation Girls’ Global Ambassador, a role that includes promoting and representing the Technovation Girls program around the world. With her help, the program has expanded to more than 100 countries.
“After years helping Technovation expand to reach thousands of girls around the world, I am honored and excited to join its Board of Directors,” said Simpson. “I am looking forward to many more years of empowering young people everywhere – especially young women – to believe in themselves and their capacity to change the world.”
Technovation is grateful for Anar’s guidance, and looks forward to deepening the impact and extending the reach of Technovation Girls and Technovation Families even further with their support.
“Today’s technologies-like AI – impact everyone, but too few people currently feel empowered to use these technologies to solve problems in their lives and for their communities,” said Technovation CEO & Founder Tara Chklovski. “We are excited to add Anar’s expertise to our board as we strive to inspire more people to become leaders, creators and problem-solvers.”
********
Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of Saskatchewan
News release
February 3, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Naheed Bardai, Partner at MLT Aikins LLP in Saskatoon, is appointed a Judge of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan. Mr. Justice Bardai replaces Mr. Justice G.A. Chicoine (Estevan), who resigned effective September 6, 2019.
Biography and more....
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-jus ... hewan.html
New member’s advocacy expertise will strengthen the organization’s expansion of AI and tech entrepreneurship programs for underrepresented girls and families.
Technovation is proud to announce the addition of Anar Simpson, a key influencer for women, girls and technology, to its board of directors as it continues to build programs for girls and families that create a foundation for lifelong learning.
Technovation’s board of directors offers a wide range of experience and perspectives to help guide and support the organization as it develops free AI and technology entrepreneurship programs that bring communities together to explore new technologies.
A longtime champion for Technovation, Anar Simpson works on the digital inclusion of women with governments, international agencies and technology companies. Her advocacy, partnership, and growth efforts span the policy level – ranging from Deputy to the United Nations High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment to Strategic Partnerships Advisor to the US State Department’s TechWomen initiative. Simpson has served for several years as Technovation Girls’ Global Ambassador, a role that includes promoting and representing the Technovation Girls program around the world. With her help, the program has expanded to more than 100 countries.
“After years helping Technovation expand to reach thousands of girls around the world, I am honored and excited to join its Board of Directors,” said Simpson. “I am looking forward to many more years of empowering young people everywhere – especially young women – to believe in themselves and their capacity to change the world.”
Technovation is grateful for Anar’s guidance, and looks forward to deepening the impact and extending the reach of Technovation Girls and Technovation Families even further with their support.
“Today’s technologies-like AI – impact everyone, but too few people currently feel empowered to use these technologies to solve problems in their lives and for their communities,” said Technovation CEO & Founder Tara Chklovski. “We are excited to add Anar’s expertise to our board as we strive to inspire more people to become leaders, creators and problem-solvers.”
********
Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of Saskatchewan
News release
February 3, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Naheed Bardai, Partner at MLT Aikins LLP in Saskatoon, is appointed a Judge of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan. Mr. Justice Bardai replaces Mr. Justice G.A. Chicoine (Estevan), who resigned effective September 6, 2019.
Biography and more....
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-jus ... hewan.html
Rumina Velshi, CNSC President and CEO, named Chair of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Commission on Safety Standards
News release
February 25, 2020 – Ottawa
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently announced that Rumina Velshi, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), has been named the new Chair of its Commission on Safety Standards (CSS) for a four-year period. Ms. Velshi succeeds Ms. Dana Drábová, President, Czech State Office for Nuclear Security.
The IAEA’s CSS is a standing body responsible for establishing standards relevant to nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety, and emergency preparedness and response.
Forums such as this one provide an important opportunity to consider key safety issues and to discuss how countries can harmonize their work, as well as to share and/or implement bold new approaches.
“It is an honour to have been named Chair of the IAEA’s Commission on Safety Standards. Nuclear safety is a shared goal for all countries and requires us to work together, particularly when dealing with innovative technologies and associated risks,” stated President Velshi.
“The IAEA greatly values the work of the Commission on Safety Standards and I look forward to CNSC President Velshi’s experience and contribution as Chair. Canada’s nuclear regulator is a mature and highly-respected regulator whose leadership will make an important contribution to the work of Member States,” said IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi.
This nomination is testament to the high regard the IAEA places on the CNSC’s leadership and commitment to safety.
https://www.canada.ca/en/nuclear-safety ... dards.html
News release
February 25, 2020 – Ottawa
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently announced that Rumina Velshi, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), has been named the new Chair of its Commission on Safety Standards (CSS) for a four-year period. Ms. Velshi succeeds Ms. Dana Drábová, President, Czech State Office for Nuclear Security.
The IAEA’s CSS is a standing body responsible for establishing standards relevant to nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety, and emergency preparedness and response.
Forums such as this one provide an important opportunity to consider key safety issues and to discuss how countries can harmonize their work, as well as to share and/or implement bold new approaches.
“It is an honour to have been named Chair of the IAEA’s Commission on Safety Standards. Nuclear safety is a shared goal for all countries and requires us to work together, particularly when dealing with innovative technologies and associated risks,” stated President Velshi.
“The IAEA greatly values the work of the Commission on Safety Standards and I look forward to CNSC President Velshi’s experience and contribution as Chair. Canada’s nuclear regulator is a mature and highly-respected regulator whose leadership will make an important contribution to the work of Member States,” said IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi.
This nomination is testament to the high regard the IAEA places on the CNSC’s leadership and commitment to safety.
https://www.canada.ca/en/nuclear-safety ... dards.html
EmpowHER: Pakistan’s Women of Substance
International Women’s Day, celebrated around the world on the 8th of March, is dedicated to honouring women of substance and their achievements in the social, economic, cultural and political arenas. It is also a day to bring awareness to gender parity and women’s rights, regardless of one’s race, religion and culture.
A woman’s status and women's rights has been debated not only in the Muslim world but also in the non-Muslim world. While it is easy to think that this issue has surfaced with the advent of modern civilization, it is clearly not the case. A strong need existed for a universal and uniform code of rights for women since the dawn of time.
This need was fulfilled in 6th century AD with the advent of Islam in Arabia. Islam changed the position for women in a society where those without powerful husbands, brothers or fathers were treated as slaves. According to traditional Muslim literature, during the period of Jahilia, women were not allowed to own or inherit property, had no right over their own children or themselves and female infanticide was common practice. Social, economic, and political factors of the preceding centuries had shaped the patriarchal society of the Arabian Peninsula. The arrival of Islam not only changed centuries-old tribal practices but also succeeded in allowing women to stand up and contribute to their immediate societies, and subsequently, to the entire world.
Continuing the notion of women empowerment in Islam, the Ismaili community has always promoted a positive role of women in society. We dedicate this International Women’s Day to the women who are striving for equality and the right to play their role in the development of Pakistan.
Today, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we pay tribute to a few of the achievements of Pakistani women in various fields.
Amna Zamir Shah, a BPS 20 Additional District and Sessional Judge Senior Civil Judge in Nagar, is the first female Judge from Gilgit-Baltistan. Pursuing her passion, she moved to Islamabad to study law at the International Islamic University in 2004. After appearing in the competitive exam for civil judges by the Federal Public Service in Gilgit-Baltistan, she became a judge in 2006. Not content to rest on her laurels, she went on to obtain a Master’s degree from the University Of Leicester, United Kingdom in 2009 on a Chevening Scholarship from the British Council. When she returned to Pakistan after completing her degree, she was promoted to Senior Civil Judge. where she presides over a court in Gahkuch in the Ghizer district. Over the years, Amna has developed a reputation for integrity and professionalism. Recently, the British Council for Pakistan awarded her their “Professional Excellence Award 2017” for her outstanding performance. She was chosen from over a hundred applicants from around the globe.
Anita Karim, a 22-year-old from Karimabad, Hunza, is the first female Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter to represent Pakistan at an international level. Anita won her second international match at the One Warrior Series (OWS) in Singapore, against Indonesia’s Gita Suharsono, where she dominated all three rounds of the fight. Expressing her feelings before going into the fight, Anita stated, “I had one thought on my mind - I have to win, not for myself, but for other women. They are considered weak in our society; I want to tell everyone that this sport is for men and women alike. We are strong and can defend ourselves by learning this sport.”
Azima Dhanjee, the 21-year-old CEO and co-founder of the organization ‘ConnectHear’ and alumna of the U.S. government funded Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, is making lives easier for differently-abled people by helping them lead independent lives providing language accessibility through sign language interpretation. Taking responsibility at an adult at a young age, Azima and her brother were their parents’ voices – interpreting conversations for them and communicating with people on their behalf. Her experiences led her to finding ways, by using technology and design, to help. Azima reiterates, “Every individual should ponder how they can make their services non-discriminatory.” She spreads the message of perseverance, encouraging the youth to leave fear behind and work hard to achieve their goals.
Diana Baig, the first female Pakistani cricketer from Gilgit-Baltistan to take part in international cricket, is a medium-fast right hand bowler who was motivated by her coaches to play professional cricket. She has represented Pakistan in the World Cup in 2013, 2015, T20 World Cup 2016 and ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. Diana is also a national player on the Pakistan Women’s Football team and has represented Pakistan in the South Asian games in 2014. As a cricket and football star, and a university student, she states “Finding a balance between my sporting dreams and education becomes very difficult, but one has to manage it.”
Kainat Imtiaz, an all-round cricketer from Karachi, started her journey in 2009 as Captain of the Under-17 Karachi Region Women’s Cricket Team followed by captain of the Under-19 Team in 2010 and 2011. Her international career started in 2011 where she had the privilege of playing for the Pakistan Team in tours against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Being awarded Gold Medals in Cricket at the Asian Games in China in 2010 and in Korea in 2014, Kainat has also been selected to play for Pakistan at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 in England.
Karishma Ali, a 21-year-old footballer from Karimabad, Chitral, is one of the first Pakistani women to represent the country in the Australian Football League International Cup in 2017. With a dream to inspire girls in her community to partake in sports, Karishma established the Chitral Women’s Sports Club which became the first organization enabling girls to train in football in Chitral. While she continues to represent Pakistan internationally as the premier female footballer, she was also listed in Forbes magazine “30 under 30 in Asia” in 2019 for innovation and entrepreneurship. Karishma advises, “Do not let society define one’s passions, limitations and goals - use courage, hard-work and perseverance to succeed.”
Natasha Baig, a young talent from Gilgit, is another sensation of Coke Studio, who started her career from a community singing competition “Kay Sera Sera.” Discovering her true talent, Natasha had to face many hardships in life in order to fulfil her dreams. Her passion to fulfil her dreams went beyond societal expectations of who she was meant to be. Talking about the early days, Natasha mentioned how it was difficult for her to actually begin her career in music and her inspiration, “I always knew that I couldn’t just be any regular person, I knew my capabilities and I knew that I could do something big. My mom helped me become a feminist, she supported me, believed in me and always encouraged me to work and follow my passion.”
Sara Haider, received fame through Coke Studio when she did a duet with the renowned singer Ali Zafar. She also received the Lux Style Award for Best Emerging Talent in Music and The Charles Jehlinger Award upon her graduation from the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Dedicating her success to her mother, Sara mentions “Behind every successful person, there is a woman. My mother is the biggest inspiration. She gave me the freedom of choice; she trusts me and motivates me. Without her I would not have succeeded in my life. She has given us all siblings the freedom and trust to follow our dreams. One of the things that I love about her is she lives a balanced life.”
Samina Baig, from Gojal, is one such example. Being brought up in a small village of Hunza, since childhood, she dreamt of a life amongst the mountains. As the first woman to ascend all of the highest peaks in the world, Samina is also the first Pakistani woman to climb the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest. With the world at her feet, Samina reminisces “I was thinking about the women of Pakistan, those who are not allowed to get education, those who are not allowed to do whatever they want to do in their lives," she said. “If my family can support me then other families should also support their daughters. Women are often underestimated in our society so my achievement will send out a message to everyone - women are equally capable of achieving great things in life.”
Shehla Chatoor, a premier fashion designer, is considered one of the top names in bridal trousseau and luxury prêt in Pakistan, as well as around the world. Formally launching her label “SHEHLA” in 1995 with a trousseau collection, Shehla also branched into bridals the same year. With a lucrative business model successfully operating for the past 25 years and multiple awards for design, the brand has become synonymous with terms such as unique, innovative and inspiring. With a predominantly male-dominated, conservative workforce, Shehla states, “One has to show great strength of character to make a place for yourself in this industry. You must do something you are passionate about. Passion for fashion should be the first and most important reason why you should enter this field. Then, obtain the right education and mentorship to pursue that passion.”
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/empowher-p ... -substance
International Women’s Day, celebrated around the world on the 8th of March, is dedicated to honouring women of substance and their achievements in the social, economic, cultural and political arenas. It is also a day to bring awareness to gender parity and women’s rights, regardless of one’s race, religion and culture.
A woman’s status and women's rights has been debated not only in the Muslim world but also in the non-Muslim world. While it is easy to think that this issue has surfaced with the advent of modern civilization, it is clearly not the case. A strong need existed for a universal and uniform code of rights for women since the dawn of time.
This need was fulfilled in 6th century AD with the advent of Islam in Arabia. Islam changed the position for women in a society where those without powerful husbands, brothers or fathers were treated as slaves. According to traditional Muslim literature, during the period of Jahilia, women were not allowed to own or inherit property, had no right over their own children or themselves and female infanticide was common practice. Social, economic, and political factors of the preceding centuries had shaped the patriarchal society of the Arabian Peninsula. The arrival of Islam not only changed centuries-old tribal practices but also succeeded in allowing women to stand up and contribute to their immediate societies, and subsequently, to the entire world.
Continuing the notion of women empowerment in Islam, the Ismaili community has always promoted a positive role of women in society. We dedicate this International Women’s Day to the women who are striving for equality and the right to play their role in the development of Pakistan.
Today, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we pay tribute to a few of the achievements of Pakistani women in various fields.
Amna Zamir Shah, a BPS 20 Additional District and Sessional Judge Senior Civil Judge in Nagar, is the first female Judge from Gilgit-Baltistan. Pursuing her passion, she moved to Islamabad to study law at the International Islamic University in 2004. After appearing in the competitive exam for civil judges by the Federal Public Service in Gilgit-Baltistan, she became a judge in 2006. Not content to rest on her laurels, she went on to obtain a Master’s degree from the University Of Leicester, United Kingdom in 2009 on a Chevening Scholarship from the British Council. When she returned to Pakistan after completing her degree, she was promoted to Senior Civil Judge. where she presides over a court in Gahkuch in the Ghizer district. Over the years, Amna has developed a reputation for integrity and professionalism. Recently, the British Council for Pakistan awarded her their “Professional Excellence Award 2017” for her outstanding performance. She was chosen from over a hundred applicants from around the globe.
Anita Karim, a 22-year-old from Karimabad, Hunza, is the first female Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter to represent Pakistan at an international level. Anita won her second international match at the One Warrior Series (OWS) in Singapore, against Indonesia’s Gita Suharsono, where she dominated all three rounds of the fight. Expressing her feelings before going into the fight, Anita stated, “I had one thought on my mind - I have to win, not for myself, but for other women. They are considered weak in our society; I want to tell everyone that this sport is for men and women alike. We are strong and can defend ourselves by learning this sport.”
Azima Dhanjee, the 21-year-old CEO and co-founder of the organization ‘ConnectHear’ and alumna of the U.S. government funded Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, is making lives easier for differently-abled people by helping them lead independent lives providing language accessibility through sign language interpretation. Taking responsibility at an adult at a young age, Azima and her brother were their parents’ voices – interpreting conversations for them and communicating with people on their behalf. Her experiences led her to finding ways, by using technology and design, to help. Azima reiterates, “Every individual should ponder how they can make their services non-discriminatory.” She spreads the message of perseverance, encouraging the youth to leave fear behind and work hard to achieve their goals.
Diana Baig, the first female Pakistani cricketer from Gilgit-Baltistan to take part in international cricket, is a medium-fast right hand bowler who was motivated by her coaches to play professional cricket. She has represented Pakistan in the World Cup in 2013, 2015, T20 World Cup 2016 and ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. Diana is also a national player on the Pakistan Women’s Football team and has represented Pakistan in the South Asian games in 2014. As a cricket and football star, and a university student, she states “Finding a balance between my sporting dreams and education becomes very difficult, but one has to manage it.”
Kainat Imtiaz, an all-round cricketer from Karachi, started her journey in 2009 as Captain of the Under-17 Karachi Region Women’s Cricket Team followed by captain of the Under-19 Team in 2010 and 2011. Her international career started in 2011 where she had the privilege of playing for the Pakistan Team in tours against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Being awarded Gold Medals in Cricket at the Asian Games in China in 2010 and in Korea in 2014, Kainat has also been selected to play for Pakistan at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 in England.
Karishma Ali, a 21-year-old footballer from Karimabad, Chitral, is one of the first Pakistani women to represent the country in the Australian Football League International Cup in 2017. With a dream to inspire girls in her community to partake in sports, Karishma established the Chitral Women’s Sports Club which became the first organization enabling girls to train in football in Chitral. While she continues to represent Pakistan internationally as the premier female footballer, she was also listed in Forbes magazine “30 under 30 in Asia” in 2019 for innovation and entrepreneurship. Karishma advises, “Do not let society define one’s passions, limitations and goals - use courage, hard-work and perseverance to succeed.”
Natasha Baig, a young talent from Gilgit, is another sensation of Coke Studio, who started her career from a community singing competition “Kay Sera Sera.” Discovering her true talent, Natasha had to face many hardships in life in order to fulfil her dreams. Her passion to fulfil her dreams went beyond societal expectations of who she was meant to be. Talking about the early days, Natasha mentioned how it was difficult for her to actually begin her career in music and her inspiration, “I always knew that I couldn’t just be any regular person, I knew my capabilities and I knew that I could do something big. My mom helped me become a feminist, she supported me, believed in me and always encouraged me to work and follow my passion.”
Sara Haider, received fame through Coke Studio when she did a duet with the renowned singer Ali Zafar. She also received the Lux Style Award for Best Emerging Talent in Music and The Charles Jehlinger Award upon her graduation from the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Dedicating her success to her mother, Sara mentions “Behind every successful person, there is a woman. My mother is the biggest inspiration. She gave me the freedom of choice; she trusts me and motivates me. Without her I would not have succeeded in my life. She has given us all siblings the freedom and trust to follow our dreams. One of the things that I love about her is she lives a balanced life.”
Samina Baig, from Gojal, is one such example. Being brought up in a small village of Hunza, since childhood, she dreamt of a life amongst the mountains. As the first woman to ascend all of the highest peaks in the world, Samina is also the first Pakistani woman to climb the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest. With the world at her feet, Samina reminisces “I was thinking about the women of Pakistan, those who are not allowed to get education, those who are not allowed to do whatever they want to do in their lives," she said. “If my family can support me then other families should also support their daughters. Women are often underestimated in our society so my achievement will send out a message to everyone - women are equally capable of achieving great things in life.”
Shehla Chatoor, a premier fashion designer, is considered one of the top names in bridal trousseau and luxury prêt in Pakistan, as well as around the world. Formally launching her label “SHEHLA” in 1995 with a trousseau collection, Shehla also branched into bridals the same year. With a lucrative business model successfully operating for the past 25 years and multiple awards for design, the brand has become synonymous with terms such as unique, innovative and inspiring. With a predominantly male-dominated, conservative workforce, Shehla states, “One has to show great strength of character to make a place for yourself in this industry. You must do something you are passionate about. Passion for fashion should be the first and most important reason why you should enter this field. Then, obtain the right education and mentorship to pursue that passion.”
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/empowher-p ... -substance
Financial services industry leader Zabeen Hirji joins SFU Beedie as Executive in Residence
Zabeen Hirji (MBA ’94), has been appointed Executive-in-Residence at SFU’s Beedie School of Business where she will share her experience and knowledge with the school’s leadership team and community.
Based in Toronto, Hirji is a strategic advisor to business, government and academia, and a director on corporate and not-for-profit boards. In her current role as Executive Advisor, Future of Work at Deloitte, Hirji advises the firm and its clients on the changing nature of work, a pressing issue at a time of rapid technological, demographic and social change. Prior to this, she had a distinguished career at RBC, where she held senior executive roles in human resources, including Chief Human Resources Officer, and business leadership.
More...
https://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2020 ... eedie.html
*****
A Profile in Courage: A Woman’s Journey from Despondency to Success
For International Women’s Day 2020, we are showcasing a woman who has shown remarkable resilience and is an inspiration to all. During the next week or so, we will be showcasing several other women in different fields who are also making an impact.
Few can truly claim a victory dance of rebirth. Nadia Esani is one of those remarkable individuals who has had a near-death experience and has lived to tell the tale.
Nadia came to the US at the age of 10, with a cultural heritage strikingly different from that of her home in Pakistan. During her teenage years, she struggled with acclimating to the Western culture, which motivated her to seek a Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies.
Life doesn’t always evolve according to one’s plan, and the divergence for Nadia was particularly striking, while she was living in Houston. In 1999, during the year of her husband’s Law School graduation, she began a journey of illness that could have quite easily taken her life. She was diagnosed with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a rare thrombotic condition that causes major organ failure and severe damage to kidneys, while also jeopardizing her eyesight.
Nadia’s journey for two and a half months was critical, as she was placed on dialysis and her survival was a testimony of her faith and courage. Life after her treatment has included management of hypertension, but despite these major setbacks she has been rigorous in her pursuit of education.
Photo and more...
https://the.ismaili/usa/profile-courage ... cy-success
******
Surviving Breast Cancer in Style
A story to celebrate International Women’s Day, one that illustrates how a cancer survivor used her condition to help others in similar circumstances.
Her life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in March 2018 at age 29, after noticing an unusual change in her body and having it checked. With no family history of breast or ovarian cancer, which are often linked, this news came to Sonya Keshwani as a complete shock.
What followed after, was a series of countless tests and medical appointments every day that required traveling back and forth between different medical offices to get all the answers. As Sonya recalls, “Getting answers is not always easy. And sometimes you have to go through multiple rounds. From the moment I stepped foot in New York for my treatment, I knew that this is life now, that this is how it is going to be and that I have to be brave about it.“
For Sonya, treatment meant a grueling course of intense chemotherapy spanning several weeks. She had six rounds of chemo, one every three weeks for the rest of the summer of 2018. Not fully grasping how painful and draining the treatment can be, she told herself, “Of course I can handle it and it will be fine.”
However, it was tough, both physically and emotionally, leaving Sonya in no capacity to perform everyday life activities without pain. “I could not even get up for a glass of water without being in extreme pain,” she recalls. Recovery was long and painful as she tried to shift her focus from the world of treatment to regaining control of her life.
During the same time, Sonya managed to go to Lisbon for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and that experience had a profound impact on her. She explains, “After having found the lump in April, and getting the diagnosis, I had Deedar several times that year and felt that strength and determination inside of me renewed. It was a very important time for me to go there, get that experience and carry that with me through the rest of my recovery.”
Throughout that summer, Sonya kept coming back to the realization that she didn’t have to do it alone. She had her faith, and her team around her and reminded herself that she wasn’t the only one going through this.
Photo and more...
https://the.ismaili/usa/surviving-breast-cancer-style
Zabeen Hirji (MBA ’94), has been appointed Executive-in-Residence at SFU’s Beedie School of Business where she will share her experience and knowledge with the school’s leadership team and community.
Based in Toronto, Hirji is a strategic advisor to business, government and academia, and a director on corporate and not-for-profit boards. In her current role as Executive Advisor, Future of Work at Deloitte, Hirji advises the firm and its clients on the changing nature of work, a pressing issue at a time of rapid technological, demographic and social change. Prior to this, she had a distinguished career at RBC, where she held senior executive roles in human resources, including Chief Human Resources Officer, and business leadership.
More...
https://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2020 ... eedie.html
*****
A Profile in Courage: A Woman’s Journey from Despondency to Success
For International Women’s Day 2020, we are showcasing a woman who has shown remarkable resilience and is an inspiration to all. During the next week or so, we will be showcasing several other women in different fields who are also making an impact.
Few can truly claim a victory dance of rebirth. Nadia Esani is one of those remarkable individuals who has had a near-death experience and has lived to tell the tale.
Nadia came to the US at the age of 10, with a cultural heritage strikingly different from that of her home in Pakistan. During her teenage years, she struggled with acclimating to the Western culture, which motivated her to seek a Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies.
Life doesn’t always evolve according to one’s plan, and the divergence for Nadia was particularly striking, while she was living in Houston. In 1999, during the year of her husband’s Law School graduation, she began a journey of illness that could have quite easily taken her life. She was diagnosed with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a rare thrombotic condition that causes major organ failure and severe damage to kidneys, while also jeopardizing her eyesight.
Nadia’s journey for two and a half months was critical, as she was placed on dialysis and her survival was a testimony of her faith and courage. Life after her treatment has included management of hypertension, but despite these major setbacks she has been rigorous in her pursuit of education.
Photo and more...
https://the.ismaili/usa/profile-courage ... cy-success
******
Surviving Breast Cancer in Style
A story to celebrate International Women’s Day, one that illustrates how a cancer survivor used her condition to help others in similar circumstances.
Her life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in March 2018 at age 29, after noticing an unusual change in her body and having it checked. With no family history of breast or ovarian cancer, which are often linked, this news came to Sonya Keshwani as a complete shock.
What followed after, was a series of countless tests and medical appointments every day that required traveling back and forth between different medical offices to get all the answers. As Sonya recalls, “Getting answers is not always easy. And sometimes you have to go through multiple rounds. From the moment I stepped foot in New York for my treatment, I knew that this is life now, that this is how it is going to be and that I have to be brave about it.“
For Sonya, treatment meant a grueling course of intense chemotherapy spanning several weeks. She had six rounds of chemo, one every three weeks for the rest of the summer of 2018. Not fully grasping how painful and draining the treatment can be, she told herself, “Of course I can handle it and it will be fine.”
However, it was tough, both physically and emotionally, leaving Sonya in no capacity to perform everyday life activities without pain. “I could not even get up for a glass of water without being in extreme pain,” she recalls. Recovery was long and painful as she tried to shift her focus from the world of treatment to regaining control of her life.
During the same time, Sonya managed to go to Lisbon for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and that experience had a profound impact on her. She explains, “After having found the lump in April, and getting the diagnosis, I had Deedar several times that year and felt that strength and determination inside of me renewed. It was a very important time for me to go there, get that experience and carry that with me through the rest of my recovery.”
Throughout that summer, Sonya kept coming back to the realization that she didn’t have to do it alone. She had her faith, and her team around her and reminded herself that she wasn’t the only one going through this.
Photo and more...
https://the.ismaili/usa/surviving-breast-cancer-style
Healthcare Hero - Dr Malik Kalyani
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Malik Kalyani, who is currently leading the Covid-19 team at his hospital's critical care department.
Coming from a humble business family in Bhuj-Kutch in Gujarat, India, Dr Malik’s passion for medicine was sparked by the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bhuj, Gujarat in 2001. Seeing the destruction and urgent need for medical services made Malik adamant to help, and eventually shaped his future in medicine.
After high school, Malik went to Europe for medical school, and eventually Bielefeld, Germany for postgraduate studies in internal medicine and interventional cardiology. Over the following six years, he pursued a speciality in critical care medicine and emergency medicine – a journey that has now brought him to his current position as consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Nephrology, Diabetology and Critical Care Medicine at the Evangelical Hospital Bethel in Bielefeld, Germany.
During the current health crisis, Malik is also leading the Covid-19 team of doctors and healthcare professionals in the hospital’s critical care department.
“My advice to the Jamat is to plan, prioritise and save for the future. Educate and keep updating yourselves. During this crisis, it is critical to stay safe for yourself and your families, and to continue to follow the guidelines laid down by your government, and our Jamati Institutions.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... ik-kalyani
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Malik Kalyani, who is currently leading the Covid-19 team at his hospital's critical care department.
Coming from a humble business family in Bhuj-Kutch in Gujarat, India, Dr Malik’s passion for medicine was sparked by the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bhuj, Gujarat in 2001. Seeing the destruction and urgent need for medical services made Malik adamant to help, and eventually shaped his future in medicine.
After high school, Malik went to Europe for medical school, and eventually Bielefeld, Germany for postgraduate studies in internal medicine and interventional cardiology. Over the following six years, he pursued a speciality in critical care medicine and emergency medicine – a journey that has now brought him to his current position as consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Nephrology, Diabetology and Critical Care Medicine at the Evangelical Hospital Bethel in Bielefeld, Germany.
During the current health crisis, Malik is also leading the Covid-19 team of doctors and healthcare professionals in the hospital’s critical care department.
“My advice to the Jamat is to plan, prioritise and save for the future. Educate and keep updating yourselves. During this crisis, it is critical to stay safe for yourself and your families, and to continue to follow the guidelines laid down by your government, and our Jamati Institutions.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... ik-kalyani
Healthcare Hero - Dr Karim Kassam
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Karim Kassam, who contracted the virus while working on the frontlines of the pandemic but is eager to recover and return to work.
Hailing from a family of physicians, Dr Kassam is an oral & maxillofacial and head & neck surgeon with over 20 years of experience in the UK’s National Health Service. One of three children, Karim grew up in Manchester, with family origins from India. Like many Ismaili families, Karim’s was always devoted to their local Manchester Jamatkhana, where his parents are still involved in many Jamati activities.
Much of Karim’s passion for healthcare could be attributed to his father, Dr Nooralla Kassam, who was not only a model for Karim, but also for his profession, winning the prestigious best doctor award at The Sun’s Who Cares Wins health awards in 2018. Inspired by his father, Karim developed a keen interest in medicine early on. A medical elective in Brunei inspired him to pursue medicine and dentistry, and he eventually became a maxillofacial surgeon. Karim wanted to offer complex operations to those in need, leading him to the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi as part of his training.
Given his speciality, Karim has been closely involved in managing the Covid-19 crisis, providing frontline care to patients. During his work, Karim contracted the virus, and is currently in isolation, focusing on healing himself. Despite this, he is focused on getting better so he can get back to work and is being motivated by his wife and two young children, along with Jamati members from Northwest London Jamatkhana. At the same time, his father, a practicing general physician for 47 years, continues to work during this global pandemic.
“It is important as a Jamat to remember that we not only need to use this time to focus on our physical health, but also our mental well-being. Pick up the phone, call loved ones and friends, and also please check on the vulnerable people and members of the Jamat who might be feeling lonely. Provide them with the support they need as best as you can. We are all in this together and must take care of one another.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -173435533
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Karim Kassam, who contracted the virus while working on the frontlines of the pandemic but is eager to recover and return to work.
Hailing from a family of physicians, Dr Kassam is an oral & maxillofacial and head & neck surgeon with over 20 years of experience in the UK’s National Health Service. One of three children, Karim grew up in Manchester, with family origins from India. Like many Ismaili families, Karim’s was always devoted to their local Manchester Jamatkhana, where his parents are still involved in many Jamati activities.
Much of Karim’s passion for healthcare could be attributed to his father, Dr Nooralla Kassam, who was not only a model for Karim, but also for his profession, winning the prestigious best doctor award at The Sun’s Who Cares Wins health awards in 2018. Inspired by his father, Karim developed a keen interest in medicine early on. A medical elective in Brunei inspired him to pursue medicine and dentistry, and he eventually became a maxillofacial surgeon. Karim wanted to offer complex operations to those in need, leading him to the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi as part of his training.
Given his speciality, Karim has been closely involved in managing the Covid-19 crisis, providing frontline care to patients. During his work, Karim contracted the virus, and is currently in isolation, focusing on healing himself. Despite this, he is focused on getting better so he can get back to work and is being motivated by his wife and two young children, along with Jamati members from Northwest London Jamatkhana. At the same time, his father, a practicing general physician for 47 years, continues to work during this global pandemic.
“It is important as a Jamat to remember that we not only need to use this time to focus on our physical health, but also our mental well-being. Pick up the phone, call loved ones and friends, and also please check on the vulnerable people and members of the Jamat who might be feeling lonely. Provide them with the support they need as best as you can. We are all in this together and must take care of one another.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -173435533
Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Family Foundation Matching Gifts to COVID-19 Fund
Starting today, every donation made to the North Shore COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund will be matched dollar for dollar with a donation from the Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Family Foundation up to a total of $100,000. This generous pledge means that your donation will have double the impact. With your help we have the potential to raise $200,000 for the Response Fund.
Donate today and see your investment double in an instant.
Pyarali and Gulshan Nanji and their family of four children were among the thousands of Ugandans of Indian descent exiled from the country in the 1970s.
They were airlifted to Canada and initially lived in Montreal where they had to start their lives from scratch.
Thankful for the safe refuge given to their family, Pyarali and Gulshan made a pledge to give back to the country that gave them safe haven.
In 1991 Pyarali Nanji founded Belle-Pak Packaging Inc and today the company employs 200 people and supplies products for companies across North America.
The couple never forgot their promise, and over the years, they have donated millions of dollars to Canadian charities and health care facilities.
The $100,000 pledge to the North Shore COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is the Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Family Foundation’s largest donation to date to LGH Foundation.
https://lghfoundation.com/nanji-family-foundation/
Starting today, every donation made to the North Shore COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund will be matched dollar for dollar with a donation from the Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Family Foundation up to a total of $100,000. This generous pledge means that your donation will have double the impact. With your help we have the potential to raise $200,000 for the Response Fund.
Donate today and see your investment double in an instant.
Pyarali and Gulshan Nanji and their family of four children were among the thousands of Ugandans of Indian descent exiled from the country in the 1970s.
They were airlifted to Canada and initially lived in Montreal where they had to start their lives from scratch.
Thankful for the safe refuge given to their family, Pyarali and Gulshan made a pledge to give back to the country that gave them safe haven.
In 1991 Pyarali Nanji founded Belle-Pak Packaging Inc and today the company employs 200 people and supplies products for companies across North America.
The couple never forgot their promise, and over the years, they have donated millions of dollars to Canadian charities and health care facilities.
The $100,000 pledge to the North Shore COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is the Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Family Foundation’s largest donation to date to LGH Foundation.
https://lghfoundation.com/nanji-family-foundation/
Healthcare Hero - Dr Nazir Kapadia
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Nazir Kapadia, who is an instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, teaching medical students while on the frontlines of the current pandemic.
Dr Nazir Kapadia has always been a teacher. From an early age, he was involved with the religious education centre of his local Platinum Jamatkhana in Karachi, Pakistan. His passion for serving and helping the community motivated his interest in medicine.
After completing the MBBS from Ziauddin University in Karachi, he finished a specialisation in emergency medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), where he received the best resident award in 2018. Right after graduation, Dr Kapadia had the opportunity to serve the community as part of the medical team during Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee visit to Garam Chashma, Chitral.
Dr Kapadia’s experience has primed him for his current role on the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis. Today, he serves as an instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at AKUH. Aside from patient care, he is also enhancing other doctors’ knowledge and supervising their duty schedules to prevent disease exposure and spread among medical staff.
“Stay safe, be united, and encourage the youth to pursue a career in healthcare to serve our Jamat and society, as envisioned by Mawlana Hazar Imam.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -173435533
*****
Healthcare Hero - Shamsah Malik
As a part of the movement to acknowledge healthcare workers, we are featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Shamsah Malik, who is a nurse on the designated Covid team at the hospital where she works.
Raised in Islamabad, Pakistan, Shamsah Malik’s inspiration to become a nurse followed Mawlana Hazar Imam’s speech at an Aga Khan University Hospital inauguration, where he talked about the impact of young girls choosing nursing as a profession. Despite her family’s encouragement to pursue medicine, Shamsah’s heart was in nursing. She could see the impact of the holistic, comprehensive, integrated aspect of caring for people and populations by changing behaviour, affecting/impacting social determinants, and inspiring throughout the continuum of life.
Her passion for nursing has now brought her to the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis, where as an acute care nurse practitioner at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Southern LA, Shamsah is part of the internal medicine hospitalist team; the designated Covid team in the hospital. Daily, her team manages patients who are admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 infections. Like many in healthcare, the last few weeks have been especially rough for Shamsah. Seeing patients get sick, and worsen quickly has been challenging. Aside from the physical toll of working with these patients, she also takes on the emotional angst of managing end-of-life discussions with critically ill patients, especially when they are unable to see their families and loved ones.
But, Shamsah knows that these trials will make her a stronger professional. And, once her work day finishes, she becomes focussed on managing her duties as the Chairman for ITREB-West, managing the needs of 16 Jamatkhanas in the region.
“Stay at home, stay well. Eat healthy, sleep well, take care of your immunity, connect with your social support systems regularly to support your emotional and mental wellbeing. We all want the Jamat to remain healthy. Also, be aware of the signs, and seek help early if you experience symptoms such as shortness of breath or fevers.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -173435533
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Nazir Kapadia, who is an instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, teaching medical students while on the frontlines of the current pandemic.
Dr Nazir Kapadia has always been a teacher. From an early age, he was involved with the religious education centre of his local Platinum Jamatkhana in Karachi, Pakistan. His passion for serving and helping the community motivated his interest in medicine.
After completing the MBBS from Ziauddin University in Karachi, he finished a specialisation in emergency medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), where he received the best resident award in 2018. Right after graduation, Dr Kapadia had the opportunity to serve the community as part of the medical team during Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee visit to Garam Chashma, Chitral.
Dr Kapadia’s experience has primed him for his current role on the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis. Today, he serves as an instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at AKUH. Aside from patient care, he is also enhancing other doctors’ knowledge and supervising their duty schedules to prevent disease exposure and spread among medical staff.
“Stay safe, be united, and encourage the youth to pursue a career in healthcare to serve our Jamat and society, as envisioned by Mawlana Hazar Imam.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -173435533
*****
Healthcare Hero - Shamsah Malik
As a part of the movement to acknowledge healthcare workers, we are featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Shamsah Malik, who is a nurse on the designated Covid team at the hospital where she works.
Raised in Islamabad, Pakistan, Shamsah Malik’s inspiration to become a nurse followed Mawlana Hazar Imam’s speech at an Aga Khan University Hospital inauguration, where he talked about the impact of young girls choosing nursing as a profession. Despite her family’s encouragement to pursue medicine, Shamsah’s heart was in nursing. She could see the impact of the holistic, comprehensive, integrated aspect of caring for people and populations by changing behaviour, affecting/impacting social determinants, and inspiring throughout the continuum of life.
Her passion for nursing has now brought her to the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis, where as an acute care nurse practitioner at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Southern LA, Shamsah is part of the internal medicine hospitalist team; the designated Covid team in the hospital. Daily, her team manages patients who are admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 infections. Like many in healthcare, the last few weeks have been especially rough for Shamsah. Seeing patients get sick, and worsen quickly has been challenging. Aside from the physical toll of working with these patients, she also takes on the emotional angst of managing end-of-life discussions with critically ill patients, especially when they are unable to see their families and loved ones.
But, Shamsah knows that these trials will make her a stronger professional. And, once her work day finishes, she becomes focussed on managing her duties as the Chairman for ITREB-West, managing the needs of 16 Jamatkhanas in the region.
“Stay at home, stay well. Eat healthy, sleep well, take care of your immunity, connect with your social support systems regularly to support your emotional and mental wellbeing. We all want the Jamat to remain healthy. Also, be aware of the signs, and seek help early if you experience symptoms such as shortness of breath or fevers.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -173435533
Healthcare Hero - Dr Asif Najmuddin
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Asif Najmuddin, who feels fortunate to serve the community and his Jamat while working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Curiosity about the human body brought Dr Asif Najmuddin to the field of medicine. He pursued a medical degree from Aga Khan University, in his hometown Karachi, Pakistan, where he was a regular at the Darkhana Jamatkhana. In 2007, Dr Najmuddin moved to the United States, where he has been serving as a pulmonary and critical care physician for the past six years at Medical City Denton in Texas, and attending Carrolton Jamatkhana.
His specialisation as a pulmonary and critical care physician means that Dr Najmuddin has been on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic, currently serving as an ICU physician. He says one of the biggest challenges has been managing all of the unknowns that come with a new virus, especially as guidelines continue to evolve. With new learning from the scientific community, come new disruptions to the workflow. In addition to a whirlwind of activity attending to patients and training healthcare providers on updated guidelines, he is constantly having to slow down to wear his personal protective equipment. In those moments, Dr Najmuddin reminds himself about the importance of being patient, collaborative, and consultative. The disruption also occurs at home, where he continues to wear a mask to protect his family from exposure.
Yet, Dr Najmuddin considers himself fortunate to be able to serve as part of the US and Texas critical care workforce, not only because it’s what he signed up for when he chose to be a doctor, but also because it means he can serve his community and his Jamat by helping them gain new knowledge and insight about coronavirus.
“Don't live in panic, as stress may suppress your immunity and put you at higher risk for infections. Eat a diet comprising fruits and vegetables, which can help you fight infections,” he said. “Use this time to sit back and reflect on things that we take for granted in our usual busy lives. Read a book, talk to your family, use technology to your advantage and connect with loved ones.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -najmuddin
As a part of the global movement to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all healthcare workers around the world working to keep us healthy and safe, we will be featuring healthcare workers from the Ismaili community in a series entitled Healthcare Heroes. Read more about our next featured Hero, Dr Asif Najmuddin, who feels fortunate to serve the community and his Jamat while working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Curiosity about the human body brought Dr Asif Najmuddin to the field of medicine. He pursued a medical degree from Aga Khan University, in his hometown Karachi, Pakistan, where he was a regular at the Darkhana Jamatkhana. In 2007, Dr Najmuddin moved to the United States, where he has been serving as a pulmonary and critical care physician for the past six years at Medical City Denton in Texas, and attending Carrolton Jamatkhana.
His specialisation as a pulmonary and critical care physician means that Dr Najmuddin has been on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic, currently serving as an ICU physician. He says one of the biggest challenges has been managing all of the unknowns that come with a new virus, especially as guidelines continue to evolve. With new learning from the scientific community, come new disruptions to the workflow. In addition to a whirlwind of activity attending to patients and training healthcare providers on updated guidelines, he is constantly having to slow down to wear his personal protective equipment. In those moments, Dr Najmuddin reminds himself about the importance of being patient, collaborative, and consultative. The disruption also occurs at home, where he continues to wear a mask to protect his family from exposure.
Yet, Dr Najmuddin considers himself fortunate to be able to serve as part of the US and Texas critical care workforce, not only because it’s what he signed up for when he chose to be a doctor, but also because it means he can serve his community and his Jamat by helping them gain new knowledge and insight about coronavirus.
“Don't live in panic, as stress may suppress your immunity and put you at higher risk for infections. Eat a diet comprising fruits and vegetables, which can help you fight infections,” he said. “Use this time to sit back and reflect on things that we take for granted in our usual busy lives. Read a book, talk to your family, use technology to your advantage and connect with loved ones.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... -najmuddin
Healthcare Hero - Dr Mehreen Sadruddin Datoo
Healthcare Heroes is a series aimed at acknowledging the dedication and commitment of healthcare workers. Today's Hero is Dr Mehreen Sadruddin Datoo, who is working on a Covid-19 vaccine programme while also working as an acute medical doctor.
While growing up near Nottingham in the UK, a natural curiosity, an interest in science, and a passion for problem-solving sparked Dr Datoo’s interest in medicine. Then, a personal encounter with an infectious disease — malaria — pushed her to study vaccines that can reduce mortality rates.
Dr Datoo’s maternal family background from Singida and Arusha, Tanzania, and paternal from Stonetown, Zanzibar helped to direct her focus on vulnerable countries. The end result: Mehreen has an MBBS from King’s College London, a diploma from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Oxford, designing and running malaria vaccine clinical trials in Oxford, England; Kilifi, Kenya; and Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
These days, Dr Datoo is working as a clinician on the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine programme, while also serving as an acute medical doctor in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. At the same time, she is working remotely to ensure that her malaria vaccine trials in Burkina Faso are running smoothly.
In what can be trying times, Mehreen reminds herself of a quote from one of her favourite illustrators, Charlie Mackesy: “‘There are dark clouds,’ said the boy. ‘Yes, but they will move on,’ said the horse, ‘the blue sky above never leaves.’”
“Stay home. Stay safe. Let’s beat Covid-19 together: each in our own little way.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... ddin-datoo
Healthcare Heroes is a series aimed at acknowledging the dedication and commitment of healthcare workers. Today's Hero is Dr Mehreen Sadruddin Datoo, who is working on a Covid-19 vaccine programme while also working as an acute medical doctor.
While growing up near Nottingham in the UK, a natural curiosity, an interest in science, and a passion for problem-solving sparked Dr Datoo’s interest in medicine. Then, a personal encounter with an infectious disease — malaria — pushed her to study vaccines that can reduce mortality rates.
Dr Datoo’s maternal family background from Singida and Arusha, Tanzania, and paternal from Stonetown, Zanzibar helped to direct her focus on vulnerable countries. The end result: Mehreen has an MBBS from King’s College London, a diploma from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Oxford, designing and running malaria vaccine clinical trials in Oxford, England; Kilifi, Kenya; and Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
These days, Dr Datoo is working as a clinician on the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine programme, while also serving as an acute medical doctor in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. At the same time, she is working remotely to ensure that her malaria vaccine trials in Burkina Faso are running smoothly.
In what can be trying times, Mehreen reminds herself of a quote from one of her favourite illustrators, Charlie Mackesy: “‘There are dark clouds,’ said the boy. ‘Yes, but they will move on,’ said the horse, ‘the blue sky above never leaves.’”
“Stay home. Stay safe. Let’s beat Covid-19 together: each in our own little way.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... ddin-datoo
Healthcare Hero - Farheen Shamji
Hailing from a family of medical professionals, Farheen’s interest in healthcare was natural. Her mother came from India, and her father from Kenya, both immigrating to and settling in Toronto, where Farheen was raised, attending Unionville Jamatkhana.
After starting nursing school, Farheen knew she had found something that she not only excelled at, but allowed her to serve others. She completed a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Queen's University, and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from York University. Although difficult, Farheen found the profession to be fulfilling and with opportunities for career growth.
These days, Farheen is a Registered Nurse at the Emergency Department of Mackenzie Health Richmond Hill in the Greater Toronto Area. Every day, she interacts with patients as a healthcare worker on the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis. And, while days can be challenging, she promotes the message of calmness, unity, and safety.
Her advice: “Practice good hygiene and infection control such as frequent handwashing, cleaning frequently-touched surfaces, and maintaining distance from others.”
“Stay calm, stay safe, and be mindful of others. We all have a part to play in containing this pandemic, whether it be on the frontlines treating the sick, or at home preventing the spread. Every person's role is important and do not take that responsibility lightly. Protect vulnerable people in society like the elderly and the immunocompromised by being responsible and self-isolating.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... een-shamji
Hailing from a family of medical professionals, Farheen’s interest in healthcare was natural. Her mother came from India, and her father from Kenya, both immigrating to and settling in Toronto, where Farheen was raised, attending Unionville Jamatkhana.
After starting nursing school, Farheen knew she had found something that she not only excelled at, but allowed her to serve others. She completed a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Queen's University, and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from York University. Although difficult, Farheen found the profession to be fulfilling and with opportunities for career growth.
These days, Farheen is a Registered Nurse at the Emergency Department of Mackenzie Health Richmond Hill in the Greater Toronto Area. Every day, she interacts with patients as a healthcare worker on the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis. And, while days can be challenging, she promotes the message of calmness, unity, and safety.
Her advice: “Practice good hygiene and infection control such as frequent handwashing, cleaning frequently-touched surfaces, and maintaining distance from others.”
“Stay calm, stay safe, and be mindful of others. We all have a part to play in containing this pandemic, whether it be on the frontlines treating the sick, or at home preventing the spread. Every person's role is important and do not take that responsibility lightly. Protect vulnerable people in society like the elderly and the immunocompromised by being responsible and self-isolating.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... een-shamji
Healthcare Hero - Sana Adeel Ghaziani
Coming from a family of nurses, Sana grew up seeing nurses as selfless, caring, and compassionate, helping the most vulnerable members of society. Witnessing her sisters’ drive toward nursing continues to inspire Sana and fuels her work daily — especially these days, as she treats Covid-19 patients on the frontline.
Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Sana completed her diploma in nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery. She spent seven years as a registered nurse in the university’s emergency department, gaining valuable experience and expertise that prepared her for a career in emergency medicine. Today, Sana is a registered nurse in the accident and emergency unit at the Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai, UAE.
Like many in healthcare, her day-to-day activities have completely transformed over the last few weeks. Managing fear among patients has been a constant challenge for Sana and her team. Add to that, the crucial task of caring for herself and her colleagues has been difficult, even with adequate personal protective equipment available. For her, it’s been humbling to absorb the fact that a small, microscopic virus has already caused so much loss of life and disruption. She has personally become passionate about the importance of infection control measures and good communication for the public.
Sana has learned a lot from her experience, and is using it to equip herself to not only perform better as these challenges continue, but also to prepare for the future. She believes healthcare systems should always be prepared for pandemics. For her, the critical learning was the role that technology — mobile apps and websites — can play in helping improve communication and knowledge-sharing between healthcare professionals and the public.
“Stay safe, wash your hands frequently, and use protective equipment. Avoid going out of your homes and avoid visiting hospitals unnecessarily to prevent cross contamination. Follow the instructions of the Jamati institutions and the government. Keep yourselves hydrated, and be aware of all signs and symptoms of Covid-19.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... l-ghaziani
*****
Healthcare Hero - Anjeeya Amin
Passion for helping and making the world a better place was ingrained in Anjeeya from an early age by her parents. She was raised to believe that everyone is blessed with a special gift or talent that can be directed toward improving the quality of life of those around us.
Born in Pakistan, and migrating to Auckland, New Zealand at an early age, Anjeeya used her high school years to gain experiences in local hospitals, medical centres, and senior care facilities. She eventually decided that nursing was the career that could align with her passion to help others, and became a registered nurse. She has a Bachelor of Science in nursing, specialising in mental health and palliative care.
Over the last few years, Anjeeya has worked in rehabilitation facilities, surgical wards, hospitals, and private clinics. She was recently selected to serve as the lead nurse on the National Covid-19 Response Taskforce in New Zealand — a country recently praised for its management of the coronavirus crisis. In her role, Anjeeya works with a range of government organisations, including the Border and Customs Special Task Force Unit, the NZ Department of Immigration, and the NZ Ministry of Health.
Anjeeya is also on the frontlines working at the Auckland International Airport to test arriving passengers, supporting drive-thru testing clinics, and engaging with potentially infected patients or those being held in quarantine facilities.
“I strongly believe that you do not have to be a nurse, doctor, or healthcare professional to help during this time. I encourage everyone to help others by self-isolating, sharing, and following your country’s guidelines and taking care of your health.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... jeeya-amin
Coming from a family of nurses, Sana grew up seeing nurses as selfless, caring, and compassionate, helping the most vulnerable members of society. Witnessing her sisters’ drive toward nursing continues to inspire Sana and fuels her work daily — especially these days, as she treats Covid-19 patients on the frontline.
Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Sana completed her diploma in nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery. She spent seven years as a registered nurse in the university’s emergency department, gaining valuable experience and expertise that prepared her for a career in emergency medicine. Today, Sana is a registered nurse in the accident and emergency unit at the Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai, UAE.
Like many in healthcare, her day-to-day activities have completely transformed over the last few weeks. Managing fear among patients has been a constant challenge for Sana and her team. Add to that, the crucial task of caring for herself and her colleagues has been difficult, even with adequate personal protective equipment available. For her, it’s been humbling to absorb the fact that a small, microscopic virus has already caused so much loss of life and disruption. She has personally become passionate about the importance of infection control measures and good communication for the public.
Sana has learned a lot from her experience, and is using it to equip herself to not only perform better as these challenges continue, but also to prepare for the future. She believes healthcare systems should always be prepared for pandemics. For her, the critical learning was the role that technology — mobile apps and websites — can play in helping improve communication and knowledge-sharing between healthcare professionals and the public.
“Stay safe, wash your hands frequently, and use protective equipment. Avoid going out of your homes and avoid visiting hospitals unnecessarily to prevent cross contamination. Follow the instructions of the Jamati institutions and the government. Keep yourselves hydrated, and be aware of all signs and symptoms of Covid-19.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... l-ghaziani
*****
Healthcare Hero - Anjeeya Amin
Passion for helping and making the world a better place was ingrained in Anjeeya from an early age by her parents. She was raised to believe that everyone is blessed with a special gift or talent that can be directed toward improving the quality of life of those around us.
Born in Pakistan, and migrating to Auckland, New Zealand at an early age, Anjeeya used her high school years to gain experiences in local hospitals, medical centres, and senior care facilities. She eventually decided that nursing was the career that could align with her passion to help others, and became a registered nurse. She has a Bachelor of Science in nursing, specialising in mental health and palliative care.
Over the last few years, Anjeeya has worked in rehabilitation facilities, surgical wards, hospitals, and private clinics. She was recently selected to serve as the lead nurse on the National Covid-19 Response Taskforce in New Zealand — a country recently praised for its management of the coronavirus crisis. In her role, Anjeeya works with a range of government organisations, including the Border and Customs Special Task Force Unit, the NZ Department of Immigration, and the NZ Ministry of Health.
Anjeeya is also on the frontlines working at the Auckland International Airport to test arriving passengers, supporting drive-thru testing clinics, and engaging with potentially infected patients or those being held in quarantine facilities.
“I strongly believe that you do not have to be a nurse, doctor, or healthcare professional to help during this time. I encourage everyone to help others by self-isolating, sharing, and following your country’s guidelines and taking care of your health.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... jeeya-amin
Healthcare Hero - Husna Mansoor Ali
Husna Mansoor Ali’s interest in medicine was a direct result of living with and caring for a father with a cardiac condition. Seeing him, and other elderly patients in her Rehmani Garden Jamatkhana community, gave Husna the inspiration to help those in need.
Working as a nursing intern and a registered nurse since 2018 has given Husna a varied experience in the field. From medication administration, family education, patient health assessment, to immediate care, preparing patients for certain procedures, and assessing their emotional needs are some aspects of Husna’s daily life.
Nowadays, Husna is on the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis while working at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, and that presents new challenges. While she has managed patients with infectious diseases in the past, nothing compares to the precautions needed to contain Covid-19. Just the physical toll of changing personal protective equipment between each patient encounter can be grueling. Add to that, Husna has the constant anxiety of not only being exposed herself but also being the reason for exposure for her family and community members.
But, as a nurse, she also sees the other side of the story: patients whose only solace is the communication they have with their nurse. They are the only people that patients can talk to, serving an emotional support role. There are days when Husna spends hours with patients diagnosed with Covid-19, wearing an N95 mask, which makes even breathing a chore. But, she comes out feeling rejuvenated, knowing that she was likely the only person to make her patient smile that day — that helps Husna through most days.
“I advise every member of the Jamat to stay home, and follow precautions. Together, we can change the world. As Mawlana Hazar Imam said, we are a community that welcomes the smile — so keep a smile on your face through the most difficult challenges.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... ansoor-ali
Husna Mansoor Ali’s interest in medicine was a direct result of living with and caring for a father with a cardiac condition. Seeing him, and other elderly patients in her Rehmani Garden Jamatkhana community, gave Husna the inspiration to help those in need.
Working as a nursing intern and a registered nurse since 2018 has given Husna a varied experience in the field. From medication administration, family education, patient health assessment, to immediate care, preparing patients for certain procedures, and assessing their emotional needs are some aspects of Husna’s daily life.
Nowadays, Husna is on the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis while working at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, and that presents new challenges. While she has managed patients with infectious diseases in the past, nothing compares to the precautions needed to contain Covid-19. Just the physical toll of changing personal protective equipment between each patient encounter can be grueling. Add to that, Husna has the constant anxiety of not only being exposed herself but also being the reason for exposure for her family and community members.
But, as a nurse, she also sees the other side of the story: patients whose only solace is the communication they have with their nurse. They are the only people that patients can talk to, serving an emotional support role. There are days when Husna spends hours with patients diagnosed with Covid-19, wearing an N95 mask, which makes even breathing a chore. But, she comes out feeling rejuvenated, knowing that she was likely the only person to make her patient smile that day — that helps Husna through most days.
“I advise every member of the Jamat to stay home, and follow precautions. Together, we can change the world. As Mawlana Hazar Imam said, we are a community that welcomes the smile — so keep a smile on your face through the most difficult challenges.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... ansoor-ali
Healthcare Hero - Amin Sajan
An emergency doctor at Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital and Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, Amin Sajan says many things have changed at work since the onset of Covid-19.
“We’ve undergone extensive training in the wearing of personal protective equipment and how to manage very sick patients in a way to diminish exposure to ourselves and other colleagues,” Dr Sajan said.
Originally from Iringa, Tanzania, Dr Sajan has worked as an emergency doctor in Vancouver since 1998. He grew up in Toronto after his family moved when he was three, then undertook an undergraduate degree at McGill before completing medical school in Toronto.
Dr Sajan, who attends Downtown Jamatkhana in Vancouver, says he doesn’t often feel anxious about the virus while working, but does sometimes worry when he’s not.
“Managing the anxiety in the moment is easier by just focusing on the task at hand,” he explained.
He says hospitals have seen a decrease in non-Covid related cases because people have been told to stay at home and isolate as much as possible.
“Now that our preparation stage is well underway, we want to get the word out that if you feel you need to be seen within the health care system, you should still be coming,” he said.
Dr Sajan also applauds the work of the many unsung heroes during the pandemic.
“It’s important to acknowledge that front-line workers extend to many other aspects of health care delivery, from porters to housekeepers to the people who work in the lab departments and radiology departments,” he said.
“And that extends beyond, to the general community at large: the people who sell us our groceries, and work in our pharmacies, and work in our gas stations. All those folks need appropriate acknowledgement, not just doctors and nurses who tend to be the faces of front-line workers.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... amin-sajan
An emergency doctor at Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital and Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, Amin Sajan says many things have changed at work since the onset of Covid-19.
“We’ve undergone extensive training in the wearing of personal protective equipment and how to manage very sick patients in a way to diminish exposure to ourselves and other colleagues,” Dr Sajan said.
Originally from Iringa, Tanzania, Dr Sajan has worked as an emergency doctor in Vancouver since 1998. He grew up in Toronto after his family moved when he was three, then undertook an undergraduate degree at McGill before completing medical school in Toronto.
Dr Sajan, who attends Downtown Jamatkhana in Vancouver, says he doesn’t often feel anxious about the virus while working, but does sometimes worry when he’s not.
“Managing the anxiety in the moment is easier by just focusing on the task at hand,” he explained.
He says hospitals have seen a decrease in non-Covid related cases because people have been told to stay at home and isolate as much as possible.
“Now that our preparation stage is well underway, we want to get the word out that if you feel you need to be seen within the health care system, you should still be coming,” he said.
Dr Sajan also applauds the work of the many unsung heroes during the pandemic.
“It’s important to acknowledge that front-line workers extend to many other aspects of health care delivery, from porters to housekeepers to the people who work in the lab departments and radiology departments,” he said.
“And that extends beyond, to the general community at large: the people who sell us our groceries, and work in our pharmacies, and work in our gas stations. All those folks need appropriate acknowledgement, not just doctors and nurses who tend to be the faces of front-line workers.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... amin-sajan
Healthcare Heroes
Healthcare Hero - Tasreen Keshavjee
8 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Dr Shehryar Khaliqdina
7 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Sehrish Ayaz Hussain
6 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Saleena Gulamhussein
4 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Dr Samina Somji
1 May 2020
Healthcare Heroes - Aliya and Sameer Hirji
28 April 2020
Photos and more...
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-heroes
Healthcare Hero - Tasreen Keshavjee
8 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Dr Shehryar Khaliqdina
7 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Sehrish Ayaz Hussain
6 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Saleena Gulamhussein
4 May 2020
Healthcare Hero - Dr Samina Somji
1 May 2020
Healthcare Heroes - Aliya and Sameer Hirji
28 April 2020
Photos and more...
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-heroes
https://jamestown.org/program/tajikista ... an-border/
Tajikistan Struggles to Integrate Ismaili Pamiris Living Along Afghan Border
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 17 Issue: 60
By: Paul Goble
April 30, 2020 05:45 PM
Eastern Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region—comprising more than half of the historical mountainous region of Badakhshan, which it shares with northern Afghanistan—is one of the most isolated, impoverished and unsettled places in Central Asia. Gorno-Badakhshan was a center of resistance to Dushanbe during the civil war in the 1990s, and the central government has since worked hard to try to bring it to heel, alternating threats of a military crackdown with expanded economic assistance (see EDM, October 18, 2018; Ozodandishon, October 23, 2018). Dushanbe adopted this strategy in part to limit the influx of influence from its southern neighbors, fearful that they could trigger a local secessionist threat. But it has faced obstacles other than geography, economics and the porosity of the Tajikistani-Afghan border: namely, the population of Gorno-Badakhshan is incredibly ethnically and religiously diverse. Its people are not only divided between Tajiks, Kyrgyz and Pamiris but also between Sunni Muslims and the Ismailis—locally, the religious majority, whose members follow the Aga Khan but who view themselves and are perceived by others as part of the Shia Islam tradition, centered on Iran.
The demographic and socio-political situation in eastern Tajikistan is particularly complex because the region’s ethnic and religious cleavages do not perfectly coincide, and the Pamiris, who form a majority of Gorno-Badakhshan’s 200,000 people, have historically looked to Shia Iran despite their specifically Ismaili religious orientation. Consequently, Dushanbe has stepped up its efforts to integrate the Ismailis into Tajik society lest they become a Trojan horse for outside influences, Afghani or Iranian. To date, the central government has not achieved much in its campaign to encourage a common Tajikistani identity regardless of religion by, for example, promoting intermarriage; but it has managed to foster tolerance to the point that the two groups recognize each other’s religion as legitimately Islamic, allow children of the few mixed marriages to freely choose their faith and, perhaps most importantly, bury their dead in the same cemeteries (Cabar.asia, April 24).
The authorities have had this success because Soviet anti-religious policies mean that even today, the Pamiri Ismailis, like their Sunni Tajik and Kyrgyz neighbors, are not actually particularly religious in their everyday lives. Issues of belief that might divide people elsewhere matter little to most locals, who do not know the details of their faith especially well; as a result, there has been far less religious conflict compared to the number and size of ethnic disputes, a pattern that has helped convince Dushanbe that working to integrate the Ismailis has a good chance of success at least at present (Cabar.asia, April 24). The government’s actions now may also reflect fears that the Internet, which has finally begun to penetrate the area, could increase religious awareness and thus the salience of religious divides that might ultimately be exploited by antagonistic groups in Afghanistan and Iran.
But another reason for this integration drive is that earlier efforts to isolate the Ismailis of Gorno-Badakhshan did not work. Indeed, they may have made the Aga Khan even more popular than he was earlier. On his first visit to the region in 1995, he was welcomed by the population. But in the years since, the Ismaili leader has had to walk a fine line between supporting his followers, who often have taken part in anti-Dushanbe resistance, and preserving his access to them. On the one hand, the Aga Khan’s generous aid projects are collectively the largest single employer in Gorno-Badakhshan; but on the other hand, he continues to depend on the good graces of officials in the national capital to continue his operations (Al Jazeera, August 31, 2013). While Tajikistan, itself one of the poorest countries in the region, cannot afford to cut off the Aga Khan’s largesse, it certainly does not want to see the rise of Ismaili identity overwhelm a loyalty to the state.
How much of a danger do the Ismailis in Gorno-Badakhshan present now and in the future? That depends on how successful Tajikistan’s authorities are in promoting a common Tajikistani political identity among them. If Dushanbe succeeds, neither the Afghans nor the Iranians are likely to be able to use the Pamiri Ismailis against Tajikistan. But if in promoting tolerance, the government also allows the Pamir Ismailis to increase their attachment to their distinctive faith, two possible challenges may arise.
First, the Ismaili faith could turn out to be the basis for strengthening a cross-border identity among the Pamiris—which Afghan Islamists would likely be in a position to exploit. Indeed, at least some groups in Afghanistan would see the heightened religious faith of people who live on both sides of the border as the basis for an irredentist or separatist challenge.
Second, there is the risk that intensified Ismailism among the Pamiris could turn out to be a bridge to Shiism, with its adherents ultimately deciding that their basic religious and thus political identity lies with Shia Islam and Iran. While ethnic Tajiks speak a language closely related to Persian—so similar that they often use the same textbooks in schools—Tajik identity is ultimately linked to Sunni Islam. Indeed, that is the main dividing line between them and the Iranians. If the Pamiri Ismailis do move in the direction of Shiism, such a shift could give Iran an opening and threaten the territorial integrity of Tajikistan, even though the Pamirs are not directly opposite the Iranian border.
Consequently, what may seem to be a minor issue in a distant place could become a geopolitical flashpoint in the future.
Tajikistan Struggles to Integrate Ismaili Pamiris Living Along Afghan Border
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 17 Issue: 60
By: Paul Goble
April 30, 2020 05:45 PM
Eastern Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region—comprising more than half of the historical mountainous region of Badakhshan, which it shares with northern Afghanistan—is one of the most isolated, impoverished and unsettled places in Central Asia. Gorno-Badakhshan was a center of resistance to Dushanbe during the civil war in the 1990s, and the central government has since worked hard to try to bring it to heel, alternating threats of a military crackdown with expanded economic assistance (see EDM, October 18, 2018; Ozodandishon, October 23, 2018). Dushanbe adopted this strategy in part to limit the influx of influence from its southern neighbors, fearful that they could trigger a local secessionist threat. But it has faced obstacles other than geography, economics and the porosity of the Tajikistani-Afghan border: namely, the population of Gorno-Badakhshan is incredibly ethnically and religiously diverse. Its people are not only divided between Tajiks, Kyrgyz and Pamiris but also between Sunni Muslims and the Ismailis—locally, the religious majority, whose members follow the Aga Khan but who view themselves and are perceived by others as part of the Shia Islam tradition, centered on Iran.
The demographic and socio-political situation in eastern Tajikistan is particularly complex because the region’s ethnic and religious cleavages do not perfectly coincide, and the Pamiris, who form a majority of Gorno-Badakhshan’s 200,000 people, have historically looked to Shia Iran despite their specifically Ismaili religious orientation. Consequently, Dushanbe has stepped up its efforts to integrate the Ismailis into Tajik society lest they become a Trojan horse for outside influences, Afghani or Iranian. To date, the central government has not achieved much in its campaign to encourage a common Tajikistani identity regardless of religion by, for example, promoting intermarriage; but it has managed to foster tolerance to the point that the two groups recognize each other’s religion as legitimately Islamic, allow children of the few mixed marriages to freely choose their faith and, perhaps most importantly, bury their dead in the same cemeteries (Cabar.asia, April 24).
The authorities have had this success because Soviet anti-religious policies mean that even today, the Pamiri Ismailis, like their Sunni Tajik and Kyrgyz neighbors, are not actually particularly religious in their everyday lives. Issues of belief that might divide people elsewhere matter little to most locals, who do not know the details of their faith especially well; as a result, there has been far less religious conflict compared to the number and size of ethnic disputes, a pattern that has helped convince Dushanbe that working to integrate the Ismailis has a good chance of success at least at present (Cabar.asia, April 24). The government’s actions now may also reflect fears that the Internet, which has finally begun to penetrate the area, could increase religious awareness and thus the salience of religious divides that might ultimately be exploited by antagonistic groups in Afghanistan and Iran.
But another reason for this integration drive is that earlier efforts to isolate the Ismailis of Gorno-Badakhshan did not work. Indeed, they may have made the Aga Khan even more popular than he was earlier. On his first visit to the region in 1995, he was welcomed by the population. But in the years since, the Ismaili leader has had to walk a fine line between supporting his followers, who often have taken part in anti-Dushanbe resistance, and preserving his access to them. On the one hand, the Aga Khan’s generous aid projects are collectively the largest single employer in Gorno-Badakhshan; but on the other hand, he continues to depend on the good graces of officials in the national capital to continue his operations (Al Jazeera, August 31, 2013). While Tajikistan, itself one of the poorest countries in the region, cannot afford to cut off the Aga Khan’s largesse, it certainly does not want to see the rise of Ismaili identity overwhelm a loyalty to the state.
How much of a danger do the Ismailis in Gorno-Badakhshan present now and in the future? That depends on how successful Tajikistan’s authorities are in promoting a common Tajikistani political identity among them. If Dushanbe succeeds, neither the Afghans nor the Iranians are likely to be able to use the Pamiri Ismailis against Tajikistan. But if in promoting tolerance, the government also allows the Pamir Ismailis to increase their attachment to their distinctive faith, two possible challenges may arise.
First, the Ismaili faith could turn out to be the basis for strengthening a cross-border identity among the Pamiris—which Afghan Islamists would likely be in a position to exploit. Indeed, at least some groups in Afghanistan would see the heightened religious faith of people who live on both sides of the border as the basis for an irredentist or separatist challenge.
Second, there is the risk that intensified Ismailism among the Pamiris could turn out to be a bridge to Shiism, with its adherents ultimately deciding that their basic religious and thus political identity lies with Shia Islam and Iran. While ethnic Tajiks speak a language closely related to Persian—so similar that they often use the same textbooks in schools—Tajik identity is ultimately linked to Sunni Islam. Indeed, that is the main dividing line between them and the Iranians. If the Pamiri Ismailis do move in the direction of Shiism, such a shift could give Iran an opening and threaten the territorial integrity of Tajikistan, even though the Pamirs are not directly opposite the Iranian border.
Consequently, what may seem to be a minor issue in a distant place could become a geopolitical flashpoint in the future.
Samira Kabani: COVID-19 - Courage and compassion on the frontlines
Samira Kabani, a nurse manager at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, was one of the key team members behind the launch of 24/7 services for coronavirus patients.
In these uncertain times, she is always on the move as she coordinates the care of patients provided by over 50 on-campus and off-campus nurses. The marks from her tight-fitting protective mask are etched on her skin but she remains committed to providing compassionate care to all her patients.
“As soon as we received Pakistan’s first COVID-19 patient in February, I along with my other nursing colleagues built a set of tools – algorithms with defined testing criteria – for the admission and management of suspected and confirmed patients,” she said, while describing the system that helps track the progress of all patients under her care.
When Samira informed her staff about the need for a new system and for changes to be made to provide round-the-clock services to COVID-19 patients, she feared that they had feel worn out by the task. Instead, they rose to the challenge as they learnt how to operate the new patient system, worked in close coordination with colleagues from other departments, and donned layers of personal protective equipment to keep themselves and others safe while caring for potentially contagious patients.
"We knew it [was] not going to be easy and it [would] only get tougher. But we will get through this and we will help as many patients and their families as we can,” says Samira, an alumna of the AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Photos and more...
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/samira ... frontlines
Samira Kabani, a nurse manager at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, was one of the key team members behind the launch of 24/7 services for coronavirus patients.
In these uncertain times, she is always on the move as she coordinates the care of patients provided by over 50 on-campus and off-campus nurses. The marks from her tight-fitting protective mask are etched on her skin but she remains committed to providing compassionate care to all her patients.
“As soon as we received Pakistan’s first COVID-19 patient in February, I along with my other nursing colleagues built a set of tools – algorithms with defined testing criteria – for the admission and management of suspected and confirmed patients,” she said, while describing the system that helps track the progress of all patients under her care.
When Samira informed her staff about the need for a new system and for changes to be made to provide round-the-clock services to COVID-19 patients, she feared that they had feel worn out by the task. Instead, they rose to the challenge as they learnt how to operate the new patient system, worked in close coordination with colleagues from other departments, and donned layers of personal protective equipment to keep themselves and others safe while caring for potentially contagious patients.
"We knew it [was] not going to be easy and it [would] only get tougher. But we will get through this and we will help as many patients and their families as we can,” says Samira, an alumna of the AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Photos and more...
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/samira ... frontlines
Dr. Ali Asani Receives Harvard Foundation Faculty of the Year Award
From the Harvard Foundation:
Ali Asani is the Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures in the Committee on the Study of Religion and Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. The Foundation honors Professor Asani with the Faculty of the Year Award for his work chairing the Dean's Working Group on Symbols and Spaces of Engagement. The Working Group included a mix of faculty, administrators, and students and was charged with examining how Harvard's spaces, symbols, and programming advance an inclusive learning environment.
The Foundation recognizes and appreciates Professor Asani's tireless efforts to include students as thought partners and to proactively seek out student voices in every step of this year-long process. For all of the time, patience, generosity, and love that Dr. Asani poured into this work, we honor him with the 2020 Harvard Foundation Faculty of the Year Award.
https://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/dr-ali-asa ... year-award
From the Harvard Foundation:
Ali Asani is the Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures in the Committee on the Study of Religion and Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. The Foundation honors Professor Asani with the Faculty of the Year Award for his work chairing the Dean's Working Group on Symbols and Spaces of Engagement. The Working Group included a mix of faculty, administrators, and students and was charged with examining how Harvard's spaces, symbols, and programming advance an inclusive learning environment.
The Foundation recognizes and appreciates Professor Asani's tireless efforts to include students as thought partners and to proactively seek out student voices in every step of this year-long process. For all of the time, patience, generosity, and love that Dr. Asani poured into this work, we honor him with the 2020 Harvard Foundation Faculty of the Year Award.
https://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/dr-ali-asa ... year-award
Tajikistan: Arrests spark fresh unrest in Pamirs 2020-05-27
https://eurasianet.org/tajikistan-arres ... -in-pamirs
Tajikistan: Arrests spark fresh unrest in Pamirs
Government troops are rumored to have been dispatched to quell the trouble.
May 27, 2020
A street in Rushan, seen in 2016. (Photo: Hans Birger Nilsen/ Flickr) A street in Rushan, seen in 2016. (Photo: Hans Birger Nilsen/ Flickr)
While the government in Tajikistan continues to battle its coronavirus outbreak, it is being forced to contend with grumblings of public discontent in its sometimes-restive Pamirs.
Hundreds of residents in Rushan, a mountain town about 10 hours’ worth of arduous driving east of the capital, Dushanbe, emerged onto the streets and gathered before the local security service headquarters on May 25 in an unusual show of defiance. Government forces reportedly fired shots in the air, but the crowd refused to be cowed.
Rumors circulated on social media early on May 27 that Interior Ministry special troops had been sent to the area to quell any possible unrest, although Eurasianet’s contacts in Rushan had reported seeing no such reinforcements as of midday.
Rushan map
The trouble appears to have begun on May 22, when officers with the State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, executed an operation to detain a Rushan resident, Sharof Qobilov, who is suspected by the authorities of drug-smuggling and leading an organized criminal group. Officials accuse Qobilov of trafficking narcotics from across the border in Afghanistan.
According to an account by Khovar state news agency, that was not even the first attempt to capture Qobilov. A previous operation ended with Qobilov managing to flee to an unknown location, although two accomplices transporting a large consignment of drugs were purportedly captured. There is no way of independently verifying any such information, however, and Khovar is notoriously economic with the truth.
The rally that occurred on May 25 was described by Prague-based Akhbor news website as a local community protest to demand the release of people arrested with Qobilov.
The circumstances leading up to and following Qobilov’s arrest on May 22 are hazy. According to Akhbor, three young men who were with Qobilov when plainclothes GKNB tracked him down intervened to resist the arrest. Two ended up being detained, but one reportedly managed to get away.
When a crowd assembled outside the local GKNB premises three days later, on May 25, agents reacted by trying to take Qobilov’s two fellow detainees from their cells to a nearby, better-guarded border service garrison. The crowd surrounded the prisoner transport van and freed the men, according to Eurasianet’s eyewitness source in Rushan. Akhbor cited its sources as saying the men subsequently claimed they had been tortured into giving a confession.
As of May 27, the standoff persists, which may account for the rumored dispatch of reinforcements.
“All of Rushan is mobilized and people have started coming in from different areas of the Pamirs. The people want to resist and will not give up their people,” Eurasianet’s source said.
In a policy being linked to the coronavirus outbreak, authorities in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, or GBAO, on May 26 announced that they were banning the movement of people from other areas of GBAO to the regional capital, Khorog, which is about 65 kilometers south of Rushan. Golib Niyatbekov, a spokesman for the head of GBAO, who is a presidential appointee, said these restrictive measures would remain in force for 10 days.
This episode marks only the latest in a long series of confrontations between the population of the Pamirs and the central government in Tajikistan.
The last serious swell of unrest came in 2018. In the middle of September that year, President Emomali Rahmon vowed to round up a group of figures that he said were responsible for a climate of unbridled criminality in the area.
In the weeks that followed, the government mounted a security sweep nominally intended to pursue smugglers and drug traffickers, but which local people believe was an attempt to solidify Dushanbe’s writ and quash the nearly wholly extinguished remnants of autonomy in the region.
Understanding the dynamics of events in GBAO requires untangling the mesh of relations between crime, power and politics. The fact that individuals euphemistically referred to as GBAO’s “informal leaders” are involved in unlawful business activities is in little doubt. Such people nonetheless enjoy considerable levels of authority and respect, however, not least as they represent an alternative point of reference to the deeply distrusted central government. Memories of intense hardship during the civil war of the 1990s, when armed groups from the Pamirs allied themselves with the losing side, remain vivid in the collective imagination.
Claims by the government to be combating criminality therefore tell only half the story. It is not drug-smuggling that is the priority – the bulk of this happens, in any event, elsewhere along the Afghan border – but rather the need to stamp out challenges to Dushanbe’s dominance.
The flare-up that began in 2018 eventually died down when President Emomali Rahmon appointed Yodgor Faizov, who had for some years headed the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan, as GBAO chairman. Faizov is well-liked and respected in the Pamirs, in large part as he has, unlike many officials in Tajikistan, striven to maintain close contact with the population and often attends festivities for weddings of local residents. At the same time, he has in the past evinced irritation and frustration at the role played by “informal leaders.”
Tajikistan: Arrests spark fresh unrest in Pamirs
Government troops are rumored to have been dispatched to quell the trouble.
May 27, 2020
A street in Rushan, seen in 2016. (Photo: Hans Birger Nilsen/ Flickr) A street in Rushan, seen in 2016. (Photo: Hans Birger Nilsen/ Flickr)
While the government in Tajikistan continues to battle its coronavirus outbreak, it is being forced to contend with grumblings of public discontent in its sometimes-restive Pamirs.
Hundreds of residents in Rushan, a mountain town about 10 hours’ worth of arduous driving east of the capital, Dushanbe, emerged onto the streets and gathered before the local security service headquarters on May 25 in an unusual show of defiance. Government forces reportedly fired shots in the air, but the crowd refused to be cowed.
Rumors circulated on social media early on May 27 that Interior Ministry special troops had been sent to the area to quell any possible unrest, although Eurasianet’s contacts in Rushan had reported seeing no such reinforcements as of midday.
Rushan map
The trouble appears to have begun on May 22, when officers with the State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, executed an operation to detain a Rushan resident, Sharof Qobilov, who is suspected by the authorities of drug-smuggling and leading an organized criminal group. Officials accuse Qobilov of trafficking narcotics from across the border in Afghanistan.
According to an account by Khovar state news agency, that was not even the first attempt to capture Qobilov. A previous operation ended with Qobilov managing to flee to an unknown location, although two accomplices transporting a large consignment of drugs were purportedly captured. There is no way of independently verifying any such information, however, and Khovar is notoriously economic with the truth.
The rally that occurred on May 25 was described by Prague-based Akhbor news website as a local community protest to demand the release of people arrested with Qobilov.
The circumstances leading up to and following Qobilov’s arrest on May 22 are hazy. According to Akhbor, three young men who were with Qobilov when plainclothes GKNB tracked him down intervened to resist the arrest. Two ended up being detained, but one reportedly managed to get away.
When a crowd assembled outside the local GKNB premises three days later, on May 25, agents reacted by trying to take Qobilov’s two fellow detainees from their cells to a nearby, better-guarded border service garrison. The crowd surrounded the prisoner transport van and freed the men, according to Eurasianet’s eyewitness source in Rushan. Akhbor cited its sources as saying the men subsequently claimed they had been tortured into giving a confession.
As of May 27, the standoff persists, which may account for the rumored dispatch of reinforcements.
“All of Rushan is mobilized and people have started coming in from different areas of the Pamirs. The people want to resist and will not give up their people,” Eurasianet’s source said.
In a policy being linked to the coronavirus outbreak, authorities in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, or GBAO, on May 26 announced that they were banning the movement of people from other areas of GBAO to the regional capital, Khorog, which is about 65 kilometers south of Rushan. Golib Niyatbekov, a spokesman for the head of GBAO, who is a presidential appointee, said these restrictive measures would remain in force for 10 days.
This episode marks only the latest in a long series of confrontations between the population of the Pamirs and the central government in Tajikistan.
The last serious swell of unrest came in 2018. In the middle of September that year, President Emomali Rahmon vowed to round up a group of figures that he said were responsible for a climate of unbridled criminality in the area.
In the weeks that followed, the government mounted a security sweep nominally intended to pursue smugglers and drug traffickers, but which local people believe was an attempt to solidify Dushanbe’s writ and quash the nearly wholly extinguished remnants of autonomy in the region.
Understanding the dynamics of events in GBAO requires untangling the mesh of relations between crime, power and politics. The fact that individuals euphemistically referred to as GBAO’s “informal leaders” are involved in unlawful business activities is in little doubt. Such people nonetheless enjoy considerable levels of authority and respect, however, not least as they represent an alternative point of reference to the deeply distrusted central government. Memories of intense hardship during the civil war of the 1990s, when armed groups from the Pamirs allied themselves with the losing side, remain vivid in the collective imagination.
Claims by the government to be combating criminality therefore tell only half the story. It is not drug-smuggling that is the priority – the bulk of this happens, in any event, elsewhere along the Afghan border – but rather the need to stamp out challenges to Dushanbe’s dominance.
The flare-up that began in 2018 eventually died down when President Emomali Rahmon appointed Yodgor Faizov, who had for some years headed the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan, as GBAO chairman. Faizov is well-liked and respected in the Pamirs, in large part as he has, unlike many officials in Tajikistan, striven to maintain close contact with the population and often attends festivities for weddings of local residents. At the same time, he has in the past evinced irritation and frustration at the role played by “informal leaders.”
Burnaby students top French public speaking contest
A Burnaby French immersion student ready to tackle tough social issues has won first place in a provincial public speaking competition for the second year in a row.
Last year, Moscrop Secondary’s Sarra Pirmohamed took top spot in the Grade 9 French immersion category of the Canadian Parents for French Concours d’art oratoire with a speech about the fentanyl crisis.
More...
https://www.burnabynow.com/news/educati ... 1.23307346
A Burnaby French immersion student ready to tackle tough social issues has won first place in a provincial public speaking competition for the second year in a row.
Last year, Moscrop Secondary’s Sarra Pirmohamed took top spot in the Grade 9 French immersion category of the Canadian Parents for French Concours d’art oratoire with a speech about the fentanyl crisis.
More...
https://www.burnabynow.com/news/educati ... 1.23307346
Setting a Benchmark in O Level Examinations
As Charles Darwin once said, “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” Cambridge O Level is an internationally recognised qualification that provides learners with excellent preparation for Cambridge Advanced, as well as other progression routes. Illiyun Banani, a 17-year-old Ismaili student from St. Michael’s Convent School, located in Karachi, secured an A* in his Cambridge International Examinations in Physics. He was also acknowledged as the top student from the region of Sindh and Balochistan. In total, he secured 10 A* and 1 A in CIE. He aspires to become an expert in the field of medicine.
Illiyun has remained a position holder for the past eight years. Dedicating his achievements to his parents, he remarked, “My parents have always emphasised on the importance of hard work and constantly reminded me that it will someday pay off. The milestone which I have achieved is a result of diligence and consistent efforts to improve.”
To celebrate the achievements of the students, the CIE organises the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards every year. These awards are announced to identify those students, who under the CIE, have appeared for the competitive examinations and additionally scored the highest marks in any of the subjects.
Inspiring the youth, Illiyun stated, “I would like to encourage students who are undergoing the process of education that with determination, persistence and the will to succeed, there is no triumph which cannot be attained.”
An awards ceremony was held in November 2019 at the Karachi Marriott Hotel to honour the 80 winners of the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards in Sindh and Balochistan. Of those 80 students, six attained the highest marks in the world in a Cambridge exam, along with 20 students that obtained the highest marks in Pakistan in a single subject.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/news/ismai ... aminations
As Charles Darwin once said, “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” Cambridge O Level is an internationally recognised qualification that provides learners with excellent preparation for Cambridge Advanced, as well as other progression routes. Illiyun Banani, a 17-year-old Ismaili student from St. Michael’s Convent School, located in Karachi, secured an A* in his Cambridge International Examinations in Physics. He was also acknowledged as the top student from the region of Sindh and Balochistan. In total, he secured 10 A* and 1 A in CIE. He aspires to become an expert in the field of medicine.
Illiyun has remained a position holder for the past eight years. Dedicating his achievements to his parents, he remarked, “My parents have always emphasised on the importance of hard work and constantly reminded me that it will someday pay off. The milestone which I have achieved is a result of diligence and consistent efforts to improve.”
To celebrate the achievements of the students, the CIE organises the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards every year. These awards are announced to identify those students, who under the CIE, have appeared for the competitive examinations and additionally scored the highest marks in any of the subjects.
Inspiring the youth, Illiyun stated, “I would like to encourage students who are undergoing the process of education that with determination, persistence and the will to succeed, there is no triumph which cannot be attained.”
An awards ceremony was held in November 2019 at the Karachi Marriott Hotel to honour the 80 winners of the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards in Sindh and Balochistan. Of those 80 students, six attained the highest marks in the world in a Cambridge exam, along with 20 students that obtained the highest marks in Pakistan in a single subject.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/news/ismai ... aminations
Healthcare Hero - Dr Rano Amirbekova
Dr Rano Amirbekova has dreamt of becoming a doctor since the age of seven, a dream that only grew more passionate when her grandmother passed away. At the age of 25, she is at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 in Moscow, Russia.
“In my opinion, doctors are the hands of God who help humanity when they need it,” said Dr Amirbekova, who has been a practicing physician for almost two years.
A general practitioner, she is currently working on the coronavirus team, tasked with identifying patients with Covid-19, monitoring their condition, and deciding whether to hospitalise them.
Originally from Khorog, Tajikistan, Dr Amirbekova moved to Moscow in 2004, pursued her education, and entered the medical faculty of the First Moscow State Medical University in 2012, graduating in 2018.
“I am happy that I can serve humanity, and have no regrets that I became a doctor,” she said of her choice of career.
“I would like to emphasize the efficiency of self-isolation,” said Dr Amirbekova. “true discipline is half of the success of fighting viruses. What is extremely necessary is keeping your houses safe.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... amirbekova
Dr Rano Amirbekova has dreamt of becoming a doctor since the age of seven, a dream that only grew more passionate when her grandmother passed away. At the age of 25, she is at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 in Moscow, Russia.
“In my opinion, doctors are the hands of God who help humanity when they need it,” said Dr Amirbekova, who has been a practicing physician for almost two years.
A general practitioner, she is currently working on the coronavirus team, tasked with identifying patients with Covid-19, monitoring their condition, and deciding whether to hospitalise them.
Originally from Khorog, Tajikistan, Dr Amirbekova moved to Moscow in 2004, pursued her education, and entered the medical faculty of the First Moscow State Medical University in 2012, graduating in 2018.
“I am happy that I can serve humanity, and have no regrets that I became a doctor,” she said of her choice of career.
“I would like to emphasize the efficiency of self-isolation,” said Dr Amirbekova. “true discipline is half of the success of fighting viruses. What is extremely necessary is keeping your houses safe.”
https://the.ismaili/global/healthcare-h ... amirbekova