IRAN - September 18 2005- by COUMBA DIOP
"The Ethics of Islam guides all my activity"
At the same time spiritual head, patron, businessman and philanthropist, the hereditary 49e imam of the Shiites ismaéliens devotes his time and its fortune to the improvement of the living conditions of the underprivileged populations. The network of caritatives institutions that it directs acts in Asia and on the entire continent. Interview.
The spiritual head of the Islamic community ismaélienne is not easy to meet. Always between two planes, His Highness Karim Aga Khan traverses the world while carrying the torch of his group of institutions: Aga Khan Development Network. The mission of the AKDN consists in improving the living conditions of the underprivileged populations and helping the developing countries to take their rise. The Trust Aga Khan for the culture supervises the restoration of the Large Mosque of Mopti. In visit in Mali to follow the projection of work, the prince carries out a kind of return to the sources on the continent. Born in 1936 in Geneva, from the union of Aly Khan and the Tajudaulah princess, girl of an English Lord, prince Karim, who will celebrate his 69 years in December, indeed passed his early childhood in Kenya. After his studies in Switzerland he enters to the university of Harvard (the United States) where he obtains an Islamic diploma of history. Direct descendant of the Mohammed prophet by his cousin and son-in-law Ali, first imam, and his wife Fatima, daughter of the prophet, Karim succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mohammed Shah Aga Khan in 1957. He became at only 20 years the hereditary forty-ninth imam of the Shiites ismaéliens. A function of spiritual guide (imamat), which was transmitted, by hereditary way.
As a person in charge and a supreme authority of the community, Aga Khan has the duty to help "all ismaélien in the world which is in the sorrow". Since its accession with the imamat, He did not cease being concerned with wellbeing of the whole of the Moslems and does not spare its efforts to support their access to knowledge. He manages an immense fortune, which is not useful, that within the strict framework of the objectives of the institution: rehabilitation and modernization of agriculture, the school systems and medical, financial support for the populations and the companies, etc. A load, which makes run this father of four children to the four corners of the world. Impassioned equestrian sports, Aga Khan, whose life resembles a race against the clock, however takes time to express its convictions of a soft voice and calms. Meet with a philanthropist who made to fight against poverty his war-horse.
Intelligent Afrique/l' young person: Does your Highness, how to remain simple when one goes down from the Prophet?
Karim Aga Khan: [Laughter.] He himself {Prophet Mohammed} was a simple man. It thus should be taken in example. I think that, in Islam, one seeks simplicity and not glory.
J.A.I.: How to define the role, which is yours? What dominates: the spiritual head, the patron, the philanthropist or the businessman?
K.A.K.: You know, Islam considers the action in all its aspects and exceeds the narrow framework of the everyday life. Its ethics guides all my activity, that it is through the institutions that I try to put in place or in interpretations, which I give of the major theological problems. Islam, it is a way for always, today and tomorrow.
J.A.I.: Precisely, you are known to privilege the spirituality and the philosophy of Islam and its faith, which teaches the compassion and the tolerance. What the violence made in particular in Iraq or in London in the name of Islam evokes in you?
K.A.K.: The genesis should initially be included/understood what today does without. In fact, that is there at the origin of all that? An office plurality of frustrations, the feeling to be deceived a very great number of times. In the Christian history, in the Indian history, one would find a multitude of similar drifts, where truths responsible for violence are not the religions, but political competitions. Then let us avoid mingling the name with Islam with conflicts, which concern of another kind.
J.A.I.: If not, what makes run Aga Khan?
K.A.K.: [Laughter.] At the 20 years age, I inherited a function, an institution that I try to reinforce, to ensure the wellbeing of the ismaéliens Shiites and the populations among which they live. Since 1957, this institution gave itself the means of acting and, for that, was equipped with various organizations, among which the Network Aga Khan of development. But, confronted with new needs, it evolves/moves unceasingly and adapts its structures. For example, we recently created an agency, Focus Humanitarian Assistance, to react to the crises or to anticipate them.
J.A.I.: In February, a new institution, the Agency Aga Khan for the microfinance, was created to make it possible the vulnerable populations to reach the credit. Do you believe that it is, at the present time, the most effective means to fight against economic and social exclusion?
K.A.K.: The best, I will keep myself to affirm it, but undoubtedly one of best, because the micro credit offers flexibility much larger than any traditional financing. Its formulas allow the poor communities, their institutions, the village organizations or women to carry out the projects, which are due to them in heart. It contributes to the cultural life by financing new demonstrations or by supporting those, which already exist. It is with the obviousness a remarkable vector of development, and twenty-two countries are given our aid in this key sector.
J.A.I.: The microfinance does it meet the Islamic banking standards, since this religion rejects the loan with interest?
K.A.K.: I am not entitled to speak about the microfinance such as other organizations practice it. In our case, the interest required corresponds only to the cost of management. We do not carry out any benefit and let us not declare any dividend with shareholders or others.
J.A.I.: The Foundation Aga Khan brings a financial and technical assistance to the projects implemented mainly in Asia and Africa. Can you speak to us about your engagement on the continent?
K.A.K.: When my grandfather died in 1957, of significant communities ismaéliennes had been established in Kenya, in old Tanganyika, in Uganda, in Zanzibar, in Mozambique, in Madagascar and Belgian Congo of the time. Per hour of African independences, presidents Senghor and Houphouët-Boigny requested my assistance. We were thus established in Côte.d'ivoire and, from there, our institutions radiated in West Africa. At the time, our initiative was on an exclusively economic ground, contrary to the Network Aga Khan, which privileges the social one, the culture and extends its activities to Mali, Burkina and, soon, other countries. This new approach enables us to establish a certain balance between Western Africa, handicapped up to now, and Eastern Africa, where we have a wide-area network of schools, hospital, etc.
J.A.I.: Your actions are interested more in the East Africa, seems to me it. Is this due to the fact that you grew in Kenya?
K.A.K.: Not, at all. A historical phenomenon is not explained. It should not be forgotten that a population ismaélienne was established in this country as of the years 1800. A great number of the institutions which one finds in Eastern Africa were created by my grandfather.
J.A.I.: What do you think of Kenya of today?
K.A.K.: When I was child, Nairobi was yet only one village and we live with his periphery. Our property was regularly visited by the leopards and the lions and, the evening; we could see the savage animals walking quietly under our windows! [Laughter.] Since, the things changed well, but these memories of childhood remain extraordinary...
J.A.I.: Which contacts do you maintain with the dignitaries the other "branches" of Islam?
K.A.K.: We rather often see ourselves, most of the time about problems specific to the countries where I intervene. Because I defy myself of any overall policy and prefers to stick to reality while reacting to specific situations. That is undoubtedly due to the pluralism of Islam, itself recipient of a plural culture increasingly included/understood and assumed, as well by the Moslems by the no Moslem world. In what concerns us, by vocation and choice, we like to work within this framework, which appears essential to me for the future of humanity.
J.A.I.: Do you smell yourselves nearer to the Shiites than Sunnites?
K.A.K.: Naturally, since the same principle governs our beliefs. However, we work with a great number of communities' Sunnites and we respect ourselves, because we all are of the Moslems. However, if one considers civil war in Afghanistan or situation, which prevails today in Iraq, they are forces often external with human which involves communities, which had lived in peace during centuries, in the spiral of violence.
J.A.I.: What would you like that the future imam retains you?
K.A.K.: You know, my role is only transitory. And, from one imam to another, our first concern, it is the community ismaélienne. The second, it is that the institution has the capacity to act efficiently in the various countries where there are ismaéliens, and near the populations among which they live. However, our expertise in the field of the underdevelopment pushed us to widen our sphere of activity. If it is true that one finds ismaéliens in countries like Kazakhstan, Kurdistan or Tajikistan, there are of it very little in Mali or Burkina, but they are poor countries, Moslem countries. Because Islam requires it, we have a duty and a happiness to intervene to try to improve their quality of life.
J.A.I.: Taken by your multiple activities, you do not cease running of one plane to the other. How do you find the time of you resource?
K.A.K.: When I was younger, I did not make a sport badly, and that remains for me the best means of oxygenating me. In winter, I reserve myself a few weekends of ski, and it sometimes happens to me to leave two or three days at sea to insulate to me a little. I am also interested in the races and the breeding of the thorough-bred, sphere of activity which does not form at all part of the institution and which I inherited in tragic circumstances, since my father died in a car accident. Some of these stud farms were conceived like true parks and constitute harbors of greenery in which I like to withdraw myself, when there are decisions difficult to take.
J.A.I.: If you must go on a deserted island, which are the three objects which you would carry?
K.A.K.: [Laughter.] Oh there there! I can only answer! I would like to be able well to nourish me, to dress me and survive as a long time as possible! And I will take along what to practice my faith.