Ottawa, 27 February 2014 — In a historic visit to Canada, Mawlana Hazar Imam addressed a joint session of Parliament and signed a protocol agreement between the Ismaili Imamat and Canada.

He spoke before the Prime Minister of Canada, Members of Parliament, Senators, and distinguished guests, including members of the Imam’s family, the Ismaili Leaders’ International Forum, AKDN Resident Representatives, and heads of AKDN agencies.

Afterwards Hazar Imam and the Prime Minister proceeded to the Hall of Honour, where they signed a Protocol of Understanding that solidifies the important partnership that the Imamat has developed with Canada over nearly five decades.

Ottawa, Canada, 27 February 2014 — His Highness the Aga Khan today praised Canada’s efforts to reduce instability across the world and emphasized the role of strong civil society, education and good governance in fostering development of societies and in mitigating conflict.

The Aga Khan made the remarks in a historic address to a joint session of parliament at the invitation of the Right Honorable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.

The 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims and Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) cited Canada’s civil society as exemplary and expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership between Canada and the AKDN.

“In sum, I believe that Civil Society is one of the most powerful forces in our time - one that will become an increasingly universal influence, engulfing more countries, influencing, reshaping and sometimes even replacing ineffective regimes,” he said. “And I also believe that Civil Society around the world should be vigorously encouraged and wisely nurtured by those who have made it work most successfully - Canada first amongst all,” he added.

In his introduction, the Right Honorable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada welcomed His Highness the Aga Khan as “a great friend and partner of Canada,” adding that when “you are in Canada you are home.” The Aga Khan was granted Honorary Canadian Citizenship in May 2010 for his leadership “as a champion of international development, pluralism and tolerance around the world.”

In his address the Aga Khan bemoaned the rise of extremism and intolerance in some parts of the world. “In fact, one harsh reality is that religious hostility and intolerance seems to be on the rise in many places - from the Central African Republic, to South Sudan, to Nigeria, to Myanmar, the Philippines and other countries - both between major religious groups - and within them,” he said.

The spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims urged the West not to ignore the diversity of Islam and to communicate with both Sunni and Shia voices.

“To be oblivious to this reality would be like ignoring over many centuries that there were differences between Catholics and Protestants - or trying to resolve the civil war in Northern Ireland without engaging both Christian communities,” he said.

He warned that lack of understanding of Islam’s diversity and external interventions have exacerbated religious conflict in some areas.

“It has increased massively in scope and intensity recently and has been further exacerbated by external interventions. In Pakistan and Malaysia, in Iraq and Syria, in Lebanon and Bahrain, in Yemen and Somalia and Afghanistan - it is becoming a disaster,” he said.

The Aga Khan is the first faith leader to be given the rare privilege of addressing the joint session of Parliament. In his speech, he described faith as “a force that should deepen our concern for our worldly habitat, for embracing its challenges, and for improving the quality of human life.” He went on to speak about the role of relations between the West and Islamic societies, describing this relationship as “central to the shape of global affairs in our time” and arguing that the clash of civilizations described in popular discourse simply does not exist.

Later in the day, His Highness and the Prime Minister signed The Protocol of Understanding, which aims to provide a clear framework and strategic direction for Canada’s multi-faceted and strong relations with the Ismaili Imamat. It creates a formal dialogue process that allows for in-depth exchanges on countries and issues of common interest and seeks to solidify the important partnership that Canada has developed with the Aga Khan and his institutions over many years.

In addition to development efforts, His Highness has launched several institutions in Canada, which stem from his admiration of Canada’s success as a pluralistic nation and his desire to create a greater understanding both within Muslim societies and between these societies and other cultures. These include the Global Centre for Pluralism – a joint initiative of the Canadian government and the Ismaili Imamat – and the Delegation of Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa. In May 2010, Prime Minister Harper and His Highness presided over the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, and the Aga Khan Museum -- the first museum in North America dedicated exclusively to Islamic arts and cultures.

His Highness was accompanied to Parliament by members of his immediate family.

Reproduced from www.akdn.org

Ottawa, 7 February 2014 — The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, has invited Mawlana Hazar Imam to deliver “an historic address” to Parliament when he visits the country later this month.

“Our country has a warm and lasting friendship with His Highness [the Aga Khan], who was granted honorary Canadian citizenship for his leadership as a champion of international development, pluralism and tolerance around the world,” said Prime Minister Harper in a statement released today.

Outside of heads of state and government, only a handful of people have held this privilege. Among them, three were secretaries general of the United Nations — including Kofi Annan, who in 2004 became the most recent foreign dignitary to address a joint session of the Canadian Senate and House of Commons.

In addition to being made an honorary Canadian citizen by unanimous consent of the Canadian Parliament in 2009, Mawlana Hazar Imam had been invested as an honorary Companion of the Order of Canada four years earlier. Through more than 30 years of collaboration between the Aga Khan Foundation Canada and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, the Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat have worked to lift populations out of poverty, improve standards of education, and make quality healthcare available to peoples in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and East Africa.

Since Canada began to welcome Ismailis to her shores some four decades ago, the Canadian Jamat has grown to more than 100 000 today. Mawlana Hazar Imam has also established important institutions in the country. The Ismaili Centre in Burnaby — soon to be joined by another in Toronto — serves as a beacon of hope and friendship, and is a platform for dialogue that has drawn speakers of distinction from Canada and elsewhere. When it opens its doors, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto will teach visitors about the arts, cultures and contributions of Muslim societies, and together with the Canadian Government, the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa is working to advance good governance, peace and human development internationally.

“Our Government is honoured to once again welcome His Highness the Aga Khan to Canada,” said Prime Minister Harper.