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My dear sisters and brothers,
As the COVID-19 outbreak spreads, many Jamati members have expressed concerns regarding businesses, investment, employment and overall financial outlook. Weakening global demand, combined with already weakening oil prices, has and will continue to significantly impact many business owners and employees. The result is an economic slowdown in Canada and elsewhere, with the possibility of a recession in the second and third quarters.
Depuis la dernière fois que je vous ai écrit, il y a eu beaucoup de changements pour le Jamat et pour le pays.
Je voudrais d’abord vous rassurer sur le fait que les institutions Jamati sont en communication avec les autorités de la santé publique à travers le pays et continuent d’ajuster nos politiques et approches afin de nous assurer de la sécurité du Jamat. Nous sommes conscients du fait qu’il y a de l’incertitude et de l’anxiété dans certains cas, mais le Jamat devrait se sentir confiant que nous sommes unis et engagés afin que chaque membre se sente appuyé et soutenu par sa communauté.
Nous avons établi un point de contact pour le Jamat à travers le Canada, notre nouveau centre « Access ». Les membres du Jamat peuvent contacter “Access” par téléphone au 1-888-536-3599 ou par courriel au access@iicanada.net.
À travers le pays, des centaines de membres du Jamat se sont proposés pour donner de leur temps, expertise et ressources. Nous sommes énormément reconnaissants envers eux, à travers le pays. L’équipe “Access” a été mobilisée dans une période de 48 heures. Les équipes de soins pour les personnes âgées à travers le pays ont augmenté leurs efforts afin de les contacter régulièrement. Des programmes Jamati sont redéfinis afin de trouver des équivalents virtuels. Une équipe de commémoration de Navroz est en train de développer une série de propositions en ligne afin que nous puissions célébrer ensemble. Et beaucoup plus encore. Peu de communautés peuvent autant se mobiliser, si rapidement, avec tant de passion et de dévouement. Le fait que nous nous comptions parmi celle-là est une source de fierté.
Évidemment, il y a quelques lacunes aujourd’hui. Plusieurs individus, incluant les personnes âgées, ceux qui ont des maladies physiques chroniques ou des troubles psychologiques et tous ceux qui étaient isolés – essaient de s’ajuster avec la nouvelle réalité. Sans le Jamatkhana comme étant le centre d’intérêt de la vie quotidienne et sans la connexion humaine et l’espace pour la prière et la réflexion, qui sont si critiques, la qualité de la vie est compromise. C’est la raison pour laquelle nous devons tous, en tant que Jamat; tendre la main à ceux qui sont isolés, vulnérables et supporter ceux qui en ont besoin.
Sous peu, un formulaire d’inscription Jamati sera disponible. Nous demanderons à chaque individu au Canada – incluant les membres de famille multiconfessionnels – qui sont engagés à nous appuyer comme étant une grande famille. Cela nous assurera que dans l’avenir, au fur et à mesure que les circonstances se développent, nous savons où les membres du Jamat sont, de quel support ils ont besoin, et quelle assistance volontaire ils pourraient offrir à la communauté. Veuillez nous aider à nous assurer que ceux qui n’ont pas accès au courriel ou aux téléphones cellulaires sont également inscrits, afin que nous ne manquions personne.
L’adversité n’est pas étrangère à notre Jamat – c’est ce qui nous a emmené où nous sommes. Bien que ce temps comporte ses défis, nous nous en sortirons. Avec votre appui et prières, nous nous en sortirons plus forts. Merci pour tout ce que vous faites. Prenez soin de vous, de vos familles et des uns envers les autres.
Ameerally Kassim-Lakha
Président, Conseil pour le Canada
Since I last wrote, much has changed with the Jamat and with the country.
I want first to assure the Jamat that the institutions are engaged with public health authorities across the country, and continue to adjust our policies and approaches to ensure the safety and security of the Jamat. We know that there is uncertainty and anxiety in some cases, and the Jamat should feel confident that we are united and committed to ensuring every member feels support and care from their community.
We have established a single point of contact for the Jamat across Canada – our new Access hub. Jamati members can reach Access by phone at 1-888-536-3599 or by e-mail at access@iicanada.net.
Across the country, hundreds of members of the Jamat have come forward to volunteer their time, expertise and to share their resources. We are deeply grateful to all of them across the country. The Access team was mobilized in a period of 48 hours. Care for the Elderly teams across the country have ramped up efforts to regularly contact seniors. Jamati programs are being repurposed to digital equivalents. A Navroz commemoration team is developing a series of online offerings so that we can celebrate together. And much more. Few communities can mobilize so many, so fast, and with such passion and dedication. The fact that we are one of them is a justifiable cause for pride.
Of course, there are gaps today. Many individuals - including seniors, those with chronic physical or mental illness and those who were previously isolated – are struggling to cope with a new reality. Without the Jamatkhana as a focus of daily life and without the human connection and space for prayer and reflection that are so critical, quality of life suffers. That’s why we need all of the Jamat to come together; to reach out to those who are isolated or vulnerable; and to support those in need.
Shortly, a Jamati registration form will be made available. We are going to ask every individual in Canada to register – including multi-faith family members who we are committed to supporting as part of our large family. This will ensure that as circumstances evolve, we know where Jamati members are located, what supports they require, and what volunteer assistance they may be able to offer to the community. Please help us to ensure that those who do not have access to e-mail or mobile devices are registered here too so that we don’t miss anyone.
Our Jamat is no stranger to adversity - it has made us who we are. And while these may be challenging times, this too shall pass. And, with your continued support and prayers, we will come out stronger for it. Thank you for everything you do. Take care of yourselves, your families and each other.
“Great architecture can integrate the past and the future – inherited tradition and changing needs. We need not choose between looking back and looking forward; they are not competing choices, but healthy complements. We can learn valuable lessons from history without getting lost in history; we can look boldly ahead without ignoring what has gone before.”
“While the Qur’an may not propound a doctrine of Islamic art or material culture, it does offer imaginative scope in this direction. From early on, its passages have inspired works of art and architecture, and shaped attitudes and norms that have guided the development of Muslim artistic traditions. In this context, would it not also be relevant to consider how, above all, it has been the Qur’anic notion of the universe as an expression of Allah’s will and creation that has inspired, in diverse Muslim communities, generations of artists, scientists and philosophers? Scientific pursuits, philosophic inquiry and artistic endeavour are all seen as the response of the faithful to the recurring call of the Qur’an to ponder the creation as a way to understand Allah's benevolent majesty.”
“Over the longer term, the Graduate School of Media and Communication will ally itself with another new project of the Aga Khan University - a Faculty of Arts and Sciences, to be created over the coming years in Arusha. In a world of growing complexity, journalists must increasingly understand the substantive, sophisticated dimensions of the fields on which they report - from medical and environmental sciences, to economic and financial disciplines, to legal and constitutional matters. And a new generation of African media entrepreneurs could well be born from programs which blend economic and media disciplines.”
“What started as one project actually turned into three: the design and construction of a park, the restoration of the Ayyubid Wall, and the community redevelopment of the historically-important Darb al-Ahmar neighbourhood… We found Darb al-Ahmar to be a resilient community with a large pool of skilled workers and small entrepreneurs. We were able to engage them in the restoration of houses and schools and the rebuilding of minarets that had long ago disappeared from the Cairo skyline. Another lesson here was the important role that microfinance could play in helping residents of this community lift themselves beyond subsistence, enabling them to grow businesses and upgrade the quality of their living conditions.”
“We began to see the added potential of heritage projects for advancing an economic and a social agenda, for fighting poverty and driving development. To be sure, this potential was often ignored as culture was too easily miss-labelled as a luxury amid pressing social and economic needs. But my colleagues and I became convinced that cultural heritage projects are not a diversion from development priorities. Culture is in and of itself a development resource of immense potential value. Some who share this view refer to cultural investments as a springboard for development. Similarly, I like to say that cultural heritage can be a trampoline, propelling dramatic improvements in the quality of human life.”
“I believe deeply that if developing countries are to be successful in their aim of becoming modern economies with living standards comparable to the West, we must focus not only on universal access to education for the majority or even all of the population. We must also make available educational opportunities at the top international standard for the exceptional students who stand out from the rest.
“As we expand our work in Kenya, one of our highest priorities is to achieve international standards of healthcare – especially for non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Another special focus will be neuroscience, where the promises of stem cell technology must be brought massively and competently to Africa. Our overall plan is for a nationally integrated health system, built on the strong foundations already in place at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi. And our overall goal can be simply stated: we believe that no Kenyan should have to leave the country to seek quality medical care.”
