Aga Khan IV Quotes
Canada has for many years been a beacon to the rest of the world for its commitment to pluralism and for its support for the multicultural richness and diversity of its peoples.
Aga Khan IV. Address at the Signing of the Funding Agreement for the Global Centre for Pluralism. Ottawa, 25 Oct. 2006.
There are two ethnic groups in Fiji. The indigenous Fijians and immigrants from India and their descendants. The Indians originally came to trade and represent a globalized, mercantile culture whereas the indigenous tribes did not have the tradition of business. Over time, the minority Indians were economically more successful than the majority, which tended to resent the Indians. As the Indians were the political minority with no strong tradition of protection of minority rights, they became victims of discriminatory behavior in a nation where the traditional political structure of tribal chiefs and tribes dominated politics. Religion also separated the Hindu Indians from the Christian tribals. In the early 21st century, an Indian was elected prime minister, but this led to a revolt and coup by some traditional tribals. Finally the coup was put down but the society had been split apart and there was continuous argument over rights and whether the coups plotters should be punished.
After Independence, the original credo of the Indonesian hero and leader was slowly ignored. The Muslim majority established Islam as the dominant religion and began to create laws that discriminated against Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews. The ethnic Chinese had been very successful in business and commerce and soon they were discriminated against and even physically attacked in Pogroms.
He was born in the Azerbaijan province of the Soviet Union and did most of his academic work in the United States. He is an example of a globalized scientist.
That was true in 2013 but a decade earlier few people would express many views, and earlier during the “Cultural Revolution” expressing any idea different from the party line could get someone beaten badly of killed. Even in 2013 however there were still some sensitive areas that people dared no have dissident views about.
At the time, this was a very political speech. Racism was rife in Germany and was being introduced into Italy by the Fascist government. Xenophobia was prevalent throughout Europe as WWI hatreds had been inflamed by the politicians. Bohr’s speech was considered a major attack on Fascism.
Prince Shāh Karim al-Husayni (شاه كريم الحسيني Shāh Karĩm al-Ḥussaynĩ), known by the religious title Mawlana Hazar Imam within Ismaili Muslim circles and as Aga Khan IV (آقا خان or آغا خان) elsewhere, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailism, a denomination of Isma'ilism within Shia Islam. He has held this position of Imam since 11 July 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III. Aga Khan claims to be a direct lineal descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, considered Imam in Shia Islam, and Ali's wife Fatima, Muhammad's daughter from his first marriage.
