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The Aga Khan, head of the world's Ismaili Muslim community, unveils plans for the Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture and Prime Minister Stephen Harper bestows the spiritual leader with honorary Canadian citizenship. Includes short interviews of attendees.

View the Video at the CBC website:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/player.html?category=News&zone=arts/artdesign&si...

The Aga Khan, head of the world's Ismaili Muslim community, was in Toronto to break ground for the construction of the Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and he also received Honourary Citizenship of Canada, an Honour greater than the Order of Canada.

Watch the video at the CBC website:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/ID=1506981949

Global Toronto presents a News Clip on the Groundbreaking Event

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Aga Khan break ground at the future site of a $300-million cultural centre for Ismaili Muslims. Andrew Segal reports. May 28

View the clip at the Global Toronto site:
http://www.globaltoronto.com/video/index.html?releasePID=0EHMPetOUXW54yo...

TORONTO -- Canada has granted honorary Canadian citizenship upon the Aga Khan, a billionaire philanthropist and spiritual leader of 20 million Muslims worldwide.

The Aga Khan was in Toronto on Friday to launch the development of a $285-million cultural center for Ismaili Muslims and the Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture.

The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, a branch of Shia Islam.

Spiritual leader to Ismailis worldwide says he has always felt at home in Canada

His Highness the Aga Khan and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveil the commemorative plaque for the Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture and their Park during the foundation ceremony in Toronto May 28, 2010.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has bestowed honorary Canadian citizenship upon the Aga Khan.

The Aga Khan is in Toronto today, marking the beginning of development on an Ismaili centre and the Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture.

TORONTO — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has bestowed honorary Canadian citizenship upon the Aga Khan.

The Aga Khan is in Toronto today, marking the beginning of development on an Ismaili centre and the Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture.

Harper says the centre and museum will represent the country's pluralism and cultural diversity.

He says in a world torn by sectarian strife the importance of those values cannot be overstated.

The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as Ismailis.

To most Canadians, he is known simply as the Aga Khan.

Few are likely to know much more about the man, considered to be the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, a community made up of more than 30,000 people in Toronto alone.

On Friday, May 28, 2010, His Highness the Aga Khan will participate in the Foundation Ceremony to mark the beginning of the development of the Ismaili Centre, the first-ever Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and the park where they will be situated in Toronto’s Don Mills area.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and His Highness the Aga Khan will dig shovels into the dirt on Friday at the future site of a $300-million cultural centre for Ismaili Muslims. By 2013, the seven-acre expanse near Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue will be home to a world-class museum, multi-purpose building and parklands, cementing this city’s importance as a past and future destination for the Ismaili diaspora. Farid Damji, a member of the Ismaili Council for Canada, said the Aga Khan chose to build the centre in Toronto because of its “cosmopolitan cultural outlook.”

It's hard to imagine a more truly international community than the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims.

They're a people without a territory and they've made their homes in more than 25 countries on five continents. The Aga Khan, their hereditary imam (or spiritual leader), lives in France.

But it's no coincidence that it's Canada that was chosen for the Ismailis' $300-million investment in a new site where adherents can practise their religion and where the world at large can contemplate and celebrate Islamic culture.

Toronto, 27 May 2010 — Following a short visit to Ottawa, Mawlana Hazar Imam landed in Toronto this afternoon, where he was received by the Honourable James Moore, the Federal Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation. He was also welcomed by Ismaili Council for Ontario President Karim Sunderji and other Jamati leaders.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and His Highness the Aga Khan will dig shovels into the dirt today at the future site of a $300-million cultural centre for Ismaili Muslims. By 2013, the seven-acre expanse near Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue will be home to a world-class museum, multi-purpose building and parklands, cementing this city's importance as a past and future destination for the Ismaili diaspora. Farid Damji, a member of the Ismaili Council for Canada, said the Aga Khan chose to build the centre in Toronto because of its "cosmopolitan cultural outlook."

Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum - Museum and worship centre to be linked by park

After more than a decade in planning and design, a suite of culturally invigorating projects initiated and financed by the Aga Khan are breaking ground in north Toronto.

Two buildings, the Aga Khan Museum and an Ismaili worship centre, will be knit together by an all-season park featuring allées of birch and ginkgo trees and infinity pools made of black granite, designed in the spirit of the Islamic chahar bagh, a formal garden.

As Aga Khan visits Toronto to lay foundation for major Islamic centre, local Ismailis welcome the man who told them, ‘Make Canada your home’

He is a jet-setting billionaire, owner of one of the world’s renowned horse-racing stud farms, and an admired philanthropist who briefly called Rita Hayworth his stepmother.

He is also a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed and the spiritual leader of 15 million Ismaili Muslims around the globe.

Toronto

1:45 p.m. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper will tour the future site of the Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre. He will be joined by His Highness The Aga Khan.

49 Wynford Drive
Toronto, Ontario
M3C 1J7

*Photo opportunity only (Cameras and Photographers Only)

NOTES:

* Media are required to present proper identification for accreditation.
* Media are required to use the Media Entrance off Wynford Drive. Parking is limited.
* Media are required to arrive no later than 1:15 p.m.

Toronto

Le premier musée nord-américain dédié à l'art islamique sera construit à Toronto. Les travaux de la future institution seront lancés officiellement vendredi sur un site du secteur des rues Don Mills et Eglinton.

À son ouverture, prévue en 2013, le musée présentera plus de 1000 pièces qui témoigneront de 1000 ans d'histoire du monde musulman sur des territoires qui s'étendent de la Chine à la péninsule ibérique.

Un volet éducatif

To most Canadians, he is known simply as the Aga Khan.

Few are likely to know much more about the man, considered to be the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, a community made up of more than 30,000 people in Toronto alone.

The Aga Khan will be in Toronto on Friday to mark the groundbreaking for the first museum of Islamic art and culture in North America, an Ismaili centre and park near Don Mills Rd. and Eglinton Ave.

Head of Ismaili Muslim community to open museum and park in 2013

The Aga Khan is creating an Ismaili Centre, Muslim art museum and park on a 6.8-hectare site in Toronto.

The Aga Khan, head of the world's Ismaili Muslim community, will be in Toronto to break ground on the construction of the Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture.

The development includes an Ismaili Centre and a park area on Wynford Drive near the Don Valley Parkway.

TORONTO, May 26

Foundation Ceremony for the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and Park to take place in Toronto, Friday

TORONTO, May 26 /CNW Telbec/ - On Friday, May 28, 2010, His Highness the Aga Khan will participate in the Foundation Ceremony to mark the beginning of the development of the Ismaili Centre, the first-ever Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and their Park, in Toronto's Don Mills area.

The Toronto neighbourhood of Don Mills is one of the city’s most diverse neighbourhoods — indeed, it is counted among the most diverse in Canada.

“This is a very unique place,” says Mohamed Dhanani. “It’s incredible to see families and communities from so many parts of the world come together here.” People from a range of ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds call the neighbourhood home. A microcosm of Toronto and Canada’s multiculturalism, it is a place where dozens of languages are spoken, and people from all walks of life live and work together.