Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

The New Constitution of 1986
(continued..)
The Ismailis are spread in all over the world in different culture and society, and a need arose to ordain one universal Constitution applicable in common for all the Ismailis to improve the organizational structure of the institutions. In March, 1964, the Imam formed a Constitution Review Committee (CRC) under Wazir Anil Ishani (Convenor) with the members, Wazir Mohammad Jaffar, Wazir Ashiqali Hussain, Wazir Abdul Mohammad Furniturewala, Wazir Amirali Rahimtoola, Wazir Zaher Ahmed, Wazir Amir Bhatia, Wazir Zool Nimji and Huzur Mukhi Mahmood Ahmed. The CRC started its working in April, 1984 with a number of field visits in different countries. It submitted reports of its working regularly to the Imam after firs discussing them with the jamati leaders and group of the Imam's secretariat at Aiglemont. CRC had ten meetings with the Imam, culminating on December 13, 1986, the 50th Salgirah of the Imam with the ordaining ceremony at Merimont, Imam's secretariat in Geneva. The members of the Imam's family, including Begum Salimah, Princess Tajudawla, Mata Salamat, Prince Amyn Muhammad and Princess Zahra were present in Geneva during this historical ceremony. The members of CRC and those members from the secretariat at Aiglemont also participated. At 11.00 a.m., the Imam ordained, signed and sealed The Constitution of the Shi'a Imami Ismaili Muslims.

Before the ceremony, the Imam sent his message to the jamat on December 10, 1986, and said, "On the 13th December, I will ordain a new Ismaili Constitution, which will be known as The Constitution of the Shi'a Imami Ismaili Muslims. The Ismaili Constitution will be applicable throughout the world, linking all members of my jamat wherever they are to the Imamate. Islam is a community of faith and throughout the 1400 years of our history, our jamat has lived by the rules and practice of our tariqah as a frontierless brotherhood of men and women. The permanent bond, linking the murid to the Imam and subsisting irrespective of the geographical location of the individual murid, has been and will continue to remain the cornerstone of our jamat's identity. In our tariqah, the Imam of the Time has always concerned himself with the spiritual advancement as well as with the improvement of the quality of life of the jamat. In this century, in accordance with the needs of the time, my grandfather gave during his Imamate, and I have given in the past 30 years, Constitutions to the jamat in different areas of the world. The ordaining of this Constitution has been preceded by detailed examination of the existing separate Constitutions of the jamat, all of which will be superseded, when the Rules and Regulations applicable to the respective countries come into force. I have recognized that in view of the change in the demography of the jamat, it is necessary to establish new councils and for the same reason to discontinue others. This has been done. In providing the new Constitutional structure, I have also taken account of recent significant developments, such as the increasingly international dimension of the jamat's settlement and especially my aspiration for the jamat to play an even more active part than in the past in the mainstream of life in the societies in which it lives." The Imam also said, "It is my belief that the Ismaili Constitution will provide a strong institutional and organizational framework through which my jamat will be able to contribute to the harmonies development of the ummah and of the societies in which the jamat lives." Besides, the Imam said, "The Ismaili Constitution recognizes and addresses many of the jamat's present and future needs, but it is to be expected that some adjustment will need to be made in the practical application of the Constitution to meet local circumstances. These adjustment will be made on a case by case basis, in the rules and regulations which will be provided in respect of each country. I am confident that the Ismaili Constitution will give stronger integrated identity to my jamat worldwide, and that in abiding by it in letter and spirit, the jamat will achieve greater peace, unity, happiness, security and well-being."

The New Constitution is a single unified paramount constitution, which applies to all Ismailis wherever domiciled or resident and superseded constitutions applicable to Ismailis in different countries. The jamat in individual countries, however, have their own rules and regulations by virtue of the Constitution, which makes detailed provisions for their governance and their institutions.

The Preamble to the new Constitution affirms all the fundamental Islamic beliefs and then clearly focuses on the doctrine of the Imamate. It sets out the essence of the Ismaili beliefs as Shi'a Imami Ismaili Muslims who affirm the Shahadah and that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) is the last and final Prophet of God, and that Islam, as revealed in the Koran, is the final message of God to mankind, and is universal and eternal. The Preamble states the authority of the Imam in the Ismaili tariqah and that allegiance to the Imam unites all Ismaili Muslims worldwide in their loyalty, devotion and obedience to the Imam within the Islamic concept of universal brotherhood. It further states that from the time of Ali bin Abu Talib, the Imams have given rules of conduct and constitutions in conformity with the Islamic concepts of unity, brotherhood, justice, tolerance and goodwill.

The hierarchical administrative system of councils is somewhat simplified in the Constitution of 1986, which envisages a uniform system of councils for a selection of the Ismaili territories in the Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world. Taking account of the fact that large number of the Ismailis have immigrated during the last two decades to Europe, Canada and Unites States as well as to the Persian Gulf region, the new Constitution has established the council system for a number of these newly founded Ismaili communities in addition to modifying the system for several communities in the traditional abodes of the Ismailis in Asia and Africa. The particular Ismaili communities having the council system under the new Constitution are located in 14 territories, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore, the Gulf Co-operation Council Countries (i.e., Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), Syria, the Malagasy Republic, Kenya, Tanzania, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. In each of these fourteen territories, a National Council will direct and supervise the affairs of a network of Regional and Local Councils. The jurisdiction of each National Council may be extended to geographical areas where the jamats do not have their own council system. The administrative system of the councils has not been extended to several countries and regions of the Near East and Asia, such as Persia, Afghanistan, and the upper Oxus region, where scattered Ismaili jamats exist; while the Syrian jamat acquired the council system only under the terms of the 1986 Constitution.

ISMAILI COUNCIL [ see ISMAILI CONSTITUTION ]