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

The world is very much influenced by the way a faith or a community communicates, and I think that there is a very, very great gap. The vast majority of Muslims today live in a rural environment. They do not communicate, they are peaceful people. The perceptions that one has of polarization, things of that sort are much more urban forces, urban expressions and if you were to ask me today whether the vast majority of the Muslims participated in any way in this polarization, I would answer probably not.

It's important to make the difference between the faith of Islam and the people of Islam. They are not the same thing. . . I think it's important for you to accept the premise that there is enormous plurality in the Muslim world. African Islam, Asian Islam, Central Asian Islam, Arab Islam. Even within the Arab world, there is enormous difference.

Personally, I never saw a particular objection to taking a close interest in politics, provided there were opportunities for other activities as well. The danger is that a student will live for politics and nothing else. Apart from other considerations, this will make a very dull individual.

There is dignity in the individual's ability to manage his or her destiny.

Tourism is the one way you can bring prosperity to a place that has nothing except undeveloped beauty.

I view diversity as strength, and that may be a funny statement to make, but I think that in diversity there is great strength if it is understood that diversity must not be encouraged to become conflict. But the different cultures, different faiths, different languages, different traditions should be looking at common issues and starting from different standpoints but trying to resolve them collaboratively.

What does it (the West) know about the Islamic world? Is anything taught in secondary education? Does anybody know the names of the great philosophers, the scientists, the great theologians? Do they even know the names of the great civilizations?

No nation can prosper unless its people are alive to the civic responsibilities.

The seventh Jewel: Not to turn away any stranger who comes to thy door in need. O believers, do not let him go away without his need being satisfied

Là où se trouve une communauté ismaélienne, il existe une commission de théologiens que se livre à ces recherches. Mais rien ne se décide sans moi... Notre religion est ésotérique, comprenez-vous? Elle est une perpétuelle initiation.

In the third world, where demographic growth is by far one of the most important issues, the people must ask themselves whether the new generations, should take upon themselves the right to impose poverty on their children.

Generally you will see as much diversity in the Islam as you do in the Christian world today. But the West does not really understand the pluralism of the Islamic world.

You cannot deal with a world like the Islamic world by rejecting the notion of pluralism. Historically, it is part of that world. The faith of Islam recognizes and sustains the right of people to be their own masters of the judgments that they make.

There is no need to discard the great traditions of our faith. There is every need to adapt and invigorate them in the light of the quite altered circumstances of today.

The eighth Jewel: To go to the rescue of anyone in distress and calamity as soon as you hear the call, helping him with food or water, or whatever he needs. In reward for this you will surely enter Paradise.

Mon grand-père a été le premier à inciter les femmes à quitter le voile. Le Coran établit une nette différence entre les femmes-esclaves - celles qui n'existent que dans le regard des hommes, par leurs parures - et les femmes libres. Les femmes doivent être libres, de nos jours, responsables de leur conduite. Il n'est pas question de se cacher, pas plus que de se parer

We have taken up the annoying habit of linking each sporadic act of terrorism to the Muslim world. It is a painful confusion. The Muslim world is made up of 1 billion believers, living in 30 to 40 countries, speaking 500 languages and dialects, people who come from countries which became Muslim - some at the time of the Prophet, others three hundred years later - some speaking Arabic, others that do not. There is no Islamic entity where 1 billion believers interpret and practice their faith in the same manner.

The basic problem is the enormous lack of knowledge of the Islamic world in the general world-culture. It's a rather remarkable thing and a very sad thing to me, that over a billion people, their 1400 year history, of civilizations, are simply not part of general education in the general Western world. It's a remarkable knowledge gap.

The Ismailis have always prided themselves on their highly developed social conscience. Our faith teaches us that we have obligations far beyond our own or even our family's interests.

The twelveth Jewel: The true believer will never annoy a child, for, a child is a smile of the Divinity