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

Mr. Chairman, Ladies & Gentlemen:

If I had been the president I would have fined the sergeant-at-arms for being a treacherous feminist and not fining the ladies present today.

May I first say how much I enjoy being back in Mombasa again - a town which I always remember for its friendliness and hospitality, for its welcome and also to the police who have escorted me so faithfully and so resistedly - indeed when I went to Bamburi Beach yesterday afternoon, I had a notion that they might be joining me for a swim.

His Royal Highness Prince Aga Khan on 10 May 1961, speaking as a guest speaker, told the Nairobi Lions Club that he had never thought that it would be possible to create a multi-racial political system in Kenya. "Once independence is achieved, the real and ultimate authority in any truly democratic system is bound to be African" He said.

His Royal Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan inaugurated the Urdu University at Karachi. 80 years old, Dr. Molvi Abdul Haq in his address of welcome recalled the historic occasion which happened 64 years ago at Aligarh when Sir Sayyed Ahmed Khan who was as old as he himself, presented an address of welcome to His late Royal Highness Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III, who was as young as the present Aga Khan.

In his address, His Royal Highness said:

I shall begin by saying how well I am aware of your needs and necessities in this particular school. I do feel that if we are going to proceed on a fairly large scale of development in the future in our education institutions, we must proceed according to certain plans and standards, and for this reason I will probably advise the City Education Board, not to proceed with any development of this building until we know the result of the negotiations which are taking place at this moment.

It is a very happy occasion to open this hospital today and I hope that it will continue to serve My community and other Pakistani residents in this area as it had been doing in the past. I take this occasion to add a point of extreme importance. Dr. Alidina kindly mentioned the hospital in Nairobi and those of you who have been to Nairobi and have seen the institution there know that we have not taken into account expenses in terms of opening first class service.

Mr Chairman, Mr Commissioner, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

First let me say how honoured I feel by the reception you have given me this afternoon. I have been most moved by the kindness of your remarks today and by the warmth of this city's welcome to myself and my family throughout our stay in Karachi.

The city of Karachi, as you have observed, has some very special and very beloved associations for me. It has given me the greatest pleasure, therefore, to find the remarkable developments which have taken place since I was here in 1954.

Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen

I would like to begin by expressing my very real appreciation of the honour you have shown me by inviting me to address you here this afternoon.

My Dear Captain,

On the occasion of the publication by H.S.H. Prince Aly S. Khan Garden Scouts Band of a souvenir marking the 50th Anniversary of the formation of the Band, I would like to send to all the members of the Garden Scouts Band My warmest congratulations and good wishes.

On 26 January, 1989, Prince Amyn Mohammed, A Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, opened the most important exhibition of Islamic calligraphy to be seen in London for many years.

The exhibition at the Zamana Gallery was entitled : Islamic Calligraphy : Sacred and Secular Writings, and contained many rare and beautiful examples dating back over the past one thousand years, drawn from Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, India and Africa and consisting of works sent by galleries and from private collections.

Prince Amyn Mohammed displays the silver trowel after placing the last brick at the "topping out" ceremony at the Ismaili Centre in London on 13th May 1982. As guest of honour at the ceremony held on the roof of the nearly completed Ismaili Centre in central London, Prince Amyn Mohammed said that the Centre has the "the difficult vocation of bridging East and West, of bringing together strong and brilliant cultures." Mr.

Your Excellencies, Mr. Mayor, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am delighted to have been asked to open this exhibition on Islamic Calligraphy. Indeed, of all the Muslim art forms, calligraphy holds, perhaps, pride of place as the foremost and perhaps most characteristic of the modes of visual expression in Islam. From China to Canada and from Russia to South Africa, the widespread use of calligraphy still unites Muslims and visibly differentiates them from the adepts of other religions.

Your Excellency President Leghari, Honourable Ministers, Your Excellencies, Dear Guests

Your Excellency President Mkapa
Your Excellency President Amour
Your Excellency the Chief Minister
Honourable Ministers
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests

Your Excellency President Benjamin William Mkapa
Your Excellency President Salmin Amour
Your Highness (glancing towards Hazar Imam)
Your Excellencies
Honorable Ministers
Distinguished Guests

As Chairman of Tourism Promotion Services Zanzibar, the owner of Zanzibar Serena Inn, it is both an honour and a pleasure to welcome you here today for the official opening of the fifth Serena property in the United Republic to begin operations within the past twelve months.

Your Excellency President William Mkapa,
Your Excellency President Salmin Amour,
Honourable Ministers,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests

Your Excellency The President,
Your Excellency the Vice President,
Honorable Minister for Information,
Honorable Ministers,
Your Excellencies,
Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The opening of an important new building is always a cause of celebration - and it is wonderful to know that so many people are celebrating this occasion with us.

"It gives me great pleasure to be with you this morning for the inauguration of the Nation Printing Plant. This ultra-modern printing facility makes use of the latest technology in the printing and publishing industry. The investment of seven hundred and fifty million shillings in this project is a show of the confidence that the Nation Group and indeed Your Highness, have in the future of this country. It's therefore, an important occasion for the Nation Group, the publishing industry and indeed, for Kenya.

Your Highness, Kenya and Aga Khan Development Network share a long history of co-operation. The Aga Khan Development Network has for a long time supported our development efforts by promoting socio-economic development in various fields such as health, education and rural development.

I have been following with great interest the many positive developments that have been taking place under your Excellency's leadership and I have shared your concern when the country has been occasionally faced with challenges such as the present drought. And I am always impressed by that strong sense of national response which carries you past the trials you have to cross and back again to the path of hope and progress.

Mr. Chairman and staff of the Nation Group, I must say I am very happy again to be here to see this building in full operation. It is a really exciting time for me because it is in fact a fulfillment of bringing to Kenya a communication company that would one day achieve the highest level of communication sophistication.