The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
His charities ran hundreds of hospitals, educational and cultural projects, largely in the developing world
OBITUARY | AGENCIES | The hereditary spiritual leader or Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan, has died at the age of 88.
Prince Karim Aga Khan was the 49th leader of the Ismaili Muslims, who say they are direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
He “passed away peacefully” in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family, his charity; the Aga Khan Development Network, said in a statement on social media.
The Aga Khan’s charities ran hundreds of hospitals, educational and cultural projects, largely in the developing world.
Following his death, on Feb.05, the Ugandan Parliament honoured the Aga Khan. It was noted that he visited Uganda and, through his organization; the Aga Khan Development Network, invested heavily in Uganda.
His business interests included the Bujagali Hydropower Project, Jubilee Insurance Company, Diamond Trust Bank, Serena hotels, Aga Khan Clinics and hospitals, the Aga Khan University, and Aga Khan primary and secondary schools and real estate. In the media, he controlled Daily Monitor, NTV, KFM, through Nation Media Group, which is a listed company and the biggest news group in east and central Africa.
The Aga Khan Development Network, his main philanthropic organisation, deals principally with healthcare, housing, education, and rural economic development, which helps to build schools and hospitals in parts of Africa and Asia.
On October 09, 2017, President Yoweri Museveni awarded the Aga Khan with the Most Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa Medal, The Grandmaster, in appreciation of his socio-economic transformation of Uganda.
The Aga Khan was a defender of Islamic culture and values and was widely regarded as a builder of bridges between Muslim societies and the West.
The Ismailis are a Shia Muslim sect who revere a number of Imams, including Imam Ismail, who died in 765 AD.
They have a worldwide population of about 15 million, including 500,000 in Pakistan. There are also large populations in India, Afghanistan and parts of Africa.
The Aga Khans
Prince Karim Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather as imam of the Ismaili Muslims in 1957 at the age of 20 in line with the 1,300-1,400-year-old tradition of hereditary succession.
The Aga Khans are said to be direct descendants of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
As Aga Khan derived from Turkish and Persian words to mean commanding chief he is believed by Ismailis to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad through the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter.
The title was originally granted in the 1830s by the emperor of Persia to Karim’s great-great-grandfather when the latter married the emperor’s daughter.
Since taking on his role in 1957, he has dedicated his efforts to improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable populations, while emphasizing the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith: one that teaches compassion and tolerance and that upholds human dignity.
In recognition of his exceptional efforts and contributions to human development and improving the social condition of societies globally, the Aga Khan has, over the last six decades, received numerous decorations, honorary degrees, and awards from institutions and nations across the world.
The Aga Khan enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, with a private island in the Bahamas, a super-yacht and a private jet.
Born in Switzerland, he had British citizenship and lived in a chateau in France.
The Aga Khan has been widely mourned by world leaders including King Charles of Britain who, according to the BCC, is understood to be deeply saddened by the death of the billionaire philanthropist. The Aga Khan was a friend of both King Charles and his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described him as a “symbol of peace, tolerance and compassion in our troubled world”.
The Aga Khan Development Network said it offered its “condolences to the family of His Highness and to the Ismaili community worldwide”.
“We continue to work with our partners to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities across the world, as he wished, irrespective of their religious affiliations or origins,” it added.
The prince had an estimated fortune of $1bn (£801m) in 2008, according to Forbes magazine. His inherited wealth was boosted by numerous business interests, including horse-breeding.
The Aga Khan’s legacy
The prince was the founder of the Aga Khan Development Network; a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in specific regions of the developing world.
The Network’s organisations have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development and the promotion of private-sector enterprise.
AKDN’s social development agencies include the Aga Khan Health Services, Aga Khan Schools, the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance, the Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat as well as two universities, the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture co-ordinates AKDN’s cultural activities, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Historic Cities Programme, Aga Khan Music Programme and Awards, Aga Khan Museum, and Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (at Harvard and MIT).
Beyond his global impact, much of his legacy will surround his horse breeding.
He became a leading owner and breeder of racehorses in the UK, France and Ireland, breeding Shergar, once the most famous and most valuable racehorse in the world.
Shergar won the Derby at Epsom in 1981 by 10 lengths in the Aga Khan’s emerald green racing silks with red epaulets but was kidnapped in Ireland two years later and never found.
Despite losing his beloved horse, he told the BBC in 2011 – on the 30th anniversary of Shergar’s biggest triumph – that he did not contemplate deserting his Irish breeding operation.
Of Shergar’s triumph, he said: “It’s a memory that can never, never go away.
“If you’re in racing, the Epsom Derby is one of the greats. It always has been, so to win a race of that quality in itself is an extraordinary privilege. To win it the way he won it was more than that.”
The Aga Khan went on to win the big race another four times with Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988), Sinndar (2000) and Harzand (2016).
The new Aga Khan
Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini has been named the new Aga Khan.
The appointment was made after Prince Karim’s will was unsealed, the Aga Khan Development Network said in a statement. Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V will be the 50th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims.
The new Aga Khan is the eldest son of his late father and Begum Salimah, a British ex-model who converted to Islam and changed her name from Sarah Croker Poole.
The US-educated, Swiss-based Rahim is deeply involved with the network of charities and agencies his father helped spearhead.
According to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) website, Prince Rahim has served on many of its boards and he currently chairs its Environment and Climate Committee.
“Prince Rahim has been particularly concerned with the AKDN’s drive to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change,” the website said, adding that he was also interested in work “addressing the needs of those living in the greatest poverty”.
Prince Rahim has two sons through his marriage to former American fashion model Kendra Spears.
