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He was at Malibu Nodu Restaurant and fortunately these four Ismailis from SM HQ JK also were there having their food - They interact with Hazar Imam and took Photo

Mawlana Hazar Imam graced the Jamat of British Columbia with didar at the Vancouver Convention Centre, bringing to a close a significant milestone in the history of the Canadian Jamat.

The Mukhi of Vancouver Darkhana submitted bayʿa on behalf of the BC Jamat, and the President of the Ismaili Council for Canada delivered a loyalty address.

Hazar Imam, accompanied by his sons Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan, was presented with a hand-crafted art installation titled Rooted in Love, four intertwined hearts adorned with messages of devotion inscribed on sustainable seed paper, to later be planted as a reminder of these blessed days.

Upon his departure from the didar hall, leaders of the Jamat bid Hazar Imam farewell, marking the culmination of this historic first visit as the 50th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. Spanning two visits—Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto in March, followed by Calgary and Vancouver this week—the Jamat across Canada was graced with their first opportunity to be in his presence.

The visits advanced several projects that reflect the community’s permanence in Canada, its deep-rooted love for the country, as well as its commitment to enhancing quality of life for all. In March, Hazar Imam presided over the inauguration of the first purpose-built Jamatkhana in Laval, Quebec, as well as Generations Toronto, an innovative campus combining affordable housing, long-term care, healthcare, and early learning. On Saturday in Vancouver, under the banner “Building Together,” Hazar Imam joined federal, provincial, and municipal leaders to announce the next evolution of this model: Generations Vancouver, nearing completion, alongside upcoming exciting developments in Burnaby and the Tri-Cities.

The visits also offered opportunities to further strengthen the deep, historic partnership between the Ismaili Imamat and Canada, nurtured over five decades. From meeting with Governor General Mary Simon and parliamentarians in Ottawa, to issuing a Joint Declaration on affordable housing and education with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Hazar Imam affirmed his commitment to building a shared future. That vision further evolved in Vancouver through signed agreements advancing affordable housing nationally as well as economic and sustainable development abroad.

Honoured across the country with traditional civic distinctions - including Toronto’s Key to the City, Calgary’s White Hat, and Vancouver’s Civic Merit Medallion - Mawlana Hazar Imam departs leaving the Jamat filled with profound joy, gratitude, and hope.

Photo Credits: IPL/ Akbar Hakim/ Karim Kassam.

The Ismaili B.C. The Ismaili Edmonton The Ismaili Prairies

Mawlana Hazar Imam joined senior Canadian leaders in Vancouver today to commemorate new investments in affordable housing, healthy aging, sporting and social infrastructure; and to witness the signing of two agreements expected to benefit communities across Canada and around the world.

Held under the banner of “Building Together,” the event brought together the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia; and provincial and local government representatives, alongside project partners, volunteers, and leaders of the Jamat and AKDN. Also in attendance were The Honourable Wendy Cocchia, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia; and Their Worships Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver; Mike Hurley, Mayor of Burnaby; and Meghan Lahti, Mayor of Port Moody.

Guests witnessed the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding. The first, between Build Canada Homes and the Ismaili Council for Canada, advances the development of affordable, multi-generational housing through the Generations model—homes paired with the supports that enable a community to thrive, including long-term and supportive care, primary healthcare, community kitchens, and early childhood development centres.

The second, betweenFinDev Canada and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, advances sustainable and inclusive economic growth in developing countries—focusing on infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture and financial services, across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Guests of honour also signed architectural renderings for Generations Burnaby, Generations Tri-Cities and Jamatkhana, and a multi-purpose sporting and cultural centre at Burnaby Lake. A fourth project, Generations Vancouver, is already under way and due to open later in 2026. Together they are the newest additions to half a century of work by the Ismaili Imamat and Ismaili community in Canada, in conjunction with government and civil society partners.

Minister Anand, a longtime friend of the Jamat in Canada, commended the Ismaili Muslim community’s many decades of contributions to public service, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, education, and healthcare across the country.

“Canada is stronger because of your contributions. Canada is stronger because of your generosity. Canada is stronger because of your commitment to human betterment and success in every aspect of human development and evolution. And I thank you, and we thank you, sincerely.”

In his address, Hazar Imam explained why combining affordable housing, care and community makes sense in today’s world.

“As Ismaili Muslims,” he said, “our understanding of Islam is that faith should find expression in efforts to improve the quality of human life, and that self-reliance and service should reinforce one another. The projects we commemorate today bring this ethic to life.”

“New homes, care for seniors, and early learning will be brought together in ways that strengthen connection across generations,” he added. “The relationship between homes, shared spaces, and places of care and learning will give physical form to dignity, openness, and community.”

Generations, a national not-for-profit approach to intergenerational living inspired by the values of compassion, dignity and service, seeks to create places where children, families, adults, and seniors can live with greater connection.

Upcoming Generations projects will be conceived with environmental sustainability in mind. Each building will be energy efficient, will prioritise local labour and materials—recycled as much as possible—and will feature gardens. Plantings will be carefully selected to feature local vegetation and support pollinators such as bees, butterflies and birds.

“We’re excited to see Generations Vancouver taking shape,” said Mayor Sim. “It's an inspiring example of how thoughtful community building can address some of our greatest challenges,” he added, calling it “a best-in-class, mixed-use community hub where residents can live, learn, socialise, and support each other in an intergenerational setting.”

On behalf of the City of Vancouver, Mayor Sim also presented the special honour of a Civic Merit Medallion to Hazar Imam. The award, unanimously ratified by the City Council, acknowledges the Ismaili Imamat’s distinguished service to humanity.

Rooting the work of the Ismaili Imamat and community in its values, Premier Eby paid tribute to Hazar Imam’s leadership in challenging times.

“Your Highness, your continued commitment to the values of peace, environmental sustainability, to lifting people out of poverty, your commitment to these values is an example to all of us, in this time of uncertainty, that the path forward is not to abandon these values, but instead, to hold tight to them as the anchors that will keep us safe in a storm, and will keep us together, and ensure the prosperity of not just this amazing province and not [just] this country, but the entire world.”

Photo Credits: IPL/ The Ismaili/ Akbar Hakim.

The Ismaili Edmonton The Ismaili B.C. The Ismaili Prairies

After granting a second didar in Calgary, Mawlana Hazar Imam, accompanied by Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan, departed Alberta for British Columbia.

Upon arriving in Vancouver, they were welcomed by representatives of the Canadian Government, including the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia The Honourable Wendy Cocchia; Senator of Canada The Honourable Farah Mohamed; Member of Parliament for Vancouver-Granville Taleeb Noormohamed; and a delegation of Jamati leaders.

Read more: https://the.ismaili/news/mawlana-hazar-imam-arrives-in-vancouver

as received:
Something very fascinating happened at the Calgary Mulaqat this afternoon. Hazer Imam was exiting the Didar hall and a Murid wearing a Tajik outfit was standing by the door. Hazer Imam stopped by and admired his beautiful tie. Instinctively, the Murid untied his tie and presented it to the Imam. In turn, Hazer Imam took off his own tie and gave it to the Murid. The Imam then exited the hall while carefully holding the tie, admiring it and sat in the waiting car.

Mawlana Hazar Imam graced the Edmonton and Prairies Jamats with two didars at the BMO Centre in Calgary. Hazar Imam was accompanied by his sons Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan.

Following each didar session, Hazar Imam was presented with an art installation. The first was titled IQRA: A Living Library of Knowledge and Wisdom. Inspired by the Imam’s guidance on reading as a pathway to greater empathy, the wooden bookcase showcases original books, textiles, and artifacts reflecting the Jamat’s diverse composition.

The second was titled Drops of Mercy. Inspired by the Imam’s guidance on intergenerational care, this installation features a photographic mosaic of community art, fifty raindrops representing caring pledges from youth alongside words of wisdom from our elders, and a central raindrop motif symbolising divine Mercy.

Photo Credits: IPL / Akbar Hakim

The Ismaili B.C. The Ismaili Edmonton The Ismaili Prairies

Earlier today Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, and several other senior government representatives.

Hazar Imam and Premier Smith discussed areas of common interest and opportunities for future collaboration, including healthcare, housing, education, and workforce development.

The meeting builds upon the Agreement of Cooperation between the Province of Alberta and the Ismaili Imamat signed in 2012. Generations Calgary and the Aga Khan Garden located at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden are tangible examples of the cooperation between the two parties.

The conversation was followed by an opportunity to meet with several provincial ministers and representatives of the Jamat.

Photo Credits: IPL/ Akbar Hakim

The Ismaili Edmonton The Ismaili Prairies The Ismaili B.C.

Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Calgary, Alberta, earlier today for the second part of his visit to Canada.

Hazar Imam, accompanied by Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan, was welcomed at the airport by Government representatives including The Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board, Government of Canada, and The Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta,  along with a delegation of Jamati leaders.

Mayor of Calgary Jeromy Farkas presented Hazar Imam and the two princes with the city’s iconic white hats — a Calgary tradition dating to the 1950s — as a gesture of welcome and friendship.

“The white hat is one of the most recognizable symbols of our city,” said Mayor Farkas. “It stands for generosity, integrity, and the belief that every person deserves to feel welcome and to belong.”

He also paid tribute to Hazar Imam’s leadership: “Your commitment to pluralism, education, service, and human dignity,” he said, “has left a lasting mark around the world, including right here in Calgary through the remarkable contributions of our beloved Ismaili community.”

With roots in the region stretching back more than five decades, the Ismaili community across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba has built a lasting presence. Among the most visible expressions are Generations Calgary — the first development of its kind in Canada — and the Aga Khan Garden, a stunning feat of Islamic landscape architecture that stands as the northernmost of its kind in the world, located at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden.

Since the Western Canada visit was announced weeks ago, volunteers across the region have been working around the clock to prepare the Jamat and the venues for this week’s events.

Tomorrow, Hazar Imam will meet with his Jamat from across the Edmonton and Prairies regions.

At a ceremony in Porto Cervo yesterday evening, local officials formally named the piazza, or town square, in honour of Mawlana Shah Karim. A commemorative sculpture was also unveiled to acknowledge his pioneering work to develop the surrounding area in Sardinia into a thriving coastal region.

Mawlana Hazar Imam was in attendance along with Prince Amyn and Princes Irfan and Sinan. In his remarks, which he delivered partly in Italian, Hazar Imam thanked local officials for the posthumous honour bestowed upon his father.

“A piazza is a place of meeting, memory, and community,” he said. “To associate my father’s name with this one places his memory within Porto Cervo — among the people, the architecture, the landscape and the sea he loved so deeply. My family and I are profoundly grateful for this moving tribute.”

When the late Imam first visited in the early 1960s, the region of Monti di Mola in Sardinia was a barren landscape with no roads or electricity. With his support and guidance, it was transformed into La Costa Smeralda — the Emerald Coast — using local materials while preserving its natural heritage.

The project, Hazar Imam explained, “allowed him to bring together many of the things he cared about deeply: architecture, craftsmanship, landscape, beauty and long-term development.”

Arzachena Mayor Roberto Ragnedda recalled the late Imam’s first visit to the region and his promotion of an architectural approach designed to blend into the landscape rather than dominate it.

“Prince Karim,” he said, “began to love it and to see a prosperous and sustainable future for this corner of land — a future far removed from factories, industry, and the exploitation of raw materials. [He] had the foresight to understand that local identity and natural heritage could become the foundations of shared development.”

“The naming of this square and the unveiling of the commemorative sculpture are, therefore, acts of sincere gratitude.” The work of art, he added, “reflects the philosophy of the Founder. It does not impose itself in a monumental sense, but rather converses with the place.”

Mayor Ragnedda also announced that Hazar Imam is to be granted honorary citizenship of Arzachena, the same privilege bestowed on his father in 1965.

La Costa Smeralda grew to become a premier tourist destination, with restaurants, hotels, and sporting facilities, all while adhering to strict architectural standards. A planning committee chaired by Mawlana Shah Karim helped develop the local infrastructure to attract visitors and uplift the leisure industry. They stipulated that new buildings should be kept low so as to blend into the existing landscape.

“Today we are inaugurating a plaza and a sculpture, but above all we are entrusting to the collective memory, a name and a vision that have profoundly shaped the history of contemporary Sardinia,” said Alessandra Todde, President of the autonomous region of Sardinia. She also noted the late Imam’s positive influence beyond the coastal architecture.

“His legacy also consists of a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, investment, employment, and confidence in the potential of our island. It is a legacy that has involved entire generations of workers, entrepreneurs, professionals, and young people who have found new opportunities thanks to that vision.”

Over the years, the region has continued to pioneer sustainable ways to grow, switching to renewable energy, eliminating single-use plastics, and installing recycling stations. It has also experimented with solutions to sea pollution and helped to raise awareness of the challenges facing marine life. The project is well-regarded as the first example of environmentally conscious tourism development in the Mediterranean.

In closing, Hazar Imam expressed gratitude to the local officials, artists, and all those who have kept his father’s memory with such warmth.

“He would have been deeply moved by this honour. I know he would also have wanted this moment to be about the future: caring for this place with the same imagination, discipline, and sense of stewardship that inspired its creation.”

Photo Credits: IPL / Akbar Hakim

In a ceremony that took place yesterday and whose details can be read here: https://www.unionesarda.it/en/sardinia/porto-cervo-names-its-square-after-the-aga-khan-his-son-rahim-attends-the-ceremony-adxb1qg8

The online edition of L’Unione Sarda, the oldest and most widely circulated daily newspaper in Sardinia, Italy, headquartered in Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, reports that the Central Square in Porto Cervo, Northern Sardinia, has been named after Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. The tribute on July 9, 2026, was attended by the late Imam’s son and successor, Mawlana Shah Rahim Aga Khan V, along with his two children, Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan, and his uncle, Prince Amyn Aga Khan. The report includes an interview with Prince Rahim. The site features a bronze statue depicting the Aga Khan IV as a young man.

While honouring the late Aga Khan, Mayor Roberto Ragnedda of Arzachena, also announced the conferral of honorary citizenship on Prince Rahim, a title his father received in 1965. Please read the entire report and watch Prince Rahim’s interview with the media

https://barakah.com/2026/07/09/2026-news-coverage-of-his-highness-the-aga-khan-and-members-of-his-family/