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Author pens book on the Aga Khan
By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald March 24, 2012 3:03 AM
A couple of major world events prompted Mansoor Ladha to write his book.
The first was 9/11, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.
The second was the publication of a series of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark that drew angry responses from Muslims around the world.
"They kind of pressed all Muslims in a negative limelight," says Calgary's Ladha, whose book is titled A Portrait of Pluralism: Aga Khan's Shia Ismaili Muslims.
"Muslims were called terrorists, hooligans, barbarians and this and that, in derogatory terms," Ladha says. "I thought this was a good time to write something positive and to inform the society at large that there are other Muslims, like the Ismailis, who through their leader the Aga Khan are quietly revolutionizing the world through humanitarian agencies, doing work in international development and improving the lives of people all around the world."
Ladha came to Canada in 1972 from East Africa, continuing his profession as a journalist and publisher.
From that time until now, he says, people have been curious about Ismaili Muslims, asking: Who are they?
Ismailis are a branch of the Shiite community of Muslims who appeared following a split that occurred in the early history of Islam.
The book has given Ladha an opportunity to show people the background, history and culture of Ismailis, as well as success stories of Canadian Ismailis.
"The Aga Khan portrays another face of Islam through his humanitarian work and international development," says Ladha, adding that the Aga Khan Foundation is the world's second-largest philanthropic foundation in international development.
"The Aga Khan has a lot of respect for Canada," he says. "In fact, he has called Canada a beacon of pluralism."
Ladha says the work of Ismailis is improving the lives of millions of people around the world, all in keeping with the teachings of Islam.
"The world has to be told that not all Muslims are terrorists, that not all Muslims believe in killing and maiming others," he says on his website.
"There are other Muslim leaders, such as the Aga Khan, who through his worldwide community and international network of development agencies is attempting to improve the lives of people in Third World countries through education, health, housing, architecture, economic development and cultural awareness.
"As far as Canada is concerned, this book contains vital information on Aga Khan's four monumental projects in the country . . . the Global Centre for Pluralism, in Ottawa; the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, also in Ottawa; the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto; and the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre, again in Toronto."
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