Mourners including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gathered in Lisbon on February 8 to commemorate the Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of the world’s Shi’ite Ismaili Muslims, who died in the Portuguese capital at the age of 88 earlier this week. Mourners at the Ismaili Center in Lisbon included community leaders, Portuguese officials, and foreign dignitaries who arrived to pay their respects to the wealthy philanthropist known for juggling religious matters with his business interests.
Following the announcement of Aga Khan’s death on February 5, Trudeau noted that he had been a “dear” family friend and praised him as “a friend to all Canadians, and to everyone who dreams of a more peaceful world.” Following the funeral service, the late leader of a multiethnic community scattered across several countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America is to be buried at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt on February 9.
The Ismaili Imamat announced on February 5 that his son, Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, was named his successor as the hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims. There are at least 2.5 million Ismailis in the world, with some estimates going as high as 15 million. The largest Ismaili community is in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region. Born Prince Karim al-Husayn Shah in Geneva on December 13, 1936, the Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather in 1957 as the 49th imam of the Ismailis at the age of 21. He spearheaded international development projects that benefited both Ismailis and many others in some of the poorest regions of Asia and Africa under the auspices of his Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which invested in many fields, including education, health care, rural development, and microfinance, as well as in cultural initiatives. The projects — implemented in partnership with governments, organizations, and communities — provided employment opportunities and economic self-reliance, as well as better education and health care for the very poor. In media interviews and speeches, the Aga Khan said that one of the “continuing objectives” of his projects was trying to improve people’s quality of life and to contribute to the elimination of poverty.
The Muslim leader, who endeavored to present moderate Islam and promote religious tolerance, said assisting the poor by providing them economic opportunities would help prevent extremism. The Aga Khan said that in some of the poorest regions of the world, violence and terrorism “come from poverty” and that “changing the basics of the quality of life and [by] replacing despair with hope” would help stop the situation “from becoming explosive.” He often called on his followers and their leaders not to exclusively help Ismailis but anyone who is in need. “He was an example for humanity for all around the world. He served all his life for the people, not only for the Ismaili Community, he was not only a symbol for the Ismaili Community,” Shahnaz Hussaini, a 34-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, told the Associated Press after the announcement of his death on February 5. The Aga Khan had seen his Ismaili community and many of his philanthropic projects and properties face difficult challenges in volatile regions around the world.
Most recently, the Tajik government appropriated several major AKDN properties — including a hotel, a private school, and a city park — in the restive Gorno-Badakhshan region. The Aga Khan inherited a vast fortune, and his net worth had been estimated at between $800 million and several billion dollars. In 2009, Forbes put the Aga Khan among the 15 richest royals in the world. He was known for a jet-setting lifestyle and was the owner of opulent residences, a multimillion-dollar yacht, and aircraft, though he denied he led a “lavish” lifestyle. He is survived by one daughter, three sons, and several grandchildren.
