By Malik Merchant Pink Lake, Gatineau Park. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg A city with almost a million people has a magnificent nature park in its vicinity with some of the most spectacular foliage that… Continue reading
Editor’s note: Almost four weeks ago, on Friday September 12, 2014, the Prime Minister of Canada and His Highness the Aga Khan performed the official opening of the Ismaili Centre in Toronto. Simerg… Continue reading
Jamat and Volunteers Speak from the Heart on this Auspicious and Historical Day BY MALIK MERCHANT Editor, Simerg and Simergphotos Happy Ismaili youth pictured at the Park at 10:30 pm after completing their… Continue reading
BY MALIK MERCHANT Editor, Simerg and Simergphotos Tanzanian Altaf Hirani (centre) with friends I was hoping to be at the new Aga Khan Museum in Toronto well before it opened to the public… Continue reading
BY MALIK MERCHANT Editor, http://www.simergphotos.com Members of the media gathered at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre where they were briefed about the sequence of events for the official opening of the Ismaili Centre… Continue reading
Editor’s note: Mohib Ebrahim, the founding publisher and editor of Nanowisdoms, recently visited the first North American purpose built high profile Ismaili Centre and Jamatkhana located in Burnaby, British Columbia, and came away… Continue reading
BY RAHIM KHOJA Head banners forming the Brazilian flag in the Pelourinho district in Salvador, Bahia.Photo: Rahim Khoja Ten years ago I was travelling to Portugal and when I arrived, the Euro Cup… Continue reading
Editor’s note: Allison Wallace of Australia recently shared with us photos of His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to the Aga Khan Primary School, Nairobi, (see link at bottom of this page), which… Continue reading
Editor’s note: Intrepid globetrotter Muslim Harji of Montreal had a trip of a lifetime when he recently visited Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Earlier we published a photo essay about… Continue reading
Special to Simerg By ALLISON WALLACEPerth, Australia Introduction My mother, Jean Kirk, was born in London in 1928 and died in Tasmania in early January 2014. She lived in London until 1956 when… Continue reading
Editor’s note: This post is an amalgamation of selected photos of the Ismaili jamatkhana in Rangoon taken by Muslim Harji of Montreal Canada during his recent visit to Burma (now Myanmar) with photos and text produced in an… Continue reading
Note: Please refresh page if your browser displays overlapping photos/text. “Animal Voyage” by Prince Hussain Aga Khan, originally available as a paperback, has been re-introduced as a hardback edition. Both Simergphotos.com and its… Continue reading
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY FNDA ARCHITECTURE INC. Special to Simergphotos and Simerg Note: Please refresh page if your browser displays overlapping photos/text. THE FOUNDATION CEREMONY August 30, 2003 “Today’s ceremony represents a milestone in the… Continue reading
“As we all know, Canada is home to a well-established and fast-growing Ismaili community. His Highness has therefore become an increasingly frequent visitor, and always a welcome one.” — Prime Minister Stephen Harper… Continue reading
We were informed by Ms. Allison Wallace of Australia that her mother, Mrs. Jean Kirk, who was the principal of the Aga Khan Primary School in Nairobi during 1963 passed away recently. Allison’s note to… Continue reading
“KEEP CLEAN SOUL IN A CLEAN BODY” Transcript (unedited) “To My Spiritual children taking part in The Rally Blessings and Welcome – I am sorry my health does not permit me to be with… Continue reading
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER Thursday, May 15, 2014 The rich history and literary traditions of the Ismaili community in China have been inadequately studied in modern times, and so it was a… Continue reading
Editor’s note: As we have seen in earlier posts, Muslim Harji’s journeys have taken him far and wide around the world. His photos of Jesusalem, Iran, the Street Foods of India, the Dubai Ismaili… Continue reading
THE AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY When the Charter of the University was first granted in 1983, His Highness the Aga Khan concluded his speech on the occasion with the words, “In everything we do… Continue reading
Compiled and Prepared by Abdulmalik Merchant (Publisher-Editor, Simergphotos and Simerg) 1. SUCCESS STORY: THE CONSTITUENTS WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN “I am delighted, first of all, to extend my warmest congratulations to our graduands and to… Continue reading
INTRODUCED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT Publisher-Editor Simergphotos and Simerg NOTE TO ALL READERS: On some browsers, some images may appear as thumb-nails. To resolve this, please refresh page. Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga… Continue reading
Introduced by Malik Merchant Publisher-Editor, Simergphotos and Simerg Born in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom, Martin Bloomfield, a designer photographer and an expert in 3D animation has travelled the world over, and now lives with his family in Dar-es-Salaam,… Continue reading
Compiled and prepared by Malik Merchant Editor, Simergphotos INTRODUCTION: Sussex Drive with some other connecting streets in the National Capital Region, makes up what is known as the Confederation Boulevard or the “ceremonial and discovery route”. In… Continue reading
On November 22, 1963, when he was hardly past his first thousand days in office, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was killed by an assassin’s bullets as his motorcade wound through Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was… Continue reading
INTRODUCTION Armed with a special magnifying lens, some surgical equipment and plenty of courage and faith, Badrudin Kurwa set out on a mission to restore sight to people blinded by cataracts in a remote corner… Continue reading
Editor’s note: A month ago, the day following the opening of the new Ottawa Jamatkhana located at 3225 Conroy Road, K1G 3N4, on Friday July 19, 2013, we published a photo essay – please click Ismaili Muslims… Continue reading
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s) received his first revelation from Allah through Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) in the Hira cave which is on Jabl al Nur (Mount of Light) shown in this photo. The peak is visible… Continue reading
BY MALIK MERCHANT Publisher-Editor, http://www.simergphotos.com and http://www.simerg.com Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp — the lamp is in… Continue reading
Compiled by Malik Merchant (Publisher-Editor, Simergphotos) A UNIQUE PORTRAIT OF MAWLANA HAZAR IMAM, HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN THE WILL OF IMAM MAWLANA SULTAN MAHOMED SHAH, THE 48TH IMAM Ever since the time… Continue reading
Text and photos by Malik Merchant Thousands of Ismailis gathered at the Toronto International Centre on Sunday June 30, 2013 to celebrate His Highness the Aga Khan’s ascension to the throne of Imamat. Mawlana Hazar… Continue reading
THE LAUNCH OF STORYTIME AT RIDEAU HALL A traditional custom around Canada Day is the launch of Storytime at Rideau Hall, the residence of the Governor General of Canada, which is located just across… Continue reading
Qayl’s Inspiring Encounters with Great Astronauts Qayl Azeem Maherali pictured as an astronaut when he was 6. Photo: Qayl’s Collection © Copyright. The picture above was taken three years ago. I am 9… Continue reading
Text by: Gulshan Chunara Photos by: Salina Hasan The Pivotal Role of the 46th Ismaili Imam, Shah Hasan Ali Shah, Aga Khan I This vintage engraving depicts the portrait of Aga Khan I… Continue reading
Neighbouring Cities Show Passion and Enthusiasm for Improving Humanity From a distant, Waterloo Square, 75 King Street in Waterloo, Canada, site of the World Partnership Walk for the past 3 years. Several hundred people from the… Continue reading
Post compiled by Malik Merchant, Editor, Simergphotos.com and Simerg.com Introduction: Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday. Queen… Continue reading
Prince Rahim Aga Khan – A Brief Profile Date and place of birth: October 12, 1971, Geneva, Switzerland. Relationship to His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th Ismaili Imam: Prince Rahim Aga Khan is… Continue reading
Introduced by Malik Merchant Publisher-Editor, Simergphotos.com and Simerg.com After viewing a collection of Muslim Harjis’s photos of India’s street foods, I was not surprised to read in Via Rail’s latest issue of Destinations magazine that Vikram Vij, the… Continue reading
Compiled by Malik Merchant, Editor Customs of welcoming a new baby vary around the world. This photo essay looks at the cultural traditions around birth in a rural community in Indonesia (pink shade, map below), the… Continue reading
THE SPRING EQUINOX Navroz, Nowruz, Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, Nauryz Mubarak In the alternation of night and day, and what God has created in the heavens and the earth — surely there are… Continue reading
Compiled by Malik Merchant Editor, Simergphotos.com and Simerg.com THE EVERLIVING DIVINE INSTITUTION OF IMAMAT INTRODUCTION: Clause G of the “Preamble of the Ismaili Constitution” ordained on December 13, 1986 by the 49th and… Continue reading
“EDUCATING A WOMAN MEANS EDUCATING A WHOLE FAMILY” China’s Hui Muslims are unique in many respects. The country’s second-largest ethnic minority share linguistic and cultural ties with the majority in China that have… Continue reading
By Malik Merchant, Editor One would think that Gerald Ferreira of 3d Car Shows would only focus on cars. Only my love for cars and what Ferreira’s website represents would take me there, but yesterday I… Continue reading
INTRODUCTION (Introduction adapted from The Metropolitan Museum of Art) An amulet [similar to a talisman] is any object that is imbued with protective powers, and all cultures and faiths have manifestations of such… Continue reading
TANZANIA’S NGORONGORO CRATER, SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK AND OLDUVAI GORGE Images clickable for enlargement Three striking and important areas of Tanzania in eastern Africa are shown in this color-coded shaded relief image from the Shuttle… Continue reading
BY ELIA BADRUDIN Salaam , al Salaam, O salaam to all of humanity, Peace al Salamiyeh , KNOW that Peace will be again. the heavens will smile on you again. all humanity which… Continue reading
INTRODUCTION Jabal Mashhad is one of the two mausoleums in Syria which is of special historical significance to Ismailis. The mausoleum is thought to hold the tombs of the 8th Ismaili Imam, Wafi Ahmed,… Continue reading
The website for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) reported as follows on January 22, 2007: The Aga Khan visited NATO Headquarters on 22 January 2007 to meet with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop… Continue reading
BY KHIZAR HAYAT “…Indeed, the scout movement has forever embodied amongst the noblest of human aspirations amongst the most admirable of the qualities of the human heart – courage with self-sacrifice, independence with… Continue reading
AN INTRODUCTION TO NAAD-E-ALI* By HUSSEIN RASHID Who is the Ali, the universal hero of Islam? The last of those who are known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the greatness of Imam Ali (a.s)… Continue reading
Compiled by Malik Merchant Editor, Simergphotos.com & Simerg.com INTRODUCTION: On Sunday November 25, 2012, Simergphotos began a weekly/bi-weekly series of historical illustrations that underline an artistic, ethical, moral, religious or scientific theme. This… Continue reading
