AGA KHAN and the London Newspapermen on television -Part 1
Amin C
May 2nd, 1958
"Press Conference"
Mowlana Hazar Imam and the London Newspapermen on television
Questions answered with artistry and insight.
Representatives of four leading English Newspapers viz, Marshall Pugh of the "Daily Mail", Rene McColl of the "Daily Express", John Connell of the Evening News and John Freeman, Assistant Editor of the "New Statesman" held a Conference with Mowlana Hazar Imam on 2nd May 1958, which was televised. 115 questions touching upon His personal life as well as His position as the 49th Imam of Ismailis. The picture gave an impression of a "QUIZ" and some of the answers given by Mowlana Hazir Imam throw considerable light on the principles of Ismailism and the belief of Ismailis.
A. Well, it is rather hard to go through them all. I think the first one was the enormous responsibility which had come to me. I did not feel prepared for it. It was a very, very heavy burden to take over from a man of such status as my grandfather.
Q. Had you in fact known before that evening that you were going to carry this burden ?
A. No, I didn't. No, I had no idea about it at all.
Q. I wonder, do you know now, your Highness, whether or how long your grandfather had had you in mind, rather than anybody else in your family ?
A. I don't know. He had sent all the members of the family out to the Middle East. He had sent out Sadri; he had sent out my brother and myself. My father had been out there a lot and so I did not have any more idea than anyone else.
Q. But you transferred from civil engineering to studying Middle Eastern history didn't you ? That was earlier wasn't it ?
A. That was earlier than when I was nominated, oh! yes.
Q. Didn't that give you some inkling of what was in your grandfather' s mind ?
A. No, because I chose the subject myself.
Q. Oh you did ! Why ?
A. Because it was a subject which interested me and because I had taken Islamic History at school before going to Harvard.
Q. Most people, I think, thought that Aly Khan would inherit the position. Have you been aware at all of any hurt feeling or feeling of disappointment on his part ?
A. I don't think so. I don't think my father would ever hold those sort of feelings towards me. I have never had the least impression of that.
Q. Looking back on it all now, are you left with the feeling that your grandfather or your grandfather and your father together were sort of preparing you with special training all your life for this?
A. No, I don't think so. To be quite frank I don't think so at all. I think that my father very much wanted me to see the community and see the way the community was run and so did my grandfather.
Q. You have had, haven't you, all your life, a pretty strict training in Islamic thoughts and principles?
A. Yes, that I have. Very much so.
Q. Could you detail your regime at all? Could you tell us how it happened?
A. Well, it began in East Africa with a private tutor in Islamic History and in the principles of Islam and then at school we had - that is my brother and myself had - a tutor also.
Q. A religious tutor?
A. A religious tutor and a tutor in history. And then, when I went to Harvard I took Oriental courses there too.
Q. Do you speak Persian yourself ?
A. No, I don't, no.
Q. Now, your being educated at Harvard which, of course, is a top ranking American university - did you have any say in the choice of this particular education? I mean, was there any possibility of your having gone to Oxford? Were you consulted at all?
A. No. My grandfather was very insistent that I should go to an American university.
Q. Did he say why?
A. Yes, he did. He wanted me to see what he considered the modern world and he wanted me to have as modern an education as he felt was possible. And I at first applied to M.I.T. and finally went to Harvard.
Q. But the thing about this is that your grandfather was always very - always often said that he ought to create a bridge between East and West. Now, in his time that meant creating a bridge roughly between Britain and the Middle East. Do you think the fact that you went to Harvard means that the bridge has changed, that it is now between the Middle East and America ?
A. I don't think so. It is very hard for me to discuss the reasons that my grandfather sent me to Harvard, but I think it was more that he wanted me to see the modern economic structure of the country and the pace of life. I think those were the things that really interested him. The scientific discoveries particularly.
Q. Do you like the pace of life?
A. Yes, I find it fascinating.
Q. Could you tell us now, in really quite simple language, exactly what your position is because I think all of us have a romantic idea of the spiritual leader in a great community, but is it for instance proper to compare you with the Pope?
A. No.
Q. Then with what?
A. Well because an Imam holds a religious position but he also guides the Ismailis when they ask for his guidance in secular matters, in business matters, health matters, even sometimes political matters.