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Fw: Agha-Khani Ismaili Cult Exposed [2]
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Haz
Oct 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM10/23/98
to
AGHA KHAN wrote in message ...
>
>FOR THOSE WHO CAN THINK WITHOUT PREJUDICE:
>
>Continued from Part 1:
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>1. In the earlier part it was mentioned that the present Karim Aga
>Khan is not the direct descendant of the Fatimid Imams that ruled
>over Misr (North Africa) between tenth and eleventh centuries. The
>next obvious question would be, whose descendant is he? Many
>historians have recorded that he is the descenedant of a Grand Master
>of Alamut named Hasan II, who was a grandson of a Dai and a successor
>to Hasan I. This Hasan I, also known as Hasan-bin-Sabbah was the first
>Grand Master of the Assassins of Alamut. He is known as the Old Man of
>the Mountain by the western historians. Hasan I was a Dai (Missionary)
>of the Fatimid Imams.
>Other historians claim, Karim Aga Khan is not even a descendant of
>Hasan I or Hasan II. Since all their descendants and followers were
>massacared by the Mongolian soldiers of the famous Chief Halaku Khan
>in 1258 A.D.
>
>2. Please ask an Ismaili to provide you with the Birth Years (please
>note it is the BIRTH years *not DEATH years*) of all the ancestors of
>their present 49th Imam Karim to the 1st Imam Ali. You will notice that
>the BIRTH YEARS (leave aside the birth dates and birth months) of more
>than 25% of these ancestors is NOT KNOWN. Specially, where the geneology
>is being questioned.
>
>3. Ismailis claim they number around 15 million. Please ask them
>to give countrywise ball part figures. They will not be able to
>go over the figure of 3 million, even if they double up their numbers.
>
>4. Here is an interesting situation concerning the future of the
>community. WHO WILL BE THE NEXT IMAM? Rahim and Hussein - the sons of
>Karim and his divorced wife Sally, have not been seen by the Jamat
>for the last several years. It is reported that the elder is not
>interested and is leading a different lifestyle. The younger is
>physically handicapped since last several years without any cure.
>Daughter Zahrah, who was taking interest in the social affairs
>of the Jamat and was considered until recently as the likely candidate
>by many Ismailis, has recently got engaged to a non-Muslim Europen.
>The divorced Karim has no other sons or grandsons. His unmarried brother
>has no issues. WILL THE ISMAILISM COME TO AN END, AS IT HAS MANY A TIMES
>IN THE PAST?
>
>5. Ask 100 Muslims, who was Prophet Muhammad (sas) and you will
>most likely get an uniform answer. Ask 100 Ismailis, who is Karim
>Aga Khan and you will probably get diversified as well as contraditory
>responses.
>
>6. Ask an Ismaili to provide names of published books about
>their Beliefs, Faith, Prayers, Rituals, Ginans (Devotional songs),
>Farmans (Imam's religious pronouncments and directives) and the
>literature that is supplied to the students in their religious
>classes. You will most probably meet a stone wall, even before you go
>to the next question as to where and how to obtain copies.
>
>******************************************************
>****************************************************************
>
>`A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AGAKHANS' (Section I)
>
>"Aga Khan" Is a Pet Name and not a Royal Title
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> "Aqa" (also, Agha or Aga) is a word, said to be of Tatar origin,
>signifying a dignitary or lord. The term was applied by the Turks
>to the chief of the janissaries. "Khan," now degraded by its
>overuse, was a title of nobility, and was also used for a local
>ruler or official. "Aga Khan" is the adopted family name of a
>hereditary spiritual leader (Imam) of the Shiah Nizari Ismailis.
>One of the many legends that have circulated about this
>mysterious religious leader is that the title of "Aga Khan" was
>conferred by the Emperor of Persia upon the great-great-
>grandfather of the present Aga Khan, for his dedicated services
>to the throne. On the contrary, Hassan Ali Shah Mahallati Aga
>Khan I (1804-81), was an unsuccessful insurgent. A one-time
>governor of Kirman in Persia, he had "proclaimed an independent
>government." In the opinion of Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-
>90), a noted orientalist and British spy; the attempt at
>rebellion against the reigning sovereign was "ridiculous."
>
> In 1905, during a trial in the High Court of Bombay,
>Hassan's grandson, Aga Khan III, testified before Justice Russell
>that "Aga Khan" was "not a title but a sort of `alias,' a pet
>name when Hassan Ali was a young man." The pet name was later
>adopted as a hereditary family name by the succeeding Imams, who
>also claim to be the direct descendants of prophet Muhammad
>(sas).
>
> In his autobiography, `Ibrat-afza, written in Persian and
>published in Bombay, Hassan narrated his several unsuccessful
>military encounters in Persia, in which he had been aided by the
>British Raj. According to Sir Richard Burton, he had received
>weapons in quantity from John Company (British), including at
>least two heavy field pieces (cannons).
>
> In 1840, accompanied by a few hundred horsemen, the
>"adventurous and romantic" Hassan (Aga Khan I), fled Persia. The
>defeated political refugee, sought and found sanctuary under the
>protection of the British Raj. Upon his arrival in Afghanistan,
>Hassan provided the mercenary services of his horsemen to the
>British army. In his memoirs, Hassan spelled out his reasons for
>joining the invading army of the British Raj in the conquest of
>Afghanistan and Sind from Muslim rulers. Hassan (a Muslim
>mercenary and so called direct descendant of the prophet!)
>referred to the British as "the people of God" (khalq 'ullah),
>and to his role of acting as a secret agent for the British
>general Sir Charles Napier as "for the sake of God's pleasure"
>(mahd-i rida-yi ilahi).
>
> Nearly a century later, Hassan's grandson, Aga Khan III, was
>proud to record in his own Memoirs the mercenary services of his
>grandfather, which he described as "stout assistance" rendered to
>the British Raj in their process of imperialistic expansion. "For
>these services and for others which he rendered to Sir Charles
>Napier in his conquest of Sind in 1843-4, my grandfather received
>a pension from the British Government." Hassan's ambitions of
>recovering his lost territories from the Shah of Persia, with the
>help of "the people of God" (the British), were never fulfilled.
>However, he did receive a hereditary title of "Highness" which
>the present Karim Aga Khan uses with pride.
>
>1866: A British Court Seals the Fate of a Sunni Muslim Community
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Under the protection of and with aid from the British Raj, Aga
>Hassan Ali Shah - Aga Khan I, successfully established his
>religious authority over a small Muslim "Khojah" community
>of converted Hindus that lived on the west coast of India. The majority of
>these converts had adopted Sunni persuassion, the faith of their orginal
>converters to Islam. These Sheikhs - the converters, are presently known as
>"Pirs of Khojahs" by the Ismailis.
>
> Aga Hassan Ali Shah wrote in his autobiography `Ibrat-afza' that he
>was himself a `Murid' of a Sufi Master Mast `Ali Shah (Haji Zayn
>al-`Abidin Shirwani), who was a successor to Majdhub `Ali Shah,
>the thirty-eighth Qutub of the `Ata Alllah Sufi Order. Hassan Ali
>Shah initiated a new era in the history of these converted mostly Sunni
>"Khojah" Muslims. Ismaili history books records that in 1864, he
>removed the officiating Sunni "Mullah" from the Khojah Mosque in
>Bombay and replaced him with a Shiah "Maulvi". In 1866, the fate
>of this "Khojah" Muslim community was sealed when a British
>judge, Sir Joseph Arnold, passed judgment in favour of the Aga
>Khan on all points, declaring him the undisputed religious leader
>of the "Khojah" community giving him the absolute control over all
>communal property, including prayer houses and burial grounds.
>This was a turning point in the history of the Khojah community.
>
> Historical records and the court documents filed by the Aga
>Khan's counsel show that prior to the arrival of the Aga Khan,
>the majority of the Khojahs observed Sunni rites and rituals,
>with religious ceremonies carried out by Sunni Mullahs. After
>receiving the necessary mandate, Hassan began proselytizing the
>Khojah community. These documents also record that Hassan guided them to
>the creed of his ancestors, which was an Ithna'ashriyyah persuasion of the
>Shiah sect of Islam. Hassan's autobiography records that he himself
>believed in the Imamat of Musa Kazim (the younger brother of Ismail) and
>his descendants. Majority of the historians record that Imam Ismail died
>within the life time of his father Imam Jaffer as Sadiq. Today, the present
>Aga Khan claims to be the designated hereditary direct descendant of Imam
>Ismail. This is a major noteworthy glaring shift, within the last four
>generations of the Aga Khans.
>
> Ismaili historians have recorded that until as late as 1874
>(34 years after his arrival in India), the Aga Khan's authority
>as a religious leader was sharply opposed by some influential
>wealthy members of the community. His followers in Bombay
>objected to "his too great predilection for drinking and
>intriguing with females," according to Sir Richard Burton.
>
> In 1881, Hassan died and was succeeded by his son Aga Ali
>Shah. His leadership lasted for a brief period of four years with
>no major events. His interests in life were horse breeding,
>racing, and big-game hunting. In 1885, Aga Ali Shah died and his
>eight-year-old son, Sultan Muhammad Shah, became Aga Khan III and
>the new leader of the community. The young Imam's mother, Lady
>Ali Shah, who was a very devoted Ithna'ashri Muslimah, became a
>trustee and, behind the scenes, acting leader of the community.
>She was instrumental in the introduction of various
>Ithna'ashriyyah rituals in the community. Some of these rituals
>are currently prevailent as a legacy of Lady Ali Shah who died in 1938.
>
>Aga Khan III, an International Politician
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> In 1898, the young Aga Khan undertook his first tour of
>Europe. On his way, he approached Sultan Abdul Hamid of the Ottoman
>Empire with "an elaborate plan for colonization." The statement
>submitted was prepared by Rabbi Kahn. The plan was based upon Aga
>Khan's Zionist friend Professor Haffkine's masterpiece scheme for
>the establishment of a Jewish settlement "that could be
>progressively undertaken in the Holy Land." Dr. Haffkine had
>suggested before Aga Khan that "the land would be obtained by
>purchase from the Sultan's subjects" whereas "the capital was to be
>provided by wealthier members of the Jewish community."
>
> Aga Khan, who claimed to be an Imam and a direct descendant of
>the prophet, wrote in his Memoirs: "As Haffkine propounded it, I
>thought this sort of Zionism useful and practical." The scheme
>was turned down by the Sultan. The disappointed Aga Khan wrote:
>"I must say its rejection has always seemed to me one of Abdul
>Hamid's greatest blunders." Today, looking at what is happening
>in Palestine, I but cannot refrain from quoting a passage from
>the Ismaili Du'a (ritual prayer), with a bewilderment and a doubt.
>The passage recited is a "fragmented" portion of the verse 36:12
>of the Holy Qur'an. The translation thereof, as it appears in the
>Du'a book including the words within the parentheses, reads;
>"And We have vested (the knowledge and authority) of everything
>in the manifest Imam."
>
> As long as the British Raj ruled in India, "the secret
>services of the Aga Khan III were in constant demand." He was an
>"Ambassador without Portfolio" for the British. In his Memoirs,
>he proudly referred to such services as "secret diplomatic
>missions." Besides several other titles, he received "the highest
>decoration which it was possible for any Indian subject of the
>Crown to receive (K.G.C.S.I.)," records Aga Khan.
>
> In 1930, the Aga Khan led the British Indian delegation to
>the Round Table conference held in London. In 1934, following the
>Second Round Table conference, the Aga Khan approached the
>British Government of India with a request to give him a
>territorial State so that he could join the company of Indian
>Maharajahs and Princes. Sultan Muhammad Shah - Aga Khan the
>third, was greatly disappointed when his offer was rejected by
>the Mcdonald government. In 1937, he represented the British
>Indian government in the League of Nations. Thereafter, he was
>elected president of this prestigious international organization.
>
>Aga Khan introduces "Ali is truly Allah" as the Confession of Faith
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Aga Khan III enjoyed a long life. During his 72 years of
>Imamat (leadership), from 1885 to 1957, he changed the course of
>history for the Khojah community. Socially and economically, Khojah
>community made great progress, and so did the Aga Khan. He became
>one of the richest men on earth, and a leading breeder and owner of
>thoroughbred horses. Between 1930 and 1936, his horses made history
>in the racing world by winning several prestigious racing events in
>Europe. His grandson - Karim Aga Khan, has carried on the family
>tradition on the turf of horse racing.
>
> During his leadership, Aga Khan III was literally weighed by
>his followers; in Silver at Bombay, in Gold at Bombay and Nairobi,
>in the rented industrial Diamonds at Bombay and Dar-es-Salaam, and
>finally in Platinum at Cairo and Karachi. Aga Khan gave back to the
>community welfare projects, the money collected for these token
>ceremonies.
>
> Long before the arrival of the Aga Khans in India, Khojah
>families had settled in East Africa, especially on the island of
>Zanzibar. The Aga Khan III, encouraged his followers to emigrate to
>East Africa in greater numbers. Many of these families became
>prosperous businessmen. Today, the majority of the descendants of
>these pioneers have resettled in Europe and North America.
>
> Aga Khan was also successful in changing course of the
>religious path of the community. The Ithna'ashriyyah rites and
>rituals that his mother and grandfather had introduced in the
>community were systematically thrown out by him. The jobs of the
>Shiah Maulvis were taken over by his close relatives and paid
>missionaries. Aga Khan introduced new theological concepts and
>sacred practices. Many of which attributed explicit divinity to
>Hazrat Ali, such as; reciting of "Ali is truly Allah" as an
>integral part of the Shahadah (Declaration of Faith), in their
>daily ritual prayers called Du'a. This was the beginning of the
>third and final proselytization in the history of the Khojah
>community. Today, Ismailis recite "Aliyyullah" in their ritual Du'a
>which translates; "Ali, the Allah".
>
> In 1905, the Aga Khan won a major civil suit brought against
>him by his relatives. One of the significant issues decided by the
>court was concerning the persuasion of the Khojah community. The
>judgment document declared the members to be "Shiah Ismailis".
>During this historic trial, the plaintiff's counsel suggested that
>the presiding judge Mr.Russell should not try the case, as he was
>a friend of Aga Khan - the defendant. In his judgment document,
>Justice Russell admitted: "I had exchanged calls with the Aga Khan
>and had dined twice with him and had asked him to dinner and he had
>not been able to come."
>
> In 1906, Aga Khan dismissed the traditionally elected "Khojah
>Joostis" (jurisprudent committees), of the community. In
>replacement thereof, Aga Khan established "Ismailia Councils" and
>appointed office-bearers and members for the Councils. The practice
>is prevalent to this day. In 1910, Aga Khan promulgated a legally
>drafted "Shiah Imami Ismaili Constitution" and ordained it under
>his personal seal. Thereafter, Aga Khan made a Farman (Royal
>Decree) commanding the followers to abide by the Constitution. The
>opening article 1.1 of the most recent Constitution ordained in
>1986 by the Hazar (present) Imam - Karim Aga Khan reads;
>
> "Mawlana Hazar Imam has inherent right and absolute and
>unfettered power and authority over and in respect of all religious
>and Jamati matters of the Ismailis."
>
> Below are the faithful reproductions of the Arabic transliteration,
>the English translation and the Gujrati translation (transliterated) of the
>phrase "Aliyyullah", as they appears in the book of Ismaili Du'a,
officially
>published by `The Shia Imami Ismailia Assiciation for Africa, Kenya',
1963:-
>
>The Arabic transliteration:
> "La ilaha illallaha, Mohammedur-Rasoolullahi, Aliyyun
>Amirul-mu'mineen Aliyyullah:"
>
>The English translation:
> "There is no deity except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah,
>Aly, the master of the believers, is from Allah."
>
>The Gujrati translation (transliterated) of the phrase "Aliyyullah":
> Please note the words within the parantheses are NOT mine, they do
>appear in the book of Dua:
>
> "Allah mahthi chhe (ane te ejh chhe)"
>which means; "Is from Allah (and is the same)".
>
>Here is a further clarification of the enigmatic phrase and its paradoxical
>translations:
>
> The phrase "Aliyyullah" is a combination of two words. "Aliyyun"
and
>"Allah". When these two words are joined together, the letter "n" becomes
>silent and the phrase is read as "Aliyyullah. The word "Aliyyun" translates
>"The Ali", and the word "Allah" translates "The God". Hence, the phrase
>"Aliyyullah" means "The Ali, The God". In the Ismaili terminology it
>signifies "The Aga Khan (The 49th Ali), The God".
>
> The English translation which reads in the Du'a book "is from
Allah"
>is just a smoke screen. The Gujrati translation with its elucidation within
>the brackets, removes that smoke screen. Furthermore, the Arabic word for
>"from" is "min", which does not appear in the Arabic text of the `Kalimah
>Shahadah'.
>
>Agakhan A Direct Descendant Of The Fatimid Caliphs!!!
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> In 1935, the Aga Khan's department for religious propagation
>and publications, Bombay, printed and distributed a book in Gujrati
>`Noorum-Mubin - A Glorious History Of The Ismaili Imams'.
>Aga Khan's genealogy was designated by the author - A. J. Chunara,
>as a "Sacred Rope of Allah" (Hab'lillah). During his Golden Jubilee
>year, Aga Khan the third, highly recommended his followers to read
>this newly published book.
>
> Although, many essential historical data were missing, the
>author had linked the Aga Khan's ancestry with the Grand Masters of
>the dreaded `Assassins' - a heretical sect of Islam, that
>flourished in Persia and Syria between 11th and 12th centuries. The
>current term `assassination' has its root from this community of
>Assassins. Most of the latter day Grand Masters claimed themselves
>to be the `Nizari Imams' of the Ismailis. These Nizari Imams were
>in turn shown as the hereditary physical descendants of the Fatimid
>Caliphs, who ruled in North Africa, Egypt, and Syria from 909 to
>1171. Many western scholars such as Marshall G. Hodgson and Bernard
>Lewis have doubted the authenticity of the advocated `physical
>descent' and suggested, it was but a kind of "Spiritual Filiation"
>(esoteric descent), which, with the succeeding generations became
>a physical linkage in the fullest sense.
>
> One of the Grand Masters of the Persian Assassins, Jalal al-
>Din Hasan - the 25th Nizari Imam, had publicly repudiated his
>grandfather's claim for being a physical descendant of the Fatimid
>Caliphs. He proclaimed himself a Sunni Muslim. Made a complete
>turnabout from the heretical Nizari doctrines and demanded from his
>followers a strict observance of the Islamic Shari'ah Laws. In
>1210, Jalal died of poisoning. His son, Grand Master Ala-uddin
>Muhammad - the 26th Nizari Imam, was a "sickly and unbalanced
>corrupt figure". In 1255, Ala-uddin; "died ignominiously,
>slaughtered with an axe by the hand of a former homosexual lover"
>records, Edward Burman of the University of Leeds in his book `The
>Assassins - Holy Killers Of Islam' (Aquarian Press, Great Britain).
>In 1256, the soldiers of Hulega Khan, razed to the ground all the
>fortresses and stronghold of the dreaded Assassins. The 27th and
>the last Imam of the Nizari Ismailis in Alamut "and his followers
>were kicked to a pulp and then put to the sword; and of him and his
>stock not trace was left..." writes professor Bernard Lewis, in his
>book `The Assassins', quoting historian Ata Malik Juvayni (1226-
>83).
>
> In India, Aga Khan the third, gradually replaced the hitherto
>popular term "Khojah" with "Imami Ismailis", in the community
>documents and literatures printed by his department for religious
>propaganda called "The Recreation Club". The so called "Club"
>lateron became "Ismailia Association". Today, the same organization
>is known as "The Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education
>Board." The term "Ismaili" is derived from Ismail - the eldest son
>of Imam J'afar as Sadiq. Ismailis consider Imam J'afar as their
>fifth Imam and the physical descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.).
>Ismailis only recognize Hadhrat Ali's son - Husayn, as their Imam.
>The rest of the Shiahs recognize both the sons Hassan and Husayn,
>as their Imams and therefore they consider Imam J'afar as their
>Sixth Imam. According to the documents and historical accounts
>accepted by the vast majority of Shiahs (nearly 90%), Ismail died
>before his father. His younger brother, Musa Kazim, succeeded Imam
>J'afar and became the next Imam. Those who chose to depart from the
>mainstream Shiahs contended that Imam Ismail died after his father.
>Ismaili historians record that the funeral procession as well as
>the burial ceremony of Ismail did take place in Medina during the
>life time of his father, but, those were "mere ruse to mislead the
>enemies." This minority group became known as the "Seveners". The
>Nizari Ismailis comprise one group of the Seveners.
>
> Those who accepted Musa Kazim as their Seventh Imam became
>known as the "Twelvers" (Ithna'ashariyyahs), when their 12th and
>the last living Imam, disappeared into the cellar of his family
>home. The Twelvers claim that their last Imam has gone into
>"occultation." Ismailis on the other hand claim, an Imam never goes
>into hiding or occultation. Ismailis vehemently contend, if an Imam
>was to disappear or to pass away without designating his own
>physical descendant as the next Imam, the world would come to an
>end. They proudly declare, their Imams have - in spite of political
>and religious persecutions - survived, and, are ever present
>(Hazar) to lead the community. They prefer to call the present Aga
>Khan as "Mawlana Hazar Imam". Having an absolute faith in the
>doctrine of `a living Imam' is the absolute prerequisite for being
>an Ismaili.
>
> Here is the pinnacle of paradox: It is a documented fact that
>Aga Khan I and II, their ancestors in Persia, the horsemen who
>accompanied the Aga Khan I from Persia, and the mother of Aga Khan
>III were all dedicated Twelver Shiahs. They lived and died
>believing in the Imamate of Musa Kazim and his descendants. This
>fact is evident from the court documents, from the Memoirs written
>by two Aga Khans, and also from the inscriptions on the tombs of
>their ancestors in Persia. Ignoring such incontrovertible evidence,
>Ismailis continue to acknowledge, as well as recite in their
>prayers, that Aga Khan I and II were their 46th and 47th Imams, and
>that their ancestors in Persia were the preceding Imams. In other
>words, Ismailis assert that these individuals were in fact
>legitimate descendants of Imam Ismail, but for some inexplicable
>reason they had accepted the faith of those who had repudiated
>Ismail's claim to the Imamate. To say otherwise would be to
>discredit the authors of the Memoirs, their 46th and 48th Imams!
>
>
>( To be continued)
>
>Akbarally Meherally
>
>-----------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Continued from Part 2:
>
>`A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AGAKHANS' Section 2
>
>A Division Among The Followers Of The Aga Khan
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> The evidence presented before Justice Russell, in the Haji
>Bibi Case (Bombay - 1905), shows that Aga Khan the third, had
>introduced a "Du'a" (ritual prayer in Gujarati), upon his
>succession to the leadership of the Khojah community. Today, it is
>known as the Old (Gatpat) Du'a. In this daily prayer, the Aga
>Khan's physical ancestral lineage was devotedly recited. The family
>tree extended upwards from Hadhrat Ali to Shree Rama and Shree
>Krishna and continued further to the very First Incarnation (Fish),
>of the famous "Ten Incarnations" (Das-Avataras) of the Lord Vishnu.
>Thus, the Aga Khan was worshipped as; a physical manifestation of
>the `Noor' (Light) of Allah, the Tenth and Final Avatara (`Naklank'
>or `Kalkin') of the Lord Vishnu and the direct descendant of
>prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) from Hadhrat Ali (a.s.).
>
> The followers of Aga Khan also used to recite, on the night of
>the New Moon (Chandrat), as well as on various occasions, a very
>devotional `Hymn in Gujarati' (Ginan), entitled "Das-Avatar". It
>was believed that mere listening to this Ginan, at the end moment
>of an Ismaili, would assure him/her of `Mok'sh' (Salvation) and the
>`Noorani Deedar' (Spiritual glimpse) of Noor Mawlana Hazar Imam
>Shah Sultan Muhammad Shah - Aga Khan the third, in the hereafter.
>Today, the Du'a has been changed. Before the western media, the
>present Aga Khan vehemently denies "Divinity". The fact that the
>Du'a had to be changed, the "Divinity" had to be denied publicly,
>indicates the growing influence of the Islamic Shariyya Laws on the
>world stage. Yet, to say otherwise would not only go against all
>the Ismaili religious practices, but even expose the "religion" to
>the charge of hypocrisy. HOW COULD A GOD CEASE TO BE A GOD? The
>present Aga Khan has yet to throw out `Ginans' recited in the
>Jamatkhanas, which even today attributed "Absolute Divinity" to Ali
>and thereby to him. One such popular Ginan is entitled "Haq tu- Pak
>tu".
>
> The introduction of the innovated `Shahadah' in the Gujarati
>Du'a which declared "Ali, truly Allah", became the basis of a major
>division among the followers of Aga Khan. In 1901, a small group of
>reprimanded followers, who had been admonished by the Ithna'ashriyya
>Mullahs during their visitation of Karbala, approached the Aga Khan with a
>special request. These followers were advised by the Iraqi Mullahs that the
>worship of Ali or Aga Khan as an Incarnation, Manifestation and/or
>Associate of Allah (SWT) nullifies their prayers, voids their fasting,
>pilgrimages, zakah, etc., and the eternal hell would be their place of
abode
>in the hereafter. The special request was to replace the enigmatic
>"Declaration of Faith" from the newly introduced Gujarati Du'a,
>with the one that declared Ali to be "the beloved of Allah" ("Ali-
>un-Wally-Allah"). Such a Declaration was professed by the rest of
>the Shiahs. The young Aga Khan was adamant and refused to amend or
>discard the "heretic" Declaration. He insisted, if the phrase that
>attributed "Divinity" to Ali (there by to himself, the 48th Ali)
>was to be discarded, then the entire Du'a should be throw out by
>his followers. The enlightened followers, having failed in their
>mission, decided to revert back to the original Ithna'ashriyya
>persuasion of their ancestors. A persuasion which was practised and
>professed by Aga Khan the first. The splinter group renounced the
>leadership of Aga Khan and established the Khojah Ithna'ashriyya
>Jama'at in Bombay. From there it spread to the rest of India and
>Africa. Due to this split many Khojah families in India and Africa
>were divided. They continue to remain so, until now. Today, Khojah
>Ismailis say; "Ithna'ashri Khojahs are the Dissidents." The Khojah
>Ithna'ashris say; "Ismaili Khojahs are the one who have abandoned
>the faith of their forefathers."
>
> The frustrated Aga Khan made a religious pronouncement
>(Farman), ordering his followers to sever all social and religious
>contacts with these so called Dissidents. Any of his follower,
>taking part in the marriage, or mourning of a Dissident could be
>excommunicated by the Ismailia Council, under the Rule Number 142
>of the `Ismailia Constitution', ordained by the Aga Khan. The
>hatred between the two groups took a violent turn. Aga Khan's Mukhi
>(Chief Priest) for Bombay - Hassan, was stabbed with a knife by an
>Ithna'ashri named Killu. Earlier, some Ismaili fanatics had
>severely beaten Killu and made him temporarily invalid. Killu
>admitted to the killing and was sentenced to death by hanging. The
>court trials, as well as the subsequent funeral procession and
>burial of Killu, brought the Dissident Khojahs out in the open. In
>1901, two Ismaili `Fida'is' (the terminology has its root in the
>`self sacrificing' Nizari Ismailis of the 12th century, known as
>the `Assassins of Alamut') attacked three Dissidents. Two
>Ithna'ashris died and one survived.
>
> Aga Khan's deep rooted hatred for the faith of his parents and
>grand parents (Ithna'ashrism) is glaringly visible in the quoted
>`Farman' made by him from Zanzibar on July 13, 1899.
> "Within ten, twenty or thirty years, the Ithna'ashri religion
>will be worn out. After 100 years the Ithna'ashri religion will not
>exist at all. It will not exist in Iran either because that
>religion's base is not on Aq'l (the power of reasoning). Our
>religion's base is on Aq'l." (Translation is from the Book of
>Farmans in Gujarati).
>
>Note: In the next four years, it will be 100 years to the above
>Farman. Today, the trend among the enlightened Ismailis is to
>revert back to the ancestral Tariqah of their forefathers. The one
>that was practised before the arrival of the Aga Khans in India,
>which was the Sunni Tariqah of Islam.
>
> Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), the founder of Pakistan, was
>also by birth an Ismaili Khojah. He and the most of his family
>members joined the groups of the so called Dissident Khojah
>Ithna'ashris and remained so until their last days. Mr. Jinnah's
>closest associate and a prominent Pakistani industrialist, Mr.
>M.A.H. Isphani, wrote: "Qaid-e-Azam (Mohammed Ali Jinnah) told me
>that...when he was twenty-one, decided to quit the ranks of the
>Ismailis and join the Isna Ashari fold. ...that he tried to
>persuade the Aga Khan himself to abandon his headship of Ismailis
>and to join the ranks of the Isna Asharis, to which sect most of
>the members of the Aga Khan's own family belonged."
>
>Aga Khan becomes the Imam of Muhammad Shahi Syrian Ismailis
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Rashid al-Din Sinan was a personal friend and a chief Da'i
>of Hassan II. Hassan, the Grand Master of Persian Assassins, had
>fraudulently declared himself an Imam. In 1166, Hassan was stabbed
>to death by his own brother-in-law for making the factitious
>claim. Hassan's son Muhammad II, developed enmity with the chief
>Da'i Sinan. Muhammad's attempt to kill Sinan failed. Sinan who
>had moved to Syria, now established his own domain and became the
>Grand Master and Imam of the Syrian Assassins.
>
> In 1256, almost all of the Persian Assassins were massacred
>by the Mongolian army. In 1273, the Syrian Assassins were also
>annihilated by the army of Mamluk Sultan Baybars. Thus, the
>Nizari Ismailis in Persia and Syria, who were better known as the
>heretic Assassins, lost their political power. "Ismailism
>stagnated as a minor heresy in Persia and Syria, with little or
>no political importance", writes Bernard Lewis in his book
>`Assassins'.
>
> In the realm of religion, nearly two centuries after their
>political downfall, the community of Nizari Ismailis split into
>two branches. Those who chose to follow Muhammad Shah, the elder
>son of the late Imam Mu'min Shah, became known as the "Muhammad
>Shahi Nizari Ismailis". The others who opted for the younger son
>named Qasim Shah were known as the "Qasim Shahi Nizari Ismailis".
>The Agakhans claim to be the descendants of Imam Qasim Shah.
>After this major split, there came the period of hiding (Dawr-i
>Satr) for the Nizari Imams. The Ismaili historians say; the
>period of hiding lasted for nearly three centuries. The
>historians have practically no records of the descendants of Imam
>Qasim Shah, from 1480 to 1722 A.D. The majority of Syrians who
>had become Muhammad Shahi Ismailis, also lost contact with their
>fortieth Imam, Amir Muhammad al Baqir, who had been living in
>southern India. They were desperately looking for a successor.
>
> In 1888, a delegation of Sheikhs, representing a small group
>of exploring Syrians called Hajjawis came to India. In Bombay
>they met the young Aga Khan. The desperate Sheikhs accepted the
>Imamate of Aga Khan, who was claiming to be a descendant of the
>rival branch. In the archives of the Ismailia Council in
>Salamiyya, Syria, there is a letter bearing the seal of Aga Khan,
>written in 1307 A.H. (1890 A.D.).
>
> In 1895, Aga Khan commanded his newly converted Syrian
>followers to substitute the Islamic Salah with the Gujarati Du'a,
>which he had introduced to his followers in India and Africa.
>Dick Douwes and Norman N. Lewis write in `The Trial of Syrian
>Ismailis'; "Some of the main innovations concerned the `salat',
>or ritual prayer: the Isma'ilis were now bidden to meet for
>prayer only twice a day, around a table on which a portrait of
>the Imam was placed and towards which the worshippers were to
>turn, instead of in the direction of Mecca. Many of the prayers
>were to be said in Urdu. Among the formulae to be pronounced were
>the words, "Ali Allah, sahi Allah" (`Ali is God, truly God)."
>(p.218). Nauzbillah!
>
> The Aga Khan appointed two Sheikhs from his Syrian
>followers, as his accredited representatives to collect Zakat,
>Khums and other donations. In 1901, three Syrian Ismailis were
>arrested in Tripoli as they were leaving for Bombay. They were
>carrying letters and money collected by these Sheikhs for the Aga
>Khan. The Sheikhs were arrested from Salamiyya on the charges of
>illegal "money-laundering". These leaders were charged with
>murder, attempted murder, and the use of violence for collecting
>money for the Aga Khan, records Douwes and Lewis. In 1903, the
>prisoners were tried in Damascus. In 1905, the Court issued a
>verdict condemning all the accused to life imprisonment.
>
> In 1919 and 1920, the Syrian Ismailis suffered another major
>setback. They were repeated raided by the bands of Nusseirys, led
>by Sheikh Saleh El-Ali. The heretics (Ismailis) were obliged to
>surrender all their possessions. Nusseirys killed the males. "The
>Ismaili women and children, left the town bared-foot, and semi-
>naked" records a Syrian Ismaili scholar, Moustapha Ghaleb in `The
>Ismailis of Syria."
>
> Six years ago in 1989, United States Federal Agents arrested
>three groups of Agakhani Ismailis in Dallas, Seattle and New York
>on the charges of illegal money-laundering. A total of thirteen
>Ismailis, eleven men and two women were charged. Five pleaded
>guilty. The illegal money-laundering operation stretched from
>United States to London and Switzerland, as well as from United
>States to Canada, London and Belgium. This was the largest money-
>laundering operation ever uncovered in North Texas and one of the
>largest in USA.
>
> Vincent Perini, a lawyer representing one of the Ismaili
>Mukhis (the chief representative of the community), who had
>illegally taken more than US$ 30 million in currency out of USA,
>between 1985 and 1987, said; the sect's members are required to
>give 12 percent to 25 percent of pre-tax income to the Aga Khan,
>a billionaire resident of Paris. "Traditionally, members of the
>community literally take the money in the form of cash to the Aga
>Khan, and traditionally there was secrecy involved," added
>Perini.
>
>Aga Khan's three Marriages and one Mut`ah
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> At young age, Aga Khan fell in love with his uncle's beautiful
>daughter, Shahzadi Begum. In 1896, the marriage between Shahzadi
>and Sultan (A.K.III) was celebrated with grandeur and splendour in
>Poona (India). Mihir Bose records in his much publicized book `The
>Aga Khans'; "The Aga was seeking to make his mark as an Anglicized
>Indian in Western society, and his wife, brought up in strict
>Jenana quarters could hardly follow there. As the Aga moved into
>the wide world, his wife languished in the closed world, full of
>`resentment and reproach'."
>
> In 1908, Aga Khan who had left his beautiful wife back home,
>lost his heart to a pubescent teenage ballerina "Ginetta" (Miss
>Magliano), during his visit to France. In his `Memoirs' Aga Khan
>wrote: "I made the acquaintance of Mlle. Theresa Magliano, one of
>the most promising young dancers of the Ballet Opera of Monte
>Carlo, a ballerina..." In his Will document, Aga Khan wrote: "In
>the year One thousand nine hundred and eight I was married to
>CLEOPE TERESA MAGLIANO according to the Muta form of marriage..."
>In `The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam' under the heading Mut`ah,
>one reads; "Mut`ah: A marriage stipulated to be temporary,
>sometimes called a `marriage of pleasure'."
>
> Out of this union of a French Ballerina and a Persian Imam,
>two sons were born. Giussepe Mahdi Khan the eldest, died in 1911.
>Aly Salomone Khan who lived to be a legendary playboy, was the
>second. In the archives of the Turin town hall (Italy), there
>exists a record of the birth of Aly Salomone from the union of an
>unmarried 22 years old Teresa, with 34 years old His Highness the
>Aga Khan.
>
> In 1930, Aga Khan sent Aly Khan to Syria to visit his
>followers with his special `Holy Farman'. The Farman pronounced;
>"We are sending our son to you. Consider his arrival as my arrival.
>We are appointing our Prince as our `Wali-ahad' meaning, the
>successor to our throne." Members of the Syrian Jama'at took Bay'ah
>(oath of allegiance) at the hand of their future Imam and offered
>Nazrana (gifts). Almost every magazine and home of Ismailis in
>India and Africa had a photo of young Prince dressed in white Arab
>dress riding a white Arabian horse, taken during his visit to
>Syria, with captions "H.S.H. Prince Aly Khan Heir Apparent to
>Mowlana Hazar Imam".
>
> Within 27 years, the infallible Mowlana Hazar Imam realized
>that his `Holy Farman' had to be recanted. The beloved "Wali-ahad"
>did not live a life expected of a future Imam. In the June 1995
>issue of an American magazine `Vanity Fair', there is a
>spellbinding twelve page article `The Goddess and the Playboy'
>describing the "relentless pursuit of speed, sport, and women" by
>Prince Aly Khan. Aga Khan by his Will document, without making a
>mention of his earlier pronouncement, made Aly Khan's son Karim as
>his successor to the throne of Imamate.
>
> This recantation surprised his followers all over the world.
>They began asking questions; Did the infallible Mowlana Hazar Imam
>really erred? Can the 1400 years old Ismaili tradition and the
>Shiah Law "that the issue of a son is not an heir if there be a son
>alive", be broken? According to the deep rooted Ismaili tradition
>and uncompromising conviction, Hazar Imam's "Holy Farmans" are to
>be reckoned as the verses of the "Speaking Qur'an". At any given
>time and place they can supersede the verses of the so called
>"Silent or Book Qur'an". Based upon this conviction, the majority
>of the Agakhani Ismailis have done away with most essential basic
>Qur'anic Laws, such as; performing of greater or lesser ablutions
>before praying, facing towards qiblah while praying, takbir al-
>ihram, qiyam, ruku, salat al-jum'ah, physical fasting during the
>month of Ramadhan, hajj as well as the "Oneness" of Kalimah
>Shahadah.
>
> Biographer Willie Frischauer records in his book `The Aga
>Khans'; "Bettina (one of Aly's several girl friends) wrote: `To Aly
>it seemed that his father's preference for his son was a kind of
>public humiliation for him...He was never quite the same from that
>day on." When Aly Khan declared that he too had taken the Bay'ah of
>his own son Karim as his "Hazar Imam"; Karim became the spiritual
>father of his own father, according to the Ismaili tradition. In
>1960, the mortified Aly Khan was killed in a tragic car crash. He
>suffered crushed chest, fractured skull, broken neck and legs in
>that fatal accident.
>
> Aga Khan's third marriage in 1929 was with a French brunette,
>Andree Carron. Aga Khan's wealth and persuasion failed to convert
>this Roman Catholic girl to accept Islam. Out of this Muslim and
>Catholic union was born Aga Khan's third son Sadruddin Khan. In
>1938, Aga Khan who was nearly 60, met a tall French beauty
>contestant named Yvette in Cairo. Six years later, Aga Khan
>divorced his third wife Andree and married Yvette Lebrusse - "Miss
>Lyon" 1930 and "Miss Universe" contestant 1931. Aga Khan converted
>his fourth wife to Islam and named her "Umme Habibah". She
>accompanied the weak and ailing Aga Khan at all social and
>religious gatherings.
>
> In 1953, during his visit of Africa, there was "a subversive
>campaign among members of the sect calling for his and Aly's
>abdication from their spiritual leadership" records, `Vanity Fair'
>(June 1995). The campaign grew to such a proportion that at a
>special meeting of the Ismailia Council, held at the hotel suite of
>the Aga Khan, a decision was taken that "all members of the East
>African communities be requested to sign a declaration of loyalty
>to the Aga Khan, or be excommunicated if they refused." This was
>too much of a shock for the old and weakened Aga Khan.
>
> In 1954, Aga Khan was virtually crippled suffering from
>lumbago and sciatica. He could barely walk two yards, writes Mihir
>Bose. Three years later, the debilitated and ailing Aga Khan, who
>was now also suffering from a prolonged cancer, died. His grandson
>Karim became the 49th Hazar Imam of the community and `Aga Khan the
>Fourth' to carry on the family tradition.
>
>(Continued - See Section 3)
>
>Akbarally Meherally
>-----------------------------------------
>
>
>--
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Allah, no god except Allah, the Creator, The One, The Merciful, The
> Forgiving, The Compassionate, Allah The God Of Abraham, Moses, Jesus,
> Muhammad (peace upon them all) true Prophets of God.
>
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>FOR THOSE WHO CAN THINK WITHOUT PREJUDICE:
>
>Continued from Part 1:
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>1. In the earlier part it was mentioned that the present Karim Aga
>Khan is not the direct descendant of the Fatimid Imams that ruled
>over Misr (North Africa) between tenth and eleventh centuries. The
>next obvious question would be, whose descendant is he? Many
>historians have recorded that he is the descenedant of a Grand Master
>of Alamut named Hasan II, who was a grandson of a Dai and a successor
>to Hasan I. This Hasan I, also known as Hasan-bin-Sabbah was the first
>Grand Master of the Assassins of Alamut. He is known as the Old Man of
>the Mountain by the western historians. Hasan I was a Dai (Missionary)
>of the Fatimid Imams.
>Other historians claim, Karim Aga Khan is not even a descendant of
>Hasan I or Hasan II. Since all their descendants and followers were
>massacared by the Mongolian soldiers of the famous Chief Halaku Khan
>in 1258 A.D.
>
>2. Please ask an Ismaili to provide you with the Birth Years (please
>note it is the BIRTH years *not DEATH years*) of all the ancestors of
>their present 49th Imam Karim to the 1st Imam Ali. You will notice that
>the BIRTH YEARS (leave aside the birth dates and birth months) of more
>than 25% of these ancestors is NOT KNOWN. Specially, where the geneology
>is being questioned.
>
>3. Ismailis claim they number around 15 million. Please ask them
>to give countrywise ball part figures. They will not be able to
>go over the figure of 3 million, even if they double up their numbers.
>
>4. Here is an interesting situation concerning the future of the
>community. WHO WILL BE THE NEXT IMAM? Rahim and Hussein - the sons of
>Karim and his divorced wife Sally, have not been seen by the Jamat
>for the last several years. It is reported that the elder is not
>interested and is leading a different lifestyle. The younger is
>physically handicapped since last several years without any cure.
>Daughter Zahrah, who was taking interest in the social affairs
>of the Jamat and was considered until recently as the likely candidate
>by many Ismailis, has recently got engaged to a non-Muslim Europen.
>The divorced Karim has no other sons or grandsons. His unmarried brother
>has no issues. WILL THE ISMAILISM COME TO AN END, AS IT HAS MANY A TIMES
>IN THE PAST?
>
>5. Ask 100 Muslims, who was Prophet Muhammad (sas) and you will
>most likely get an uniform answer. Ask 100 Ismailis, who is Karim
>Aga Khan and you will probably get diversified as well as contraditory
>responses.
>
>6. Ask an Ismaili to provide names of published books about
>their Beliefs, Faith, Prayers, Rituals, Ginans (Devotional songs),
>Farmans (Imam's religious pronouncments and directives) and the
>literature that is supplied to the students in their religious
>classes. You will most probably meet a stone wall, even before you go
>to the next question as to where and how to obtain copies.
>
>******************************************************
>****************************************************************
>
>`A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AGAKHANS' (Section I)
>
>"Aga Khan" Is a Pet Name and not a Royal Title
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> "Aqa" (also, Agha or Aga) is a word, said to be of Tatar origin,
>signifying a dignitary or lord. The term was applied by the Turks
>to the chief of the janissaries. "Khan," now degraded by its
>overuse, was a title of nobility, and was also used for a local
>ruler or official. "Aga Khan" is the adopted family name of a
>hereditary spiritual leader (Imam) of the Shiah Nizari Ismailis.
>One of the many legends that have circulated about this
>mysterious religious leader is that the title of "Aga Khan" was
>conferred by the Emperor of Persia upon the great-great-
>grandfather of the present Aga Khan, for his dedicated services
>to the throne. On the contrary, Hassan Ali Shah Mahallati Aga
>Khan I (1804-81), was an unsuccessful insurgent. A one-time
>governor of Kirman in Persia, he had "proclaimed an independent
>government." In the opinion of Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-
>90), a noted orientalist and British spy; the attempt at
>rebellion against the reigning sovereign was "ridiculous."
>
> In 1905, during a trial in the High Court of Bombay,
>Hassan's grandson, Aga Khan III, testified before Justice Russell
>that "Aga Khan" was "not a title but a sort of `alias,' a pet
>name when Hassan Ali was a young man." The pet name was later
>adopted as a hereditary family name by the succeeding Imams, who
>also claim to be the direct descendants of prophet Muhammad
>(sas).
>
> In his autobiography, `Ibrat-afza, written in Persian and
>published in Bombay, Hassan narrated his several unsuccessful
>military encounters in Persia, in which he had been aided by the
>British Raj. According to Sir Richard Burton, he had received
>weapons in quantity from John Company (British), including at
>least two heavy field pieces (cannons).
>
> In 1840, accompanied by a few hundred horsemen, the
>"adventurous and romantic" Hassan (Aga Khan I), fled Persia. The
>defeated political refugee, sought and found sanctuary under the
>protection of the British Raj. Upon his arrival in Afghanistan,
>Hassan provided the mercenary services of his horsemen to the
>British army. In his memoirs, Hassan spelled out his reasons for
>joining the invading army of the British Raj in the conquest of
>Afghanistan and Sind from Muslim rulers. Hassan (a Muslim
>mercenary and so called direct descendant of the prophet!)
>referred to the British as "the people of God" (khalq 'ullah),
>and to his role of acting as a secret agent for the British
>general Sir Charles Napier as "for the sake of God's pleasure"
>(mahd-i rida-yi ilahi).
>
> Nearly a century later, Hassan's grandson, Aga Khan III, was
>proud to record in his own Memoirs the mercenary services of his
>grandfather, which he described as "stout assistance" rendered to
>the British Raj in their process of imperialistic expansion. "For
>these services and for others which he rendered to Sir Charles
>Napier in his conquest of Sind in 1843-4, my grandfather received
>a pension from the British Government." Hassan's ambitions of
>recovering his lost territories from the Shah of Persia, with the
>help of "the people of God" (the British), were never fulfilled.
>However, he did receive a hereditary title of "Highness" which
>the present Karim Aga Khan uses with pride.
>
>1866: A British Court Seals the Fate of a Sunni Muslim Community
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Under the protection of and with aid from the British Raj, Aga
>Hassan Ali Shah - Aga Khan I, successfully established his
>religious authority over a small Muslim "Khojah" community
>of converted Hindus that lived on the west coast of India. The majority of
>these converts had adopted Sunni persuassion, the faith of their orginal
>converters to Islam. These Sheikhs - the converters, are presently known as
>"Pirs of Khojahs" by the Ismailis.
>
> Aga Hassan Ali Shah wrote in his autobiography `Ibrat-afza' that he
>was himself a `Murid' of a Sufi Master Mast `Ali Shah (Haji Zayn
>al-`Abidin Shirwani), who was a successor to Majdhub `Ali Shah,
>the thirty-eighth Qutub of the `Ata Alllah Sufi Order. Hassan Ali
>Shah initiated a new era in the history of these converted mostly Sunni
>"Khojah" Muslims. Ismaili history books records that in 1864, he
>removed the officiating Sunni "Mullah" from the Khojah Mosque in
>Bombay and replaced him with a Shiah "Maulvi". In 1866, the fate
>of this "Khojah" Muslim community was sealed when a British
>judge, Sir Joseph Arnold, passed judgment in favour of the Aga
>Khan on all points, declaring him the undisputed religious leader
>of the "Khojah" community giving him the absolute control over all
>communal property, including prayer houses and burial grounds.
>This was a turning point in the history of the Khojah community.
>
> Historical records and the court documents filed by the Aga
>Khan's counsel show that prior to the arrival of the Aga Khan,
>the majority of the Khojahs observed Sunni rites and rituals,
>with religious ceremonies carried out by Sunni Mullahs. After
>receiving the necessary mandate, Hassan began proselytizing the
>Khojah community. These documents also record that Hassan guided them to
>the creed of his ancestors, which was an Ithna'ashriyyah persuasion of the
>Shiah sect of Islam. Hassan's autobiography records that he himself
>believed in the Imamat of Musa Kazim (the younger brother of Ismail) and
>his descendants. Majority of the historians record that Imam Ismail died
>within the life time of his father Imam Jaffer as Sadiq. Today, the present
>Aga Khan claims to be the designated hereditary direct descendant of Imam
>Ismail. This is a major noteworthy glaring shift, within the last four
>generations of the Aga Khans.
>
> Ismaili historians have recorded that until as late as 1874
>(34 years after his arrival in India), the Aga Khan's authority
>as a religious leader was sharply opposed by some influential
>wealthy members of the community. His followers in Bombay
>objected to "his too great predilection for drinking and
>intriguing with females," according to Sir Richard Burton.
>
> In 1881, Hassan died and was succeeded by his son Aga Ali
>Shah. His leadership lasted for a brief period of four years with
>no major events. His interests in life were horse breeding,
>racing, and big-game hunting. In 1885, Aga Ali Shah died and his
>eight-year-old son, Sultan Muhammad Shah, became Aga Khan III and
>the new leader of the community. The young Imam's mother, Lady
>Ali Shah, who was a very devoted Ithna'ashri Muslimah, became a
>trustee and, behind the scenes, acting leader of the community.
>She was instrumental in the introduction of various
>Ithna'ashriyyah rituals in the community. Some of these rituals
>are currently prevailent as a legacy of Lady Ali Shah who died in 1938.
>
>Aga Khan III, an International Politician
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> In 1898, the young Aga Khan undertook his first tour of
>Europe. On his way, he approached Sultan Abdul Hamid of the Ottoman
>Empire with "an elaborate plan for colonization." The statement
>submitted was prepared by Rabbi Kahn. The plan was based upon Aga
>Khan's Zionist friend Professor Haffkine's masterpiece scheme for
>the establishment of a Jewish settlement "that could be
>progressively undertaken in the Holy Land." Dr. Haffkine had
>suggested before Aga Khan that "the land would be obtained by
>purchase from the Sultan's subjects" whereas "the capital was to be
>provided by wealthier members of the Jewish community."
>
> Aga Khan, who claimed to be an Imam and a direct descendant of
>the prophet, wrote in his Memoirs: "As Haffkine propounded it, I
>thought this sort of Zionism useful and practical." The scheme
>was turned down by the Sultan. The disappointed Aga Khan wrote:
>"I must say its rejection has always seemed to me one of Abdul
>Hamid's greatest blunders." Today, looking at what is happening
>in Palestine, I but cannot refrain from quoting a passage from
>the Ismaili Du'a (ritual prayer), with a bewilderment and a doubt.
>The passage recited is a "fragmented" portion of the verse 36:12
>of the Holy Qur'an. The translation thereof, as it appears in the
>Du'a book including the words within the parentheses, reads;
>"And We have vested (the knowledge and authority) of everything
>in the manifest Imam."
>
> As long as the British Raj ruled in India, "the secret
>services of the Aga Khan III were in constant demand." He was an
>"Ambassador without Portfolio" for the British. In his Memoirs,
>he proudly referred to such services as "secret diplomatic
>missions." Besides several other titles, he received "the highest
>decoration which it was possible for any Indian subject of the
>Crown to receive (K.G.C.S.I.)," records Aga Khan.
>
> In 1930, the Aga Khan led the British Indian delegation to
>the Round Table conference held in London. In 1934, following the
>Second Round Table conference, the Aga Khan approached the
>British Government of India with a request to give him a
>territorial State so that he could join the company of Indian
>Maharajahs and Princes. Sultan Muhammad Shah - Aga Khan the
>third, was greatly disappointed when his offer was rejected by
>the Mcdonald government. In 1937, he represented the British
>Indian government in the League of Nations. Thereafter, he was
>elected president of this prestigious international organization.
>
>Aga Khan introduces "Ali is truly Allah" as the Confession of Faith
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Aga Khan III enjoyed a long life. During his 72 years of
>Imamat (leadership), from 1885 to 1957, he changed the course of
>history for the Khojah community. Socially and economically, Khojah
>community made great progress, and so did the Aga Khan. He became
>one of the richest men on earth, and a leading breeder and owner of
>thoroughbred horses. Between 1930 and 1936, his horses made history
>in the racing world by winning several prestigious racing events in
>Europe. His grandson - Karim Aga Khan, has carried on the family
>tradition on the turf of horse racing.
>
> During his leadership, Aga Khan III was literally weighed by
>his followers; in Silver at Bombay, in Gold at Bombay and Nairobi,
>in the rented industrial Diamonds at Bombay and Dar-es-Salaam, and
>finally in Platinum at Cairo and Karachi. Aga Khan gave back to the
>community welfare projects, the money collected for these token
>ceremonies.
>
> Long before the arrival of the Aga Khans in India, Khojah
>families had settled in East Africa, especially on the island of
>Zanzibar. The Aga Khan III, encouraged his followers to emigrate to
>East Africa in greater numbers. Many of these families became
>prosperous businessmen. Today, the majority of the descendants of
>these pioneers have resettled in Europe and North America.
>
> Aga Khan was also successful in changing course of the
>religious path of the community. The Ithna'ashriyyah rites and
>rituals that his mother and grandfather had introduced in the
>community were systematically thrown out by him. The jobs of the
>Shiah Maulvis were taken over by his close relatives and paid
>missionaries. Aga Khan introduced new theological concepts and
>sacred practices. Many of which attributed explicit divinity to
>Hazrat Ali, such as; reciting of "Ali is truly Allah" as an
>integral part of the Shahadah (Declaration of Faith), in their
>daily ritual prayers called Du'a. This was the beginning of the
>third and final proselytization in the history of the Khojah
>community. Today, Ismailis recite "Aliyyullah" in their ritual Du'a
>which translates; "Ali, the Allah".
>
> In 1905, the Aga Khan won a major civil suit brought against
>him by his relatives. One of the significant issues decided by the
>court was concerning the persuasion of the Khojah community. The
>judgment document declared the members to be "Shiah Ismailis".
>During this historic trial, the plaintiff's counsel suggested that
>the presiding judge Mr.Russell should not try the case, as he was
>a friend of Aga Khan - the defendant. In his judgment document,
>Justice Russell admitted: "I had exchanged calls with the Aga Khan
>and had dined twice with him and had asked him to dinner and he had
>not been able to come."
>
> In 1906, Aga Khan dismissed the traditionally elected "Khojah
>Joostis" (jurisprudent committees), of the community. In
>replacement thereof, Aga Khan established "Ismailia Councils" and
>appointed office-bearers and members for the Councils. The practice
>is prevalent to this day. In 1910, Aga Khan promulgated a legally
>drafted "Shiah Imami Ismaili Constitution" and ordained it under
>his personal seal. Thereafter, Aga Khan made a Farman (Royal
>Decree) commanding the followers to abide by the Constitution. The
>opening article 1.1 of the most recent Constitution ordained in
>1986 by the Hazar (present) Imam - Karim Aga Khan reads;
>
> "Mawlana Hazar Imam has inherent right and absolute and
>unfettered power and authority over and in respect of all religious
>and Jamati matters of the Ismailis."
>
> Below are the faithful reproductions of the Arabic transliteration,
>the English translation and the Gujrati translation (transliterated) of the
>phrase "Aliyyullah", as they appears in the book of Ismaili Du'a,
officially
>published by `The Shia Imami Ismailia Assiciation for Africa, Kenya',
1963:-
>
>The Arabic transliteration:
> "La ilaha illallaha, Mohammedur-Rasoolullahi, Aliyyun
>Amirul-mu'mineen Aliyyullah:"
>
>The English translation:
> "There is no deity except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah,
>Aly, the master of the believers, is from Allah."
>
>The Gujrati translation (transliterated) of the phrase "Aliyyullah":
> Please note the words within the parantheses are NOT mine, they do
>appear in the book of Dua:
>
> "Allah mahthi chhe (ane te ejh chhe)"
>which means; "Is from Allah (and is the same)".
>
>Here is a further clarification of the enigmatic phrase and its paradoxical
>translations:
>
> The phrase "Aliyyullah" is a combination of two words. "Aliyyun"
and
>"Allah". When these two words are joined together, the letter "n" becomes
>silent and the phrase is read as "Aliyyullah. The word "Aliyyun" translates
>"The Ali", and the word "Allah" translates "The God". Hence, the phrase
>"Aliyyullah" means "The Ali, The God". In the Ismaili terminology it
>signifies "The Aga Khan (The 49th Ali), The God".
>
> The English translation which reads in the Du'a book "is from
Allah"
>is just a smoke screen. The Gujrati translation with its elucidation within
>the brackets, removes that smoke screen. Furthermore, the Arabic word for
>"from" is "min", which does not appear in the Arabic text of the `Kalimah
>Shahadah'.
>
>Agakhan A Direct Descendant Of The Fatimid Caliphs!!!
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> In 1935, the Aga Khan's department for religious propagation
>and publications, Bombay, printed and distributed a book in Gujrati
>`Noorum-Mubin - A Glorious History Of The Ismaili Imams'.
>Aga Khan's genealogy was designated by the author - A. J. Chunara,
>as a "Sacred Rope of Allah" (Hab'lillah). During his Golden Jubilee
>year, Aga Khan the third, highly recommended his followers to read
>this newly published book.
>
> Although, many essential historical data were missing, the
>author had linked the Aga Khan's ancestry with the Grand Masters of
>the dreaded `Assassins' - a heretical sect of Islam, that
>flourished in Persia and Syria between 11th and 12th centuries. The
>current term `assassination' has its root from this community of
>Assassins. Most of the latter day Grand Masters claimed themselves
>to be the `Nizari Imams' of the Ismailis. These Nizari Imams were
>in turn shown as the hereditary physical descendants of the Fatimid
>Caliphs, who ruled in North Africa, Egypt, and Syria from 909 to
>1171. Many western scholars such as Marshall G. Hodgson and Bernard
>Lewis have doubted the authenticity of the advocated `physical
>descent' and suggested, it was but a kind of "Spiritual Filiation"
>(esoteric descent), which, with the succeeding generations became
>a physical linkage in the fullest sense.
>
> One of the Grand Masters of the Persian Assassins, Jalal al-
>Din Hasan - the 25th Nizari Imam, had publicly repudiated his
>grandfather's claim for being a physical descendant of the Fatimid
>Caliphs. He proclaimed himself a Sunni Muslim. Made a complete
>turnabout from the heretical Nizari doctrines and demanded from his
>followers a strict observance of the Islamic Shari'ah Laws. In
>1210, Jalal died of poisoning. His son, Grand Master Ala-uddin
>Muhammad - the 26th Nizari Imam, was a "sickly and unbalanced
>corrupt figure". In 1255, Ala-uddin; "died ignominiously,
>slaughtered with an axe by the hand of a former homosexual lover"
>records, Edward Burman of the University of Leeds in his book `The
>Assassins - Holy Killers Of Islam' (Aquarian Press, Great Britain).
>In 1256, the soldiers of Hulega Khan, razed to the ground all the
>fortresses and stronghold of the dreaded Assassins. The 27th and
>the last Imam of the Nizari Ismailis in Alamut "and his followers
>were kicked to a pulp and then put to the sword; and of him and his
>stock not trace was left..." writes professor Bernard Lewis, in his
>book `The Assassins', quoting historian Ata Malik Juvayni (1226-
>83).
>
> In India, Aga Khan the third, gradually replaced the hitherto
>popular term "Khojah" with "Imami Ismailis", in the community
>documents and literatures printed by his department for religious
>propaganda called "The Recreation Club". The so called "Club"
>lateron became "Ismailia Association". Today, the same organization
>is known as "The Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education
>Board." The term "Ismaili" is derived from Ismail - the eldest son
>of Imam J'afar as Sadiq. Ismailis consider Imam J'afar as their
>fifth Imam and the physical descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.).
>Ismailis only recognize Hadhrat Ali's son - Husayn, as their Imam.
>The rest of the Shiahs recognize both the sons Hassan and Husayn,
>as their Imams and therefore they consider Imam J'afar as their
>Sixth Imam. According to the documents and historical accounts
>accepted by the vast majority of Shiahs (nearly 90%), Ismail died
>before his father. His younger brother, Musa Kazim, succeeded Imam
>J'afar and became the next Imam. Those who chose to depart from the
>mainstream Shiahs contended that Imam Ismail died after his father.
>Ismaili historians record that the funeral procession as well as
>the burial ceremony of Ismail did take place in Medina during the
>life time of his father, but, those were "mere ruse to mislead the
>enemies." This minority group became known as the "Seveners". The
>Nizari Ismailis comprise one group of the Seveners.
>
> Those who accepted Musa Kazim as their Seventh Imam became
>known as the "Twelvers" (Ithna'ashariyyahs), when their 12th and
>the last living Imam, disappeared into the cellar of his family
>home. The Twelvers claim that their last Imam has gone into
>"occultation." Ismailis on the other hand claim, an Imam never goes
>into hiding or occultation. Ismailis vehemently contend, if an Imam
>was to disappear or to pass away without designating his own
>physical descendant as the next Imam, the world would come to an
>end. They proudly declare, their Imams have - in spite of political
>and religious persecutions - survived, and, are ever present
>(Hazar) to lead the community. They prefer to call the present Aga
>Khan as "Mawlana Hazar Imam". Having an absolute faith in the
>doctrine of `a living Imam' is the absolute prerequisite for being
>an Ismaili.
>
> Here is the pinnacle of paradox: It is a documented fact that
>Aga Khan I and II, their ancestors in Persia, the horsemen who
>accompanied the Aga Khan I from Persia, and the mother of Aga Khan
>III were all dedicated Twelver Shiahs. They lived and died
>believing in the Imamate of Musa Kazim and his descendants. This
>fact is evident from the court documents, from the Memoirs written
>by two Aga Khans, and also from the inscriptions on the tombs of
>their ancestors in Persia. Ignoring such incontrovertible evidence,
>Ismailis continue to acknowledge, as well as recite in their
>prayers, that Aga Khan I and II were their 46th and 47th Imams, and
>that their ancestors in Persia were the preceding Imams. In other
>words, Ismailis assert that these individuals were in fact
>legitimate descendants of Imam Ismail, but for some inexplicable
>reason they had accepted the faith of those who had repudiated
>Ismail's claim to the Imamate. To say otherwise would be to
>discredit the authors of the Memoirs, their 46th and 48th Imams!
>
>
>( To be continued)
>
>Akbarally Meherally
>
>-----------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Continued from Part 2:
>
>`A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AGAKHANS' Section 2
>
>A Division Among The Followers Of The Aga Khan
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> The evidence presented before Justice Russell, in the Haji
>Bibi Case (Bombay - 1905), shows that Aga Khan the third, had
>introduced a "Du'a" (ritual prayer in Gujarati), upon his
>succession to the leadership of the Khojah community. Today, it is
>known as the Old (Gatpat) Du'a. In this daily prayer, the Aga
>Khan's physical ancestral lineage was devotedly recited. The family
>tree extended upwards from Hadhrat Ali to Shree Rama and Shree
>Krishna and continued further to the very First Incarnation (Fish),
>of the famous "Ten Incarnations" (Das-Avataras) of the Lord Vishnu.
>Thus, the Aga Khan was worshipped as; a physical manifestation of
>the `Noor' (Light) of Allah, the Tenth and Final Avatara (`Naklank'
>or `Kalkin') of the Lord Vishnu and the direct descendant of
>prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) from Hadhrat Ali (a.s.).
>
> The followers of Aga Khan also used to recite, on the night of
>the New Moon (Chandrat), as well as on various occasions, a very
>devotional `Hymn in Gujarati' (Ginan), entitled "Das-Avatar". It
>was believed that mere listening to this Ginan, at the end moment
>of an Ismaili, would assure him/her of `Mok'sh' (Salvation) and the
>`Noorani Deedar' (Spiritual glimpse) of Noor Mawlana Hazar Imam
>Shah Sultan Muhammad Shah - Aga Khan the third, in the hereafter.
>Today, the Du'a has been changed. Before the western media, the
>present Aga Khan vehemently denies "Divinity". The fact that the
>Du'a had to be changed, the "Divinity" had to be denied publicly,
>indicates the growing influence of the Islamic Shariyya Laws on the
>world stage. Yet, to say otherwise would not only go against all
>the Ismaili religious practices, but even expose the "religion" to
>the charge of hypocrisy. HOW COULD A GOD CEASE TO BE A GOD? The
>present Aga Khan has yet to throw out `Ginans' recited in the
>Jamatkhanas, which even today attributed "Absolute Divinity" to Ali
>and thereby to him. One such popular Ginan is entitled "Haq tu- Pak
>tu".
>
> The introduction of the innovated `Shahadah' in the Gujarati
>Du'a which declared "Ali, truly Allah", became the basis of a major
>division among the followers of Aga Khan. In 1901, a small group of
>reprimanded followers, who had been admonished by the Ithna'ashriyya
>Mullahs during their visitation of Karbala, approached the Aga Khan with a
>special request. These followers were advised by the Iraqi Mullahs that the
>worship of Ali or Aga Khan as an Incarnation, Manifestation and/or
>Associate of Allah (SWT) nullifies their prayers, voids their fasting,
>pilgrimages, zakah, etc., and the eternal hell would be their place of
abode
>in the hereafter. The special request was to replace the enigmatic
>"Declaration of Faith" from the newly introduced Gujarati Du'a,
>with the one that declared Ali to be "the beloved of Allah" ("Ali-
>un-Wally-Allah"). Such a Declaration was professed by the rest of
>the Shiahs. The young Aga Khan was adamant and refused to amend or
>discard the "heretic" Declaration. He insisted, if the phrase that
>attributed "Divinity" to Ali (there by to himself, the 48th Ali)
>was to be discarded, then the entire Du'a should be throw out by
>his followers. The enlightened followers, having failed in their
>mission, decided to revert back to the original Ithna'ashriyya
>persuasion of their ancestors. A persuasion which was practised and
>professed by Aga Khan the first. The splinter group renounced the
>leadership of Aga Khan and established the Khojah Ithna'ashriyya
>Jama'at in Bombay. From there it spread to the rest of India and
>Africa. Due to this split many Khojah families in India and Africa
>were divided. They continue to remain so, until now. Today, Khojah
>Ismailis say; "Ithna'ashri Khojahs are the Dissidents." The Khojah
>Ithna'ashris say; "Ismaili Khojahs are the one who have abandoned
>the faith of their forefathers."
>
> The frustrated Aga Khan made a religious pronouncement
>(Farman), ordering his followers to sever all social and religious
>contacts with these so called Dissidents. Any of his follower,
>taking part in the marriage, or mourning of a Dissident could be
>excommunicated by the Ismailia Council, under the Rule Number 142
>of the `Ismailia Constitution', ordained by the Aga Khan. The
>hatred between the two groups took a violent turn. Aga Khan's Mukhi
>(Chief Priest) for Bombay - Hassan, was stabbed with a knife by an
>Ithna'ashri named Killu. Earlier, some Ismaili fanatics had
>severely beaten Killu and made him temporarily invalid. Killu
>admitted to the killing and was sentenced to death by hanging. The
>court trials, as well as the subsequent funeral procession and
>burial of Killu, brought the Dissident Khojahs out in the open. In
>1901, two Ismaili `Fida'is' (the terminology has its root in the
>`self sacrificing' Nizari Ismailis of the 12th century, known as
>the `Assassins of Alamut') attacked three Dissidents. Two
>Ithna'ashris died and one survived.
>
> Aga Khan's deep rooted hatred for the faith of his parents and
>grand parents (Ithna'ashrism) is glaringly visible in the quoted
>`Farman' made by him from Zanzibar on July 13, 1899.
> "Within ten, twenty or thirty years, the Ithna'ashri religion
>will be worn out. After 100 years the Ithna'ashri religion will not
>exist at all. It will not exist in Iran either because that
>religion's base is not on Aq'l (the power of reasoning). Our
>religion's base is on Aq'l." (Translation is from the Book of
>Farmans in Gujarati).
>
>Note: In the next four years, it will be 100 years to the above
>Farman. Today, the trend among the enlightened Ismailis is to
>revert back to the ancestral Tariqah of their forefathers. The one
>that was practised before the arrival of the Aga Khans in India,
>which was the Sunni Tariqah of Islam.
>
> Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), the founder of Pakistan, was
>also by birth an Ismaili Khojah. He and the most of his family
>members joined the groups of the so called Dissident Khojah
>Ithna'ashris and remained so until their last days. Mr. Jinnah's
>closest associate and a prominent Pakistani industrialist, Mr.
>M.A.H. Isphani, wrote: "Qaid-e-Azam (Mohammed Ali Jinnah) told me
>that...when he was twenty-one, decided to quit the ranks of the
>Ismailis and join the Isna Ashari fold. ...that he tried to
>persuade the Aga Khan himself to abandon his headship of Ismailis
>and to join the ranks of the Isna Asharis, to which sect most of
>the members of the Aga Khan's own family belonged."
>
>Aga Khan becomes the Imam of Muhammad Shahi Syrian Ismailis
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Rashid al-Din Sinan was a personal friend and a chief Da'i
>of Hassan II. Hassan, the Grand Master of Persian Assassins, had
>fraudulently declared himself an Imam. In 1166, Hassan was stabbed
>to death by his own brother-in-law for making the factitious
>claim. Hassan's son Muhammad II, developed enmity with the chief
>Da'i Sinan. Muhammad's attempt to kill Sinan failed. Sinan who
>had moved to Syria, now established his own domain and became the
>Grand Master and Imam of the Syrian Assassins.
>
> In 1256, almost all of the Persian Assassins were massacred
>by the Mongolian army. In 1273, the Syrian Assassins were also
>annihilated by the army of Mamluk Sultan Baybars. Thus, the
>Nizari Ismailis in Persia and Syria, who were better known as the
>heretic Assassins, lost their political power. "Ismailism
>stagnated as a minor heresy in Persia and Syria, with little or
>no political importance", writes Bernard Lewis in his book
>`Assassins'.
>
> In the realm of religion, nearly two centuries after their
>political downfall, the community of Nizari Ismailis split into
>two branches. Those who chose to follow Muhammad Shah, the elder
>son of the late Imam Mu'min Shah, became known as the "Muhammad
>Shahi Nizari Ismailis". The others who opted for the younger son
>named Qasim Shah were known as the "Qasim Shahi Nizari Ismailis".
>The Agakhans claim to be the descendants of Imam Qasim Shah.
>After this major split, there came the period of hiding (Dawr-i
>Satr) for the Nizari Imams. The Ismaili historians say; the
>period of hiding lasted for nearly three centuries. The
>historians have practically no records of the descendants of Imam
>Qasim Shah, from 1480 to 1722 A.D. The majority of Syrians who
>had become Muhammad Shahi Ismailis, also lost contact with their
>fortieth Imam, Amir Muhammad al Baqir, who had been living in
>southern India. They were desperately looking for a successor.
>
> In 1888, a delegation of Sheikhs, representing a small group
>of exploring Syrians called Hajjawis came to India. In Bombay
>they met the young Aga Khan. The desperate Sheikhs accepted the
>Imamate of Aga Khan, who was claiming to be a descendant of the
>rival branch. In the archives of the Ismailia Council in
>Salamiyya, Syria, there is a letter bearing the seal of Aga Khan,
>written in 1307 A.H. (1890 A.D.).
>
> In 1895, Aga Khan commanded his newly converted Syrian
>followers to substitute the Islamic Salah with the Gujarati Du'a,
>which he had introduced to his followers in India and Africa.
>Dick Douwes and Norman N. Lewis write in `The Trial of Syrian
>Ismailis'; "Some of the main innovations concerned the `salat',
>or ritual prayer: the Isma'ilis were now bidden to meet for
>prayer only twice a day, around a table on which a portrait of
>the Imam was placed and towards which the worshippers were to
>turn, instead of in the direction of Mecca. Many of the prayers
>were to be said in Urdu. Among the formulae to be pronounced were
>the words, "Ali Allah, sahi Allah" (`Ali is God, truly God)."
>(p.218). Nauzbillah!
>
> The Aga Khan appointed two Sheikhs from his Syrian
>followers, as his accredited representatives to collect Zakat,
>Khums and other donations. In 1901, three Syrian Ismailis were
>arrested in Tripoli as they were leaving for Bombay. They were
>carrying letters and money collected by these Sheikhs for the Aga
>Khan. The Sheikhs were arrested from Salamiyya on the charges of
>illegal "money-laundering". These leaders were charged with
>murder, attempted murder, and the use of violence for collecting
>money for the Aga Khan, records Douwes and Lewis. In 1903, the
>prisoners were tried in Damascus. In 1905, the Court issued a
>verdict condemning all the accused to life imprisonment.
>
> In 1919 and 1920, the Syrian Ismailis suffered another major
>setback. They were repeated raided by the bands of Nusseirys, led
>by Sheikh Saleh El-Ali. The heretics (Ismailis) were obliged to
>surrender all their possessions. Nusseirys killed the males. "The
>Ismaili women and children, left the town bared-foot, and semi-
>naked" records a Syrian Ismaili scholar, Moustapha Ghaleb in `The
>Ismailis of Syria."
>
> Six years ago in 1989, United States Federal Agents arrested
>three groups of Agakhani Ismailis in Dallas, Seattle and New York
>on the charges of illegal money-laundering. A total of thirteen
>Ismailis, eleven men and two women were charged. Five pleaded
>guilty. The illegal money-laundering operation stretched from
>United States to London and Switzerland, as well as from United
>States to Canada, London and Belgium. This was the largest money-
>laundering operation ever uncovered in North Texas and one of the
>largest in USA.
>
> Vincent Perini, a lawyer representing one of the Ismaili
>Mukhis (the chief representative of the community), who had
>illegally taken more than US$ 30 million in currency out of USA,
>between 1985 and 1987, said; the sect's members are required to
>give 12 percent to 25 percent of pre-tax income to the Aga Khan,
>a billionaire resident of Paris. "Traditionally, members of the
>community literally take the money in the form of cash to the Aga
>Khan, and traditionally there was secrecy involved," added
>Perini.
>
>Aga Khan's three Marriages and one Mut`ah
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> At young age, Aga Khan fell in love with his uncle's beautiful
>daughter, Shahzadi Begum. In 1896, the marriage between Shahzadi
>and Sultan (A.K.III) was celebrated with grandeur and splendour in
>Poona (India). Mihir Bose records in his much publicized book `The
>Aga Khans'; "The Aga was seeking to make his mark as an Anglicized
>Indian in Western society, and his wife, brought up in strict
>Jenana quarters could hardly follow there. As the Aga moved into
>the wide world, his wife languished in the closed world, full of
>`resentment and reproach'."
>
> In 1908, Aga Khan who had left his beautiful wife back home,
>lost his heart to a pubescent teenage ballerina "Ginetta" (Miss
>Magliano), during his visit to France. In his `Memoirs' Aga Khan
>wrote: "I made the acquaintance of Mlle. Theresa Magliano, one of
>the most promising young dancers of the Ballet Opera of Monte
>Carlo, a ballerina..." In his Will document, Aga Khan wrote: "In
>the year One thousand nine hundred and eight I was married to
>CLEOPE TERESA MAGLIANO according to the Muta form of marriage..."
>In `The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam' under the heading Mut`ah,
>one reads; "Mut`ah: A marriage stipulated to be temporary,
>sometimes called a `marriage of pleasure'."
>
> Out of this union of a French Ballerina and a Persian Imam,
>two sons were born. Giussepe Mahdi Khan the eldest, died in 1911.
>Aly Salomone Khan who lived to be a legendary playboy, was the
>second. In the archives of the Turin town hall (Italy), there
>exists a record of the birth of Aly Salomone from the union of an
>unmarried 22 years old Teresa, with 34 years old His Highness the
>Aga Khan.
>
> In 1930, Aga Khan sent Aly Khan to Syria to visit his
>followers with his special `Holy Farman'. The Farman pronounced;
>"We are sending our son to you. Consider his arrival as my arrival.
>We are appointing our Prince as our `Wali-ahad' meaning, the
>successor to our throne." Members of the Syrian Jama'at took Bay'ah
>(oath of allegiance) at the hand of their future Imam and offered
>Nazrana (gifts). Almost every magazine and home of Ismailis in
>India and Africa had a photo of young Prince dressed in white Arab
>dress riding a white Arabian horse, taken during his visit to
>Syria, with captions "H.S.H. Prince Aly Khan Heir Apparent to
>Mowlana Hazar Imam".
>
> Within 27 years, the infallible Mowlana Hazar Imam realized
>that his `Holy Farman' had to be recanted. The beloved "Wali-ahad"
>did not live a life expected of a future Imam. In the June 1995
>issue of an American magazine `Vanity Fair', there is a
>spellbinding twelve page article `The Goddess and the Playboy'
>describing the "relentless pursuit of speed, sport, and women" by
>Prince Aly Khan. Aga Khan by his Will document, without making a
>mention of his earlier pronouncement, made Aly Khan's son Karim as
>his successor to the throne of Imamate.
>
> This recantation surprised his followers all over the world.
>They began asking questions; Did the infallible Mowlana Hazar Imam
>really erred? Can the 1400 years old Ismaili tradition and the
>Shiah Law "that the issue of a son is not an heir if there be a son
>alive", be broken? According to the deep rooted Ismaili tradition
>and uncompromising conviction, Hazar Imam's "Holy Farmans" are to
>be reckoned as the verses of the "Speaking Qur'an". At any given
>time and place they can supersede the verses of the so called
>"Silent or Book Qur'an". Based upon this conviction, the majority
>of the Agakhani Ismailis have done away with most essential basic
>Qur'anic Laws, such as; performing of greater or lesser ablutions
>before praying, facing towards qiblah while praying, takbir al-
>ihram, qiyam, ruku, salat al-jum'ah, physical fasting during the
>month of Ramadhan, hajj as well as the "Oneness" of Kalimah
>Shahadah.
>
> Biographer Willie Frischauer records in his book `The Aga
>Khans'; "Bettina (one of Aly's several girl friends) wrote: `To Aly
>it seemed that his father's preference for his son was a kind of
>public humiliation for him...He was never quite the same from that
>day on." When Aly Khan declared that he too had taken the Bay'ah of
>his own son Karim as his "Hazar Imam"; Karim became the spiritual
>father of his own father, according to the Ismaili tradition. In
>1960, the mortified Aly Khan was killed in a tragic car crash. He
>suffered crushed chest, fractured skull, broken neck and legs in
>that fatal accident.
>
> Aga Khan's third marriage in 1929 was with a French brunette,
>Andree Carron. Aga Khan's wealth and persuasion failed to convert
>this Roman Catholic girl to accept Islam. Out of this Muslim and
>Catholic union was born Aga Khan's third son Sadruddin Khan. In
>1938, Aga Khan who was nearly 60, met a tall French beauty
>contestant named Yvette in Cairo. Six years later, Aga Khan
>divorced his third wife Andree and married Yvette Lebrusse - "Miss
>Lyon" 1930 and "Miss Universe" contestant 1931. Aga Khan converted
>his fourth wife to Islam and named her "Umme Habibah". She
>accompanied the weak and ailing Aga Khan at all social and
>religious gatherings.
>
> In 1953, during his visit of Africa, there was "a subversive
>campaign among members of the sect calling for his and Aly's
>abdication from their spiritual leadership" records, `Vanity Fair'
>(June 1995). The campaign grew to such a proportion that at a
>special meeting of the Ismailia Council, held at the hotel suite of
>the Aga Khan, a decision was taken that "all members of the East
>African communities be requested to sign a declaration of loyalty
>to the Aga Khan, or be excommunicated if they refused." This was
>too much of a shock for the old and weakened Aga Khan.
>
> In 1954, Aga Khan was virtually crippled suffering from
>lumbago and sciatica. He could barely walk two yards, writes Mihir
>Bose. Three years later, the debilitated and ailing Aga Khan, who
>was now also suffering from a prolonged cancer, died. His grandson
>Karim became the 49th Hazar Imam of the community and `Aga Khan the
>Fourth' to carry on the family tradition.
>
>(Continued - See Section 3)
>
>Akbarally Meherally
>-----------------------------------------
>
>
>--
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Allah, no god except Allah, the Creator, The One, The Merciful, The
> Forgiving, The Compassionate, Allah The God Of Abraham, Moses, Jesus,
> Muhammad (peace upon them all) true Prophets of God.
>
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shaksway
Oct 24, 1998, 3:00:00 AM10/24/98
to
Akbarally Meherally
Oct 28, 1998, 3:00:00 AM10/28/98
to
Whoever you are, please stop using my name
at the end of **your** mails....
at the end of **your** mails....
If you wish to quote texts from my work, then you
should very clearly mention that they are quotes
from my so and so work and underneath
the quoted texts, please **write your name**
as the author of that mail....
Akbarally Meherally
bountyh...@my-dejanews.com
Nov 3, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/3/98
to
In article <363801FA...@bc.sympatico.ca>,
HEY, YOU LYING FILTHY SON OF A SUNNI WHORE<AD...@NETCOM.COM>, STOP USING THE
FAMILY NAME OF HIS HIGHNESS THE PRINCE AGA KHAN TO PROMOTE THE LIES OF MULLAH
AKBARALLY MEHERALLY, THE REAL FILTHY LYING BASTARD!!!!!
IT IS A CRIME TO SLANDER THE NAME OF THE PROPHET'S FAMILY TO FURTHER YOUR
BASTARDLY LIES...MULLAH AKBARALLY MEHERALLY! READ THE HADITHS MULLAH
MEHERALLY, SINCE YOU ARE THE BASTARD CLAIMING TO BE A TRUE AND PURE SUNNI!!!!
THE DEVIL IS A SUNNI TOO...DID YOU KNOW? I KNOW YOU DO!!!!
WHO SAID A SUNNI OR AN ITHNA SHIT IS A TRUE MUSLIM? DID THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD
SAY A SUNNI KNOWS MORE ABOUT ISLAM THAN ALI??????? YOU MULLAH AKBARALLY
MEHERALLY, MUST BE THE FIRST SUNNI TO HEAR FROM ALLAH SINCE THE TIME OF
PROPHET MOHAMMAD.
ARE YOU SUGGESTING ALLAH IS TALKING TO YOU AS A SUNNI, AND WASN'T WHEN YOU
WERE A FOLLOWER OF THE IMAM PRINCE KARIM AGA KHAN? OIC. SO YOU ARE THE IMAM
THEN..THE GUIDE OF THE VULGAR SUNNI AND SHIA ITHNA SHITS...IS THAT SO..SHIT
HEAD MULLAH?!
WEREN'T YOU THE SON OF A WHORE WHO CREATED A SCREEN NAME CALLED, THEAGAKHAN,
ON AMERICA ON LINE, AND PROFILED THE IMAM PRINCE KARIM AGA KHAN IN THE MOST
SLANDEROUS WAYS? NO WONDER YOUR STUPID SUNNI AND ITHNA SHIT DISCIPLES FOLLOW
YOUR TRADITION OF SLANDER AND LIBEL. THEY TOO HAVE CREATED EMAIL ADDRESSES
AND SCREEN NAMES TO SLANDER THE IMAM OF ALLAH.
YOU ARE THE REAL EVIL BASTARD, MULLAH AKBARALLY MEHERALLY, CUZ ALL YOUR
FILTHY CHILDREN, THE SONS OF WHORES, USE YOUR BOOKS TO SLANDER THE PROPHET
MOHAMMAD AND HIS FAMILY. THESE IGNORANT FOOLS FOLLOW YOUR WAYS WITHOUT
THINKING FOR THEMSELVES. YOU ARE SATAN THE DECEIVER WHO HAS LED THESE SONS
OF WHORES ASTRAY FROM THE RIGHT PATH, JUST LIKE YOU ARE ASTRAY.
THE TRUE IMAM CAN NEVER DECEIVE HIS FOLLOWERS!!!
YOU ARE THE FATHER OF THE SHIA ITHNA SHIT HAZ<R...@TOTAL.NET> AND THE OTHER
SHIA ITHNA SHIT HUGGY BEAR<URK...@NETCOMUK.CO.UK>, AND THE SUNNI
DEVIL<AD...@NETCOM.COM.>.
ALL OF THEM SLANDER PROPHET MOHAMMAD AND HIS FAMILY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN
YOUR BOOKS...THE FILTH THEY CONSIDER TO BE THE WORD OF GOD..THE TRUTH!!!!
YOU HAVE REALLY SCREWED THEIR BRAINS HAVEN'T YOU, MULLAH AKBARALLY MEHERALLY
<SMAPPER>?!! WE WILL TALK HOW YOU HAVE...SOON! FILTHY LYING BASTARD MULLAH
OF SATAN!
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