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Founded in 1966 • June 2018 • N°584

THE AGA KHAN ON HIS LIFE,

HIS MISSI IS FAITH

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 CONTENTS

p. 14 HH, the Aga Khan IV

A life devoted to the service of others

READERS' VIEWS SPEAKER'S CORNER AROUND AFRICA

04 Your comments and letters 3 2 W o m e n losing out on 52 Ghana: U S m i l i t a r y
boardroom appointments pact rages o n
KALEIDOSCOPE 54 Kenya: Floods everywhere
06 Briefs TOURISM and not a drop to d r i n k
10 Quote/unquote 3 4 Rebranding tourism i n A f r i c a 56 N i g e r i a : Is T r u m p Buhari's
12 Photo o f the m o n t h ace i n the pack?
NATIVE INTELLIGENCE 58 C o m o r o s : O l d battleground,
EDITORIAL 3 6 T i m e to leave, our new players
13 South Africa's admirable stand landlord is u n w e l l
SPORT
C O V E R STORY: IN CONVERSATION 6 4 The storm called M o Salah
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 38 Peter M u t h a r i k a ,
W I T H H H T H E AGA K H A N President o f M a l a w i BOOK REVIEW
14 A bridge o f hope 68 Italy's E t h i o p i a n massacre finally
18 A man f o t all seasons LETTER FROM LONDON comes to light
4 4 W i n d r u s h victory for black M P s
BAFFOUR'S BEEFS T H E ARTS
26 US aggression affects us all ECONOMY 7 2 Jenna Burchell: Singing i n the new
48 E C A meeting discusses
IN DEPTH: LIBYA nuts and bolts o f the A f C F T A BACK TO THE FUTURE
29 C a n Libya break its vicious cycle? 74 Africa's client states

NewAfrican The bestselling pan-African magazine, founded in 1966. J U N E 2018 ISSUE 584 www.ncwafricanmagazinc.com
 C O V E R S T O R Y AGA
HH, the Aga
n conversation with Anver Versi, Editor,
A BRIDGE
OF HOPE
H
is Highness, the Aga K h a n , is one of the most
iconic figures in the world. As the Imam of the
ism-strong Shia Ismaili M u s l i m c o m m u n i t y
worldwide, he is more than a leader and a guide.
As a direct descendant of Muhammad,
the Holy Prophet of Islam through his daughter Fatima
and h is cousin and son-i n-law, Ali, he is seen by his
followers as the unbroken l i n k between today and the
very foundation of the global religion. H i s influence,
not only w i t h i n his own community around the world
but also in the societies and countries i n which Ismailis
reside, is incalculable i n terms of social development and
spiritual upliftment.
The Aga K h a n Development Network, which
coordinates the activities of over 200 institutions,
employing approximately 80,000 paid staff, is dedicated
to improving living conditions and opportunities for
the poor, w i t h o u t regard to their faith, origin or gender.
It operates i n more than 30 o f the poorest counties i n
the world. Its annual budget for non-profit development
activities is approximately $ l b n .
In Africa, particularly in F,ast A f r i c a , the Aga K h a n
educational and health institutions - accessible to
all irrespective of religious or class distinctions - arc-
regarded as the benchmark for excellence.
But the Aga K h a n is also a thoroughly modern
global citizen, equally at home i n the West (the title
H i s Highness was conferred on h i m by H M Queen
Elizabeth I I of the U K in 1957, the year ot his accession)
14 N E W A\-RICAN JUNK 2.018
KHAN
Khan IV
New African.
as he is in South Fast and Central Asia and A f r i c a .
H i s institutional interests through the Aga K h a n
Fund for Economic 1 )evelopment encompass a wide-
range ot entrepreneurial domains including prestige
hotels (tor example, the Serena Group), tourism and
industrial promotion, power generation (e.g. the
Bujugali hydroelectric power dam in Uganda), agro-
processing (Frigoken, Kenya), telecommunications,
manufacturing, media ( N a t i o n Media Group), banking,
insurance and property management. All companies
have a clear social development mandate; all surpluses
generated are reinvested i n further development
activities.
C u l t u r a l initiatives also span a range, f r o m urban
revitalisation to music. The triennial S i m Aga K h a n
Architecture Award, established i n 1977, has become
the most prestigious prize in this discipline, w i t h
winners coming f r o m an astonishing range of countries,
including Burkina Faso. The Award goes to projects
around the world that set benchmarks of excellence i n
finding solutions to challenges of the built environment.
I n March, the Aga K h a n announced the Aga
K h a n Music Awards, which come w i t h $500,000
in prize money. The global awards w i l l recognise
exceptional creativity, promise, and enterprise i n music
performance, creation, education, preservation and
revitalisation i n societies across the world, i n which
Muslims have a significant presence.
H e is counted among the 10 wealthiest royals i n the
 C O V E R S T O R Y AGA KHAN

world but contrary to Western media speculation, does

not live a lavish lifestyle, decrying "affluence for the
sake o f affluence".

Diamond Jubilee
A l t h o u g h he is not a monarch or leader o f a country,
he is often given the red carpet treatment reserved for
heads o f state on his frequent visits to various countries
or institutions. I n March, Queen Elizabeth hosted a
private dinner for h i m and his family to celebrate the
Diamond Jubilee, 60 years o f his Imamat. H e shares an
abiding passion for thoroughbred race horses w i t h the
Queen.
The Aga K h a n has met w i t h and been feted by a
veritable who's who of world leaders, artists, architects
and cultural, social and religious icons. H e is a much-
sought-after speaker at international fora. H i s speech
during the A f r i c a 2016 F o r u m i n Sharm el-Sheikh,
Egypt was one of the highlights o f the event.
Ismailis around the w o r l d are celebrating the
D i a m o n d Jubilee since the Imamat was conferred
to h i m on 11 July 1957 when, at the age o f 20, he
succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah,
Aga K h a n III.
The D i a m o n d Jubilee Year runs f r o m 11 July 2017
to 11 July 2018 and as he has done on previous such
milestone occasions, he has been travelling to several
countries where Ismailis live. He traditionally uses the
occasion to set into motion new initiatives f r o m his
various institutions.
As part o f his itinerary, he visited Kenya i n A p r i l
where he addressed several thousand Ismailis who had
gathered i n Nairobi for the occasion. H e also met w i t h
Kenya's President U h u r u Kenyatta.
I n a fractious world where an increasing number o f
global leaders seem to have become unmoored f r o m the
traditional values of humanity and where divisiveness,
hatred, narrow self-interest, greed and blatant lies
appear to be i n the ascendency, why does this man
inspire such deep respect, and" affection, not only among
his community but all who come into contact w i t h
him?
Perhaps David Johnston, Principal and Vice-
Chancellor o f M c G i l l University before he was
appointed Canada's Governor-General said it best.
Presenting the Aga K h a n w i t h an LL.D {honoris causa)
i n 1983, he said:
"This man is a bridge between N o r t h and South,
East and West. H i s leadership is beyond politics,
beyond race, beyond religion. I n a world torn by-
division, hostility, war and fear o f nuclear holocaust, he
is a shining beacon o f inspiration and of hard-headed
accomplishment i n improving the lot o f humankind,
i n elevating the quality of civilized life and i n u p l i f t i n g
Above: HH the Aga Khan with HM the Queen (fop),
all peoples o f the world to cherish the brotherhood o f
and Kenya's President Kenyatta (bottom) during
man." his Diamond Jubilee year visits abroad
W h i l e he was i n Kenya, although the Aga K h a n has Above middle: With Mali's then prime minister,
rarely given one-on-one interviews over the past decade Ahmed Mohamed Ag Hamani (3rd r), in 2002,
at the Djingareyber Mosque, partly restored
or so, he graciously agreed, despite a very tight schedule, by the Aga Khan Development Network
to sit w i t h New African editor Anver Versi for the Right: His Highness with South Africa's
exclusive interview that follows. President Mandela in 1998

16 N E W A F R I C A N J U N E 2.018
 C O V E R S T O R Y AGA KHAN

The Interview

A man for all seasons

I
felt an unusual nervousness w h i l e w a i t i n g f o r my Above left to Mombasa w i t h my mother as N a i r o b i was becoming
scheduled i n t e r v i e w w i t h H i s H i g h n e s s the A g a (clockwise increasingly dangerous. I joined a small number o f other
from top): The
K h a n at his home i n Nairobi's M u t h a i g a area. H e , non-Ismailis at the Aga K h a n Primary School there.
Aga Khan with
or rather his institutions, had been of such profound students at This had a huge impact on my life. I loved the school
influence i n my life f o r so long that the t h o u g h t o f the Aga Khan and never once d i d I experience any f o r m o f discrimina-
Academy, t i o n as a non-Ismaili. I d i d well and was amply rewarded
finally meeting the man i n person after so many decades
Hyderabad, India;
was unnerving. with midwifery for i t . I made friends w h o remain so to this day.
I started my primary schooling i n Nairobi while Kenya students at the The second major impact on my life was when I went
was still a British colony. Government schools were few Bamyan Hospital to work for the Nation newspaper. I t had been launched
in Afghanistan,
and far between, instead parents relied o n C h r i s t i a n bv the Aga K h a n i n i 9 6 0 , three years before Kenya's i n -
where the AKDN
Mission schools, or c o m m u n i t y schools to educate their is working with dependence, to be a "voice for the voiceless". Before that,
children. The Aga Khan schools i n Nairobi and Mombasa the government the main English newspaper, The East African Standard,
already enjoyecf the reputation o f being among the best to improve had been strongly focused on the colonial government
healthcare; the
education establishments i n the country but admission Aga Khan as a boy; and w h i t e settler c o m m u n i t y . The Nation, w h i c h was
was not easy. and His Highness tabloid size, stood everything on its head. N o w coverage
By great good fortune, I was enrolled at the Aga K h a n with NA editor was through the A f r i c a n perspective. Journalists were no
Anver Versi
Primary School i n N a i r o b i . The f o l l o w i n g year, I moved longer required to be white. The paper sold like hotcakes

18 N E W A F R I C A N J U N E 20l8
and first instilled i n me the desire to take up journalism Centre: HH with human beings."
when I finished m y education - and that is exactly what dignitaries at A f t e r t a k i n g a year and a h a l f to visit M u s l i m c o m -
the Nation Media
happened. Group's new
munities the w o r l d over, he completed his degree. Some
Throughout most of mv primary and secondary school- printing works in years later, he was able to find t i m e to j o i n Iran's s k i i n g
days, the face o f the y o u n g A g a K h a n , Prince K a r i m , 2016. Above right team f o r the 1 9 6 4 W i n t e r Olympics i n A u s t r i a . I n an-
(clockwise from
had beamed out at us f r o m his photograph i n the main other interview w i t h James Reginato, he explains why he
top): With the US's
hallway. I can still recall the surprised D U Z Z , i n 1957, that President Kennedy; returned to Harvard, to finish his B A i n history. "There
had greeted the i n f o r m a t i o n that i n his w i l l , Sir Sultan at the Baltit fort in was knowledge there that I needed. 1 was an undergrad-
M a h o m e d Shah, A g a K h a n I I I had looked beyond the Pakistan to review uate who knew what his w o r k f o r the rest o f his life was
conservation work;
next generation, past his t w o sons, Prince A l y K h a n and going to be."
with officials in
Prince S a d r u d d i n , and named as his successor to the Timbuktu. Mali, But his very early education, interestingly enough, was
Imamat, the athletic 10-year-old K a r i m , who was then a where the AKTC i n Kenya. A t the outbreak o f the Second W o r l d War, his
student at H a r v a r d University. is involved in grandfather had sent h i m and his younger brother A m y n
mud mosque
The news had been as much o f a surprise to h i m as i t restoration: and in to live in a house the familv owned i n Nairobi. I n addition
was to us. "Overnight," K a r i m was to tell journalist Paul China for a round to the usual subjects, they were also t u t o r e d i n Arabic,
Evan Ress, "my w h o l e l i f e changed completely. I woke of the architecture U r d u , the Koran and Islamic culture.
awards
up w i t h serious responsibilities toward millions o f other Back i n N a i r o b i i n A p r i l , the call came t h r o u g h that

J U N E 10l8 N E WAFRICAN 19
H i s Highness was ready f o r the interview. I knew that he
had had a hectic couple o f days i n N a i r o b i and there was
a long list o f people w a n t i ng to meet h i m . The interview
slot had been unavoidably delayed by a f e w hours so i t
was almost 7.00pm when I was shown through to a l i v i n g
r o o m . H e is over 8 0 years o l d and i n his place, I m i g h t
have felt a bit testy t o have to sit t h r o u g h an interview.
H e breezed i n l o o k i n g as fresh as i f i t was the start
o f the day. H e gave me a w a r m smile, shook me firmly
by the h a n d , ushered me t o a sofa a n d t u r n e d his f u l l
attention on me.
I started by asking h i m i f he recalled a n y t h i n g o f his
time when at a tender age he was i n Kenya.
It was d u r i n g the Second W o r l d War, he reminded me.
" M y brother and I were together at the time, o f course.
A n d , we were very y o u n g . So, we were really c h i l d r e n
w i t h home education. There was a nanny w h o was also
an educator. A n d , we went back to Europe at the end o f
the Second W o r l d War. So our experience here was when
we were very young children."
D i d he have any memories o f the time?
"We were i n the garden very often. We were interested
i n the g r o w t h o f rhubarb. A n d w h y does rhubarb grow
in grains? A l l the intelligent questions that voung people
ask themselves," he said w i t h a smile and we laughed. I
immediately felt quite relaxed.
It was time to get to the nub o f the matter. " H o w would
you describe your role as Imam?"
" O h , that's another issue," he said and reflected f o r a
brief moment. "Well, I t h i n k first o f all, obviously, there's
an issue o f interpretation and practice o f the f a i t h . A n d
that is clear. But, i n Islam an I m a m is involved w i t h the

20 N E W A F R I C A N J U N E 10l8
quality o f life o f the communities that refer to h i m . He's
not just a man o f f a i t h , he's also a man o f guidance f o r
social relations, economic development, etc.
" M y grandfather, as Imam in his time, was particularly
concerned w i t h the security o f the c o m m u n i t y d u r i n g
the War. That was six years w i t h the world upside-down.
" A n d , then, the question was always going to be the
i m p a c t o f the W a r o n the countries where the Jamat
[ c o m m u n i t y ] was living. H e followed those issues very
carefully, he was engaged i n international affairs himself.
So he was able to lead the Jamat w i t h good knowledge
o f international political affairs. Obviously, i n times o f
peace, i n times o f war, the role o f the I m a m is somewhat
different.
" I n his case, f o r example, c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h the
community was quite complex - f r o m Switzerland, f r o m
a neutral country. Today o f course, it's a different situa-
t i o n . W h a t I t h i n k is new is the more intimate contact
w i t h communities that d i d not have that contact w i t h
the I m a m before.
HH the Aga " I am referring particularly to the Soviet U n i o n , to
Khan addressing countries behind the I r o n C u r t a i n . A l l that has changed
members of the
Ismaili community
the dynamics o f the i n s t i t u t i o n because those countries
in the Bartang d i d not have direct institutional contextualisation w i t h
Valley, Tajikstan the Imamat at the time. N o w they do."
Ismaili communities occupy a broad swath including
the central part o f A f g h a n i s t a n ( K a b u l and the Kayan
valley o f B a g h l a n province, where the Ismailis are o f
Hazara background); and Badakhshan - the mountainous
valleys that stretch between northeast Afghanistan, the
n o r t h e r n areas o f Pakistan, the Badakhshan province
o f Tajikistan and the Tashkurghan district o f X i n j i a n g
province o f China; and Russia.
The Aga Khan's memorable visit to Tajikistan i n 1995
established the first direct contact i n over a century w i t h
these isolated communities. I t was the first o f many to
follow. The Aga K h a n Development N e t w o r k has been
w o r k i n g i n the region ever since to improve living condi-
tions and to create opportunities f o r populations across
the region.
J U N E 10l8 N E W AFRICAN 21
 C O V E R S T O R Y AGA
E x p a n d i n g o n the role o f the I m a m , H i s Highness
continued: "There's a whole question o f how to organise
the community, how to build its institutions, how to make
sure its institutions serve national interests i n those parts
o f the world, because our institutions are not linked just
to the Ismaili community, we serve the countries where
we are present. So that's changed the dimension and the
international dimension of the work that's being done.
"We n o w have to w o r k i n seven languages, because
there is a m a j o r language issue. English is becoming, I
t h i n k , the lingua franca o f the c o m m u n i t y as education
evolves. The community is bilingual and very often t r i l i n -
gual, so language plays a very i m p o r t a n t role. Projecting
economic and social development, institutional capacity
w i t h i n all o f that is absolutely critical."
H e moves on to the focal role o f civil society.
" I t h i n k one o f the key issues we are dealing w i t h now
is the strength ot c i v i l society. W h a t we're l o o k i n g at
is how civil society can b u i l d capacity to develop itself
outside government rather than being constantly driven
by government.
' C i v i l society is l o o k i n g at b u i l d i n g i n s t i t u t i o n s i n
healthcare, i n education, i n economic development, etc.
Institution building is an important aspect of what we're
t r y i n g to achieve - and these are national programmes;
they're not restricted to the members o f the community."
Moving picture
The Aga K h a n organisations have excellent credentials i n
development around the w o r l d but how much o f this is
influenced by spiritual considerations? The Aga K h a n ex-
plains that the concepts of din (faith) and duniya (world)
are inextricably l i n k e d .
"We're both din and duniya.. They live together i n the
ethics o f what we do, and i n the ethics of our f a i t h . W e
f u n c t i o n w i t h i n the ethics o f our faith."
I point out that he is the direct descendant from Proph-
et M u h a m m a d and Hazrat Ali. H o w have his ancestors
and himself managed to bridge this vast span o f time?
"One o f the f u n d a m e n t a l q u e s t i o n s is the ethics o f
the f a i t h . The ethics o f the f a i t h were very, very clearlv
established at the t i m e o f the Prophet and Hazrat Ali.
So we have certainty i n that domain.
" I t doesn't cover all subjects because the modern world
is d i f f e r e n t f r o m what i t was at that time. But we have
ethical principles, w h i c h are strong, w e l l understood.
We're able to work w i t h those as a s t a t t i n g p o i n t .
" W h a t we have to do is introduce, or rather apply, the
ethics to a pluralism o f societies, w h i c h we d i d n ' t have
before. The p l u r a l i s m o f these societies today is mas-
sive - i n terms of the languages, geography, economics,
political systems.
"So we have to adjust, c o u n t r y by country, as to what
we can do, what we want to do and what works w i t h i n
the government context, so we look at what governments
intend to do on leading development.
"Then we t r y to w o r k w i t h i n that context. A typical
case is countries where development has been uneven
- and I ' m n o t criticising, because very o f t e n there are
historical reasons, but there are countries where some
provinces are so isolated they never come i n contact w i t h
government at the centre.
22 N E W A F R I C A N J U N E 2,Ol8
KHAN
The AI-AzharPark
in Cairo, Egypt
(right) was built
by the Aga Khan
Trust for Culture
(AKTC). Above:
HH the Aga Khan
(3rd r) visiting
the site with
engineers during
construction.
Opposite: The
Great Mosque
of Mopti in Mali,
restored by the
AKTC over a two-
year period
" I f we happen to be in that context, we have to address
t h a t issue o f isolation and t r y and compensate where,
for one reason or another, social institutions, economic
institutions are not present.
"Fairly often we've been going into environments which
are isolated, underdeveloped. A n d we're t r y i n g to b r i n g
in the capacity for society to improve itself. I t takes time.
You need consensus around c o m m o n goals. You need to
be fairly rigorous in terms of evaluating the outcomes. Are
you achieving the goals that you want to achieve and, i f
not, how do you improve programmatic or institutional
capacity to meet the needs?
"You don't always achieve the goals you want," he con-
cedes, " f o r reasons w h i c h , very often, you can't ptedict,
or w h i c h occur as time evolves. So it's a moving picture,
i f you want. O n e o f the i m p o r t a n t things is to m o n i t o r
that picture so that you have a solid understanding o f
the changing processes. A n d a l o t o f things come i n t o
play - economics comes i n t o play, language comes i n t o
play, f a i t h comes into play."
A l t h o u g h the Aga Khan's institutional activities span
several regions, a good deal o f the investment, b o t h i n
development terms and i n for-profit enterprises, is i n Af-
rica. Does the Continent have a special place in his heart?
"Let me put it this way, in various regions where we are
working, there are different challenges. A n d the Imamat,
as an institution, has to be equitable i n the way it responds

'Fairly often the Foundation has
been going into environments which are
isolated, under-developed. And we're
trying to bring in the capacity for
society to improve itself. It takes time/
to those challenges.
"However, those responses are not uniquely dependent
on what the Imamat wants. Local circumstances, inter-
national situations have a massive impact on what can be
achieved or not be achieved.
"A lot o f the w o r k that the leaders o f the c o m m u n i -
ty and myself are d o i n g is t r y i n g to adjust to changing
situations to t r y and make sure that the changes do not
damage the c o m m u n i t y and people amongst w h o m they
live, and that we can actually use change t o b u i l d capacity.
That's a tough call."
One o f the unique aspects about your model, I say, is
that you want to u p l i f t the standards o f l i v i n g o f your
followers but also all the communities around them. Are
you satisfied that that is also happening?
" I t h i n k o u r i n s t i t u t i o n s , generally speaking, are
achieving that goal. M a n v o f them have higher usage by
non-Ismailis than Ismailis. So, i n many countries, our
institutions have moved out o f the c o m m u n i t y context
into the national context, so they are serving the country
rather than just the c o m m u n i t y . That development has
progressed.
"It's also changed the nature o f the i n s t i t u t i o n s . I n
some countries, we can deal w i t h the whole country. O n
the other hand, i f you take a c o u n t r y as large as I n d i a ,
we can't deal w i t h the whole o f India, so we w o u l d work
w i t h the key states o f importance to us. It's a case by case
situation."
Most o f the projects his organisations are engaged w i t h
involve a holistic approach. H e has said: "We try to avoid
the single-building syndrome. You have to look at the big
picture. I f you try to put social and cultural development
ahead o f economic development, it doesn't work. You have
to do it all together."
th
For example, while restoring the walls o f the 1 4 centu-
ry Djingareyber Mosque i n M a l i , the oldest earthen build-
ing i n sub-Saharan A f r i c a , the Aga K h a n Development
N e t w o r k also made improvements i n Mali's educational
system and i n nearly every sector o f its infrastructure, i n -
cluding water, electricity, aviation, health, and education.
Media and society
M y next question to h i m was about his ownership o f the
media i n Kenya. W h e n he started the N a t i o n G r o u p ,
he said he wanted to give "voice to the voiceless". Is he
satisfied w i t h how the group has performed?
"Yes, I am," he says. I f you look at it historically, i t has
done what it should have done, which was to illustrate to
the public the key issues i n national life. A n d , that has
been a good t h i n g .
"Keep i n m i n d that the h i s t o r y o f decolonisation i n
Eastern A f r i c a was a racial process. There's a tendency to
forget that. I n pre-independence Kenya, you had a Euro-
pean educational authority you had an Asian educational
authority, and you had an A f r i c a n educational authority.
"Therefore building nationhood and building common
premises towards the country are kev issues that take time.
They need to be omnipresent i n civil society, because i f
they're not omnipresent, you w i l l end up i n a mess at some
stage or the other. So, my sense is yes, I t h i n k we've made
good progress, and I hope history w i l l demonstrate that."
I raise the question o f the freedom o f the press, which
seems to have come under attack by authorities not only
i n Kenya but also i n the US. Does this w o r r y h i m as a
media owner?
" I t h i n k all professions have to have their o w n ethical
principles to f u n c t i o n so that they sustain society rather
than damage society. That's true f o r the media and the
communications inaustty.
"There are t w o ways to go," he carries on. "Either the
State imposes m i n i m u m regulation because it's i n the
interest o f society or the industry does it itself.
"When I started the Nation Group we set up a number
o f n a t i o n - b u i l d i n g principles, w h i c h the management
and the j o u r n a l i s t s had to abide by. The goal was that
the media was g o i n g to c o n t r i b u t e , f o r example, t o a
pluralist civil society. There was a goal to strengthen and
add value to the notion o f pluralism. I t went through the
whole organisation f r o m management to the joutnalists
to everybody else and it's been a very strong principle."
I n 1015, the Aga K h a n University set up the Graduate
School o f Media and Communications i n Nairobi, which
today offers w o r k i n g journalists and communications
professionals the chance to learn f r o m practitioners f r o m
some o f the world's leading media and communications
organisations. Today it partners w i t h Harvard University
and also has an unusual course f o r media owners. W h y
the focus on media owners, I wanted to know.
" I f y o u observe the industry globally, you w o u l d tend
to see the role o f owners as being fairly significant. There's
no history o f media ownership i n A f r i c a and very little
even i n Asia and insofar as these media groups reflect the
ethics, the policies o f the owners, I thought it was very
i m p o r t a n t that the owners should be educated i n terms
J U N E 10l8 N E W AFRICAN 23
 COVER STORY AGA KHAN

o f w h a t their products can d o to sustain peaceful and

developing societies rather than adding conflict.
"You k n o w as well as I do, that there are media that
are aimed at creating conflict amongst communities. So,
just the very perception that there is risk there seemed to
me to be something that we should t a l k about openly,
not hide it, and say to people, you are l i v i n g i n a pluralist
society and you have to f u n c t i o n w i t h i n the ethics o f a
plutalist society. I t h i n k that's now accepted."

Support for pluralism

One o f the Aga Khan's strongest positions is his sup-
port for pluralism, that is, the acceptance o f diversity i n
a society. Again, this is a principle that has come under
sustained attack both i n A f r i c a and increasingly i n the
West, especially the US.
I n his speech i n Sharm el-Sheikh at the A f r i c a 1016
F o r u m , the Aga K h a n made a p r o f o u n d statement o n
this issue. He said that a good deal o f the conflicts were
caused by "the fear we so often have that our environment
w i l l be c o n t r o l l e d by others, w h i c h leads to suspicion
o f the other and hardening o f attitudes". I asked h i m i f
the establishment o f the Global Centre for Pluralism i n
Canada i n partnership w i t h the Government o f Canada
was his response to this threat.
"Canada is a pluralist society," he explained. "And they
value their pluralism, they invest i n it; they protect it; and
very often i n law.
'So, I felt that Canada was an appropriate place to
develop an i n s t i t u t i o n that w o u l d seek to develop and
sustain pluralist initiatives around the world using Cana-
dian precedence, but at the same time working i n A f r i c a ,
w o r k i n g i n Asia.
" W e are b o t h c o m m i t t e d to s u s t a i n i n g p l u r a l i s m
around the w o r l d , everywhere we can. I t h i n k we are
agreed on a basic premise, which is that society is not born
w i t h the notion o f legitimising pluralism. It's something
people have to learn. They're not b o r n w i t h the under-
standing or the willingness to enter into pluralist society."
So there's always an i n b u i l t fear? I ask.
"There's a fear or there's apprehension or there's mis-
understanding and very o f t e n communities don't com-
municate amongst themselves as much as they might."
A n d are you confident, I ask h i m , that i f this is pushed
strongly enough, society m i g h t become more pluralistic?
" I t h i n k over time we'll educate enough people so that
they'll have a certain amount of influence i n the Western
w o r l d and elsewhere," he replied. "But, it's a long-term
process and there's no measurable outcome, I don't t h i n k .
We've been l o o k i n g at that."
One of the most important aspects of his organisation's
approach, be it social or economic development, cultural
restoration or t o u r i s m p r o m o t i o n , is the improvement
o f people's q u a l i t y o f l i f e and the focus o n m a k i n g the
m i n i m u m impact on the environment. H o w much was
this a conscious, ethical decision?
"Significantly so," he said. "This is an established prem-
ise that goes way back. W h y is it there? It's there to t r y to
add value to local culture. I f you bring modern industry,
t o u r i s m , a n y t h i n g else, i t w i l l tend to 'de-nature' the
culture o f the place where you are going.
"We t h o u g n t that i t was very i m p o r t a n t not to de-
HH the Aga
Khan vith local
dignitaries on a
tour of Zanzibar
town, Tanzania.
The Aga Khan
Trust for Culture
has been active
in Zanzibar since
1989, restoring
landmark
buildings,
upgrading public
housing and
rehabilitating
public spaces
c u l t u r e those c o m m u n i t i e s t h r o u g h changing what's
there b u t add value t o those cultures so that there is
an increased c o m f o r t level, respect and investment i n
enhancing those cultures.
"Our experience has been that these communities have
value and they can be enhanced.
"It's also socially essential, because i f you b u i l d insti-
tutions i n society and suddenly there's a major divorce
between society and your i n s t i t u t i o n s , you're i n deer)
trouble - and the history of colonisation illustrates this.'
W h i l e the Aga K h a n Development N e t w o r k social
development agencies, w i t h a budget o f roughly Sibn a
year, are not-for-profit, the Aga K h a n Fund for Economic
Development ( A K F E D ) invests i n for-profit enterprises.
Companies generate revenues o f over $4bn and all sur-
pluses are reinvested i n f u r t h e r development activities.
I n another interview, the Aga K h a n noted that he d i d
not see this as a c o n f l i c t between his role as a spiritual
leader as well as a business leader. "We have no notion o f
the accumulation of wealth being evil. It's how you use it.
The Islamic ethic is that i f God has given you the capacity
or good fortune to be a privileged individual i n society,
you have a moral responsibility to society."

24 N E W A F R I C A N J U N E 2.0l8

The Global Centre for Pluralism is a
partnership with the government of
Canada and we are both committed
to sustaining pluralism around the
world, everywhere we can.'
The special role of architecture
Referring to the much sought-after Aga K h a n Award
f o r Architecture, I asked h i m why his focus on archi-
tecture? W h a t is the l i n k , i f there is one, between Islam
and architecture?
"Architecture is the only art f o r m w h i c h has a direct
impact on the quality o f life. There is no other art f o r m
that impacts h u m a n quality o f life.
"So, architecture seemed to me, first o f all, basic to the
quality o f human l i f e . Secondly, i t is critical to c u l t u r a l
continuity because symbolism i n architecture, symbolism
in building is a very strong part o f society. So, making sure
that is maintained is, to me, very i m p o r t a n t .
"The basic issue is economics. The industrialised world
is a w o r l d w h i c h every 2.0 years, 30 years, p u l l s d o w n
buildings, replaces t h e m , etc. I n the developing w o r l d
we can't do that. W e do n o t have the economics to do
that.
"So we have to b u i l d f o r a m u c h longer t i m e - f r a m e
than the industrialised w o r l d , w h i c h means b u i l d i n g i n
flexibility, building in additional land where you need land
to change the product. I f vou look at medicine and the
way medicine has changed i n the last 50 years, hospitals
today are nowhere near what they used to be 50 years ago.
So, architecture has to adjust to change i n the b u i l d i n g
environment. I t has to do that. I t also has to take i n t o
account materials, costs, longevity."
A n d what about classical Islamic architecture?
"Then we are m o v i n g i n t o what I w o u l d call the do-
main o f spirituality. I t h i n k that insofar as all major faiths
have their o w n illustrations o f spirituality, i t is essential
that we maintain the symbols o f spirituality, and we can
b r i n g i n m o d e r n a r c h i t e c t u r a l standards and m o d e r n
materials, but the premise remains the same.
" I ' m very sensitive when a person says, 'I've entered
this space and I have had a sense o f s p i r i t u a l i t y ' . I am
enormously pleased when that happens. A n d architects
can be extremely talented i n creating that mood."
W h i l e I knew this was a sensitive topic, I had to raise
the issue o f how terror organisations such as Boko Haram
and I S I L have corrupted the message o f Islam and asked,
what was the way out?
"The way out. This is a b i g question," he pondered.
" M y sense is that h u m a n history shows, very often, that
when there has been an excess i n one d i r e c t i o n , there's
a corrective process that comes i n . I t doesn't stay i n the
domain o f excess.
"And I t h i n k that history is likely to show that human
life w i t h o u t attention to the soul is not something that
people w i l l be happy w i t h . They w i l l need to have that
access to spirituality. Now, I don't t h i n k that's permanent
i n the individual, I t h i n k i t fluctuates i n time, age, social
context, etc., but I ' m pretty sure that at some time i n life
most humans look f o r comfort."
" W e l l , i n my m i n d , I believe very strongly i n the mes-
sage o f Islam. A n d one o f the messages o f Islam is to gain
knowledge to understand the creation o f A l l a h . That's the
purpose. A n d I believe i n that very strongly."
D i d he see a conflict between science and religion? N o ,
he said, there was no conflict. The purpose o f Islam was
to gather knowledge to better understand the creation o f
A l l a h . One wouldassume f r o m this that since the crea-
tion o f A l l a h is all-encompassing, all knowledge gained
is serving the purpose o f Islam.
M y final question to h i m was that looking back on 6 0
years o f his Imamat, what w o u l d he consider his greatest
achievement?
" I have to be very honest and say I have never asked
m y s e l f such questions," he r e p l i e d w i t h a t w i n k l e .
" A n d i f I d i d , I probably w o u l d n ' t want to listen to the
answers.
" I n my life, first o f all, there is the happiness of working
w i t h a w o n d e r f u l community. There are challenges every
day, but you know, we are looking at the ethics o f human
life. I n that sense, t r y i n g to make sure that the ethics o f
human life are well respected w i t h i n the context o f Islam
is a m a j o r everyday, every m i n u t e issue. I t never leaves
vou." NA
J U N E 2.018 N E W AFRICAN 25