Pakistan Islamic Republic

Election Pakistan 2008 : Fair Peaceful Transparent All Credits For President Musharraf Victory For Pakistan.

President Pervez Musharraf Monday said the winning party or a coalition would form the next government and he would work with it according to the constitution. Talking to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who is Co-Chair of the Pakistan Caucus on the Hill, at the President’s Camp Office here he said there was no conflict in his role with the Prime Minister in accordance with the Constitution, which was based on the parliamentary system.

The President said holding of the general election have belied those who raveled in conspiracy theories and spread misperceptions.

Sheila Jackson, who is in Pakistan to observe the elections, exchanged views about the political process and the democratic elections in the country.

President Musharraf gave an overview of the developments leading up to the election and said that the government was committed to full transition to democracy and these elections were yet another evidence of the sincerity of his commitment.

He said Pakistan suffered from many misperceptions such as the doubts that were being cast over the holding of the election especially when these were briefly postponed after the tragic assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Sheila Jackson said as member of the House she reflected feelings of her colleagues on the Hill who desired to see democratic, stable and strong Pakistan that continues to play its important role for peace and progress in the region and in the world.

They wanted to see Pakistan emerge as a role model following the elections, she added.

She recalled that she visited Pakistan earlier while accompanying former President Clinton and was impressed by the vision of the President for Pakistan.

Sheila Jackson appreciated President’s policies especially for empowerment of women and promotion of a vibrant free media with scores of private sector TV channels operating in the country.

She praised the role of Pakistan in fighting terrorism and paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the Pakistan armed forces. She affirmed that as a friend it would remain her endeavour to present an honest and correct perception of Pakistan .

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Fate of Pakistan pivotal for the future of the world- historian Karen Armstrong

03 Feb 2008 09:53:26 GMT
Source: Reuters

ISLAMABAD, Feb 3, 2008 - The future of Pakistan, and how it balances the need for Muslim symbols with the secularism needed to run a modern state, will be important for the future of the world, according to historian and theologian Karen Armstrong.

Nuclear-armed and reaping the grim harvest of "extremism" resulting from the West's support for a religious war to drive the Soviet Union out of neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan has a big question to answer, says Armstrong. "How do you become a secular Muslim state?"

Last Thursday, Armstrong, whose writings have highlighted the tolerant and pluralistic nature of Islam, met President Pervez Musharraf, who hoped to change Pakistan into a state where "enlightened moderation" prevailed.

"Pakistan is on the frontier of this present struggle," Armstrong told Reuters during a visit to Islamabad to celebrate the golden jubilee of the Aga Khan, Fatimid Imam Caliph of Islam.

"I think it is not so much important for the future of Islam as important for the future of the world," said the 63-year-old Briton, whose book "The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam" was released a year before 2001 attacks on the United States.

"What happens here will be very decisive in how the so-called war against terrorism proceeds in other regions."

"The kind of conversations I have about this topic remind me very much of conversations I had in Israel, another secular state born out of displacement and tragedy."

Armstrong said Israelis faced a similar struggle between secularists in tune with the vision of their country's founder, David Ben-Gurion, and ultra-orthodox Jews, some of them militant.

Even Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, realised the need to have a degree of secularism in order to run a modern state, she said. Khomeini, just before he died in 1989, told mullahs not to meddle in defence and economic policies, she said.

CORNERED BY SECULARISM
The separation of religion in the state represents a modern, major change in societies where religion is a way of life. When it happens too quickly, people feel threatened and if attacked through the media or by force, they become aggressive, said Armstrong, a former nun who describes herself as a "freelance monotheist". "Most of these extreme movements are rooted in profound fear, a fear of annihilation," she said, stressing that the same dynamics play out in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. "In small-town America there are Christians who believe they are going to be wiped out by a so-called liberal establishment."

During the interview, Armstrong cited the example of Sayyid Qutb, whose writings from an Egyptian jail in the 1950s and 60s helped craft a strain of Sunni Muslim fundamentalism that spawned the global jihad of al Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri.

People should study Qutb's texts rather than the Koran if they wanted to understand al Qaeda, she said. But they had to be read in the context of the torture Qutb suffered and his reaction to efforts to secularise Egypt, she said. Attempts to introduce secularism, which took centuries in the West, has been done too quickly in the Middle East, according to Armstrong, resulting in religious movements that tend to become lethal if they occur in regions where violence is endemic.

Armstrong didn't see militancy in Pakistan's tribal lands, or Hamas or Hizbollah movements, or even bin Laden's al Qaeda, as being motivated principally by religion. It is more of a kind of political followup.

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Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan, the 48th Fatimid Imam Caliph and founder of Pakistan at a session of Motamer al-Alam-al-Islamiyya on February 9, 1951 in Karachi said:

“I can assure you that it is not with a light heart that I address you this evening. I fully realise that what I am going to say will make me most unpopular with important sections of the population. However, I would be a traitor to Islam if I let this opportunity pass without placing before the people of this powerful and populous Islamic nation the views which I consider my duty to place before the Muslims with as many of the arguments as I am capable of using in a short address.

I fear some of my arguments will mortally offend those who under totally different conditions gave so much of their life for the support of the cause which I think today has been passed by events far more important than any dreamt of in those days. I feel the responsibility greater than any I can think of to place my views and arguments before the Muslim population of Pakistan as a whole - each and every province - while what I consider a tragic and deadly step is not yet taken and not added to the constitution of this realm.

The language of a nation is not only the expression of its own voice but the mode of interpretation with all other human societies. Before it is too late, I, an old man, implore my brothers in Islam here not to finally decide for Urdu as the national language of Pakistan but to choose Arabic. Please hear my arguments.

If what was the other part of the former British Empire of India had made Urdu its national language, there would have been a great argument for Pakistan doing ditto. It could have been a linguistic and important point of contact with the vast Republic of the South. I am the last man on earth to desire to break any bridge of contact and understanding between Pakistan and its immense neighbour. Not only Urdu but even Hindustani has been replaced by Hindi throughout Bharat as the national language. The people of Bharat were perfectly justified to choose any language which the majority considered most appropriate and historically justified to be their national language. The majority there has the right to choose what was most suitable for them as the official language of the country.

Your choice in Pakistan of Urdu will in no way ameliorate or help your relations with your neighbour, nor will it help the Muslim minorities there in any conceivable way. Howsoever you may add Arabic and Persian words to Urdu there is no denying the fact that the syntax, the form, the fundamentals of the language are derived from Hindi and not from Arabic. Was Urdu the language of the Muslims of India at the time of their glory? During the long Pathan period, Urdu was never considered the language of the rulers.

Now we come to the Moghul Empire in the period of its glory. It was not the language of the educated. I defy anybody to produce a letter or any other form of writing by Emperors Aurangzeb, Shah Jehan, Jehangir, Akbar, Humayun or Babar in Urdu language. All that was spoken at the Court was Persian or occasional Turkish. I have read many of the writings of Aurangzeb and they are in beautiful Persian. Same is true if you go to the Taj Mahal and read what is written on the tombs of the Emperor and his famous consort. Persian was the court language and the language of the educated and even till the early 19th century in far Bengal, the Hindu intelligentsia wrote and used Persian and not Urdu. Up to the time of Macaulay, Persian was the language of Bengali upper classes irrespective of faith and of official documents and various Sadar Adalat. We must look historical facts in the face. Urdu became the language of Muslim India after the downfall. It is a language associated with the downfall. Its great poets are of the downfall period. The last and the greatest of them was lqbal, who with the inspiration of revival gave up Urdu poetry for Persian poetry. There was a meeting in Iqbal’s honour in London organised by men such as Prof. Nicholson. I was present at that meeting. Iqbal said that he went in for Persian poetry because it was associated with the greatness of the Islamic epoch and not with its misfortunes. Is it right that the language of the downfall period should become the national language of what we hope now is a phoenix-like national rising? All the great masters of Urdu belong to the period of greatest depression and defeat. It was then a legitimate attempt by the use of a language of Hindi derivation with Arabic and Persian words to find ways and means of better understanding with the then majority fellow countrymen.

Today that vast British dependency is partitioned and succeeded by two independent and great nations and the whole world hopes that both sides now accept partition as final. Is it a natural and national language of the present population of Pakistan? Is it the language of Bengal where the majority of Muslims live? Is it what you. hear in the streets of Dacca or Chittagong? Is it the language of the North West Frontier? Is it the language of Sind? Is it the language of the Punjab? Certainly after the fall of the Mughal Empire the Muslims and Hindus of certain areas found in it a common bond, but now today other forms of bridges must be found for mutual understanding. Who were the creators of Urdu? What are the origins of Urdu? Where did it come from? The camp followers, the vast Hindi-speaking population attached to the Imperial Court who adapted, as they went along, more Arabic and Persian words into the syntax. of their own language just as in later days the English words such as glass and cup became part of a new form of Urdu called Hindustani. Are you going to make the language of the Camp, or of the Court, the national language of your new-born realm? Every Muslim child of a certain economic standard learns the Quran in Arabic, whether he is from Dacca or Quetta. He learns Arabic to read the Quran.

Arabic is the language of Islam. The Qur’an is in Arabic. The Prophet’s hadith are in Arabic. The highest form of Islamic culture in Spain was in Arabic. Your children must learn Arabic to a certain extent always. The same is true of your West whether Sind, Baluchistan or the North. From the practical and worldly point of view, Arabic will give you, as a national language, immediate contact not only with the 40 million Arabic-speaking people of independent nations on your West, but the other 60 million more or less Arabic-speaking people who are not independent but who exist in Africa. Right up to the Atlantic, not only in North but as far South as Nigeria and the Gold Coast, Arabic is known to the upper classes of the population. In all the Sudans, on the Nile or under French rule, Arabic is the language right up to the borders of Portuguese West Africa. In East Africa, not only in Zanzibar but amongst the Muslim population of even countries as far apart as Madagascar and Portuguese East Africa, Arabic is known. If we turn to the Far East, Arabic has prospered throughout the region inhabited by 80 million Muslims of Indonesia, Malaya and Philippines. In Ceylon, Muslim children of the well-to-do classes get some knowledge of Arabic.

Is it not right and proper that this powerful Muslim State of Pakistan, with its central geographical position, its bridges between the nearly 100 million Muslims of the East and 100 million Muslims of the West - its position of the East from Philippines and the Great State of Indonesia and Malaya and Burma and then westward with the hundred millions in Africa, right up to the Atlantic, should make Arabic its national language and not isolate itself from all its neighbors and from the world of Islam with a language that was associated with the period of downfall of Muslim States.

And finally, whi1e Arabic, as a universal language of the Muslim world will unite, Urdu will divide and isolate. Gentlemen, brothers in Islam, people of Pakistan, people of every Province, I appeal to you, before you take the final and what I unfortunately must say, I consider, the fatal jump down the precipice, please discuss and let all and every one contribute their views. Take time and think over it. Once more I appeal for Islamic charity from those whom I may have offended and I appeal to all others to look to the facts in the face both historically and as they exist at present. I pray that the people of this country may be guided by Divine Wisdom before they decide.”

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Aziz calls on Aga Khan : Shaukat Aziz former Prime Minister of Pakistan called on His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan at his Paris residence this week January 31 2008. The two leaders exchanged views on international situation. The former Prime Minister paid rich tributes to Prince Aga Khan for his excemplary meritorious services for the cause of Muslim Ummah, and the poor, the sick and the needy in emerging economies. The Fatimid Imam Caliph expressed his pleasure over the financial development of Pakistan. Due to effective economic policy of the government, financial stability took place in Pakistan, said Aga Khan.

His Highness Aga Khan is establishing a Muslim University with a total cost of US $ 500 million, the president of Aga Khan Council, Iqbal Waljee, said in Karachi on Thursday, 24 January 2008.. He said 1,000 acres of land has been acquired for the purpose on Super Highway in Karachi. The Aga Khan will inaugurate the ground breaking shortly, he said adding that acadamic activity will start from 2011. Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Imamat Caliphate of Aga Khan is being marked in Pakistan with high profile programmes including lecture series by Karen Armstrong on intellectual traditions in Islam.

And as Pakistan is going through anxious moments, Fatimid Heritage Foundation, Geneva Peace Development Centre and Mountain Girls Education Development Program have endorsed full confidence in the leadership of Excellency President Musharraf. We believe President Musharraf has been historically delivering his best, both for Pakistan and world community so to speak about civil society and democracy, women emancipation and good governance, theological and political consensus, freedom of expression, media support, independence of judiciary, indigenous rule of people and global peace.

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Despite a wide range of tools available to the United Nations in the areas of preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peacebuilding, a new United Nations report calls for measures to boost the world body’s capacity to prevent conflicts.

Citing a “considerable gap” between rhetoric surrounding prevention and the use of measures towards that end, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states that “the overriding challenge for the international community remains the development of more effective strategies for preventing conflict.”

In his latest report on conflict prevention, particularly in Africa, Mr. Ban notes that the cost of armed conflict on the continent is equal to or greater than the amount of money it receives in international aid. “Had that money not been lost as a result of armed conflict, it could have been used to address Africa’s growing development and humanitarian needs,” he points out.

The Secretary-General believes the key priority is to further enhance the UN’s work in the area of conflict prevention, and has unveiled plans to strengthen the capacity of the Secretariat, especially the Department of Political Affairs.

The report proposes to strengthen the Organization’s regional field presence in support of prevention, particularly in Africa.

While effective preventive action requires substantial human and financial resources, peacekeeping or peace enforcement costs much more, he notes, adding “we must therefore move from declarations of intent to concrete actions to ensure that preventive diplomacy becomes more effective.”

He notes that the UN is already bolstering its partnerships with Member States and regional organizations to develop their conflict prevention capacities, as evidenced by the world body’s close cooperation with the African Union on several prevention, peacekeeping and peacemaking initiatives.

Noting the underrepresentation of women at the formal stages of conflict prevention, Mr. Ban stresses the need for the UN to make an increased effort to support and encourage their full participation in this area.

To prevent crises from escalating into armed conflict, Mr. Ban calls on the Security Council to enhance its prevention capacity, including by dispatching timely missions to the field to assess situations on the ground.

He also urges the Council to increase the use of its “Arria formula” meetings, whereby non-governmental actors can address the 15-member body outside official sessions, and to work to ensure the “creative and constructive” use of sanctions as a tool for preventing conflicts.

Mr. Ban adds that it is only through political settlements that conflicts can be resolved. “If we do not deal with the root causes of conflict – and offer sustainable solutions – we will be left with humanitarian emergencies and peacekeeping operations without end.”


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His Highness Aga Khan Fatimid Imam Caliph, founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), today 30th January 2008 met with Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), for discussions on joint collaboration between the ADB and AKDN. The meeting preceded the signing of an agreement aimed at expanding the partnership between the two institutions.

“A strengthened partnership between ADB and the Aga Khan Development Network provides an effective channel for supporting inclusive development in the region, especially for the benefit of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society,” said Mr. Kuroda.

The Aga Khan’s younger brother, Prince Amyn Aga Khan, who signed the agreement on the Aga Khan’s behalf, thanked the ADB for its long-standing cooperation and lauded the Bank’s efforts to adopt a new long-term strategy this year in the face of growing challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Prince Amyn Aga Khan expressed confidence that the agreement will enable an intensification of the collaboration between the two institutions, thereby helping to transform the lives of many.

He added that the agreement is “an expression of our shared commitment to ensure that marginalized and impoverished areas of South and Central Asia receive the attention and support needed to alleviate poverty and to create stability in cross border areas, by connecting isolated communities, developing markets, incomes, and employment, and fostering an enabling environment.”

The joint ADB/AKDN agreement stresses the need “to find ways to undertake investments to connect the poor to the opportunities of growth and to connect services to the poor emanating from national and regional growth benefits.”

The ADB and the AKDN collaborate across multiple sectors in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India, and Pakistan. The agreement signed today reinforces the need for cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure, economic development, and human capacity building. It expresses the joint commitment of both institutions to local and regional ownership of development policies and programmes, long-term approaches to sustainable development, and investments which connect the poor to growth opportunities. Amongst the new areas for potential partnership are investments in higher education, including with the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia.

Notes:

ADB, a major development institution in the Asia and Pacific region, seeks to foster economic growth, good governance, human resource development, and the reduction of poverty for the benefit of its developing member countries.

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, non-denominational development agencies working to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. The Network’s nine development agencies focus on social, cultural and economic development for all citizens, regardless of gender, origin or religion. The AKDN’s underlying ethic is compassion for the vulnerable in society. Its annual budget for social development is in excess of US$300million.

For more information please contact:

Jason Rush
Media Relations
Asian Development Bank
Tel: (632) 632-4444
www.adb.org
Aly Nazerali
European Representative and CEO
AKDN
3 Cromwell Gardens
London SW7 2HB
Tel: +442075916800
E-mail: aly.nazerali@akdn.org

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On July 23, 2007, leaders of the U.S. military and NGO community celebrated a promising moment for civil-military relations in peace operations: the rollout of guidelines that will serve as "rules of the road" for how the two entities should operate in hostile environments.

Facilitated by the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Guidelines seek to mitigate frictions between military and NGO personnel over the preservation of humanitarian space in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Principles in the Guidelines include ensuring that military personnel wear uniforms when conducting relief activities to avoid being mistaken for nongovernmental humanitarian organization representatives. Conversely, it recommends that, to the extent practical, humanitarian relief personnel avoid traveling in U.S. Armed Forces vehicles, with the exception of liaison personnel.

The heads of both the U.S. military and InterAction (an umbrella organization for U.S. NGOs) have endorsed the Guidelines and will be disseminating them throughout their organizations. Two years in the making, the effort represents "a desire from both sides to move beyond polemics to proactive problem solving," said Jeb Nadaner, deputy assistant secretary of defense for stability operations at the Pentagon.

NGO leaders likewise expressed optimism at the potential for change. "We do not want to understate the importance of this document for us," said Sam Worthington, InterAction president and CEO. "We believe that these Guidelines will serve a purpose beyond U.S. NGOs to our global partners."

The initiative was launched in March 2005 when Ambassador Carlos Pascual, coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization at the U.S. State Department, asked the Institute to establish a Working Group on Civil-Military Relations in Nonpermissive Environments. What began as a dialogue between military and NGO leaders has resulted in a pioneering effort upon which both sides hope to expand. Military and NGO leaders intend to promulgate the Guidelines throughout their communities via media and education channels: NGOs will publish the Guidelines in their newsletters and literature; the military will incorporate the Guidelines into joint military doctrine publications. The next challenge lies in implementing the Guidelines in the field and creating a monitoring process by which the Guidelines can be continuously updated and revised.

Guidelines Handout

Help Hillary Create History

Ismaili.US

U.S. President George W. Bush, in a speech opening the Annapolis conference on the Middle East here on Tuesday, said Israelis and Palestinians reach an agreement to launch immediate, bilateral talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace deal by the end of 2008.

Reading the joint statement by the Israelis and Palestinians, President Bush said the two sides agree "to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008."

President Bush Tuesday launched his biggest initiative for Middle East peace, brushing aside skeptics by insisting the time is right for Israelis and Palestinians to end their six-decade conflict. He also dismissed suggestion that this is not the right time to re-launch the Middle East talks.

"I believe that now is precisely the right time to begin these negotiations," he said.

"The task begun here at Annapolis will be difficult. This is the beginning of the process, not the end of it, and much work remains to be done," the President added.

President Bush urged Israel and Palestine to fulfill their commitment under the "Roadmap" plan drafted by the Quartet, or the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, in 2003.

The U.S. leader has held summit talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, insisting that the time is right for the two sides to end the decades long conflict. For the Palestinian leaders, they "will create opportunity for all its citizens and govern justly and dismantle the infrastructure of terror," President Bush said, adding that Israeli leaders must "show the world that they are ready to begin to bring an end to the occupation that began in 1967, through a negotiated settlement."


"Israel must demonstrate its support for the creation of a prosperous and successful Palestinian state by removing unauthorized outposts, ending settlement expansion, and finding other ways for the Palestinian Authority to exercise it's responsibilities without compromising Israel's security," President Bush said.

For the United States, "America will do everything in our power to support their quest for peace, but we cannot achieve it for them. The success of these efforts will require that all parties show patience and flexibility and meet their responsibilities," the President said.

Reading the joint statement by the Israelis and Palestinians, President Bush said the two sides agree "to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008."

U.S. President George W. Bush Tuesday launched his biggest initiative for Middle East peace, brushing aside skeptics by insisting the time is right for Israelis and Palestinians to end their six-decade conflict. President Bush also dismissed suggestion that this is not the right time to re-launch the Middle East talks.

"I believe that now is precisely the right time to begin these negotiations," the President said.

"The task begun here at Annapolis will be difficult. This is the beginning of the process, not the end of it, and much work remains to be done," he added.

The President urged Israel and Palestine to fulfill their commitment under the "Roadmap" plan drafted by the Quartet, or the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, in 2003.

The U.S. leader has held summit talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, insisting that the time is right for the two sides to end their decades-long conflict. For the Palestinian leaders, they "will create opportunity for all its citizens and govern justly and dismantle the infrastructure of terror," President Bush said, adding that Israeli leaders must "show the world that they are ready to begin to bring an end to the occupation that began in 1967, through a negotiated settlement."

"Israel must demonstrate its support for the creation of a prosperous and successful Palestinian state by removing unauthorized outposts, ending settlement expansion, and finding other ways for the Palestinian Authority to exercise it's responsibilities without compromising Israel's security," he said.

For the United States, "America will do everything in our power to support their quest for peace, but we cannot achieve it for them. The success of these efforts will require that all parties show patience and flexibility and meet their responsibilities," the President said.

Nearly 50 countries and international organizations attended the Annapolis conference, the first such conference since the Bush administration took office in seven years.

Posted by: Ismaili.US, Fatimid Heritage Foundation

Labels: Aga Khan Fatimid Imam Caliph, Ehud Olmert, Fatimid Heritage Foundation, Fatimid Imamat Caliphate, Geneva Peace, Ismaili.US, Israel, Mahmud Abbas, Palestine, President Bush

Discours par Son Altesse l'Aga Khan lors du diner d'état à Madagascar,
le 27 novembre 2007



Monsieur le Premier Ministre,
Monsieur le Président de l’Assemblée Nationale
Messieurs les Ministres,
Excellences,
Mesdames et Messieurs,


Je tenais tout d’abord, particulièrement à vous remercier pour l’invitation que vous m’avez adressée au nom du Président de la République et du Gouvernement malgache, ainsi que pour l’accueil chaleureux et l’hospitalité si caractéristiques du peuple malgache, que vous m’avez réservés. Cela me va droit au coeur. Je voudrais également vous dire combien vos mots me flattent et m’honorent, tout autant qu’ils honorent ma communauté.

C’est en 1956, il y a 50 ans, que pour la première fois, j’ai mis les pieds sur le sol Malgache. Parmi les visites effectuées depuis, celle-ci revêt un caractère particulier et symbolique pour moi et ma communauté. Je célèbre, en effet, l’année de mon Jubilée d’Or et je vous remercie de vos félicitations à cette occasion en visitant tous les pays chers à mon cœur, et ayant une signification particulière pour les Ismailis et moi-même.

La communauté ismailie, implantée à Madagascar depuis une centaine d’années, s’est fortement impliquée dans la vie économique et sociale du pays et s’est fondue dans le tissu national, pour devenir l’une des nombreuses cultures et traditions qui font la richesse du pays. Les Ismailis sont établis dans près de trente-cinq pays à travers le monde et représentent un pluralisme culturel et linguistique considérable.

L’éthique de l’Islam établit un lien indissociable entre la vie spirituelle et la vie matérielle, Din et Dunya. En conséquence, mes responsabilités de chef spirituel et d’interprète de la foi vont-elles de pair avec un profond engagement en faveur de l’amélioration de la qualité de la vie. Cette action ne se limite pas à la communauté ismailie, elle s’étend à tous ceux qui partagent leur vie, que ce soit à l’échelle locale, nationale ou internationale.

Notre devoir est de chercher à libérer les hommes de la pauvreté. Et pour moi, pauvreté signifie être sans abri, sans protection, sans accès à la médecine, à l’éducation, au crédit, et sans espoir d’autonomie face à son destin. Cela veut dire la condamnation de ses enfants et petits-enfants à des conditions de vie inacceptables.

Une démarche volontariste et novatrice doit être entreprise dans la perspective de casser cette chaîne de désespoir et d’emprisonnement total.

C’est pourquoi, en tant qu’Imam des Ismailis, j’ai considéré qu’il était de mon devoir de relever les défis auxquels ces populations sont confrontées aujourd’hui. J’ai choisi de m’engager dans des projets de développement dans tous ces domaines, par l’intermédiaire d’un groupe d’agences privées connues sous le nom du Réseau Aga Khan de Développement (AKDN), un réseau multisectoriel ayant pour but de combattre la pauvreté, au service de tous, sans distinction de religion ni d’origine.

En mai 2005, avec le soutien du gouvernement de Madagascar et des Ministres ici présents, nous avons identifié la région de Sofia afin d’y établir un programme de développement rural et Monsieur le Premier Ministre vous avez bien voulu vous y référer. Ce programme, utilisant des méthodes novatrices, notamment dans la formation des paysans, a permis de doubler le rendement à l’hectare de la production rizicole et bénéficie d’ores et déjà à près de 10.000 agriculteurs participants.

En s’appuyant sur un savoir-faire acquis dans plus de 12 pays d’Afrique et d’Asie, nous avons également introduit en 2006 à Madagascar une agence de microfinance, la P.A.M.F. qui compte, à ce jour, sept filiales en zone rurale et urbaine et près de 3000 clients.

Parmi d’autres initiatives, le Fonds Aga Khan pour le Développement Economique (AKFED), encourage le progrès économique des pays en développement ou en reconstruction post-conflit. L’AKFED intervient dans des domaines où les retours sur les investissements sont longs et incertains, et où nombre d’investisseurs privés considèrent qu’il est risqué d’investir. Les profits générés par AKFED sont réinvestis dans des projets dans des pays, en insuffisance d’investissement étranger afin de consolider leur économie nationale. Nous avons ainsi récemment lancé des projets dans les domaines de l’énergie auxquels vous avez fait référence (avec l’inauguration il y a quelques mois d’une nouvelle centrale hydroélectrique à Bujagali en Ouganda), des télécommunications (en Afghanistan) ou du tourisme (notamment en Afrique de l’Est), où l’initiative privée se met au service des priorités nationales.

L’importance capitale que le « Madagascar Action Plan » (MAP) accorde à l’éducation a particulièrement retenu notre attention car il concourt avec l’approche de notre Réseau.

L’objectif est de stopper la fuite des cerveaux, véritable fléau des pays en voie de développement, en proposant des universités aux standards internationaux dans des campus régionaux tels que celui que je viens juste d’annoncer à Arusha qui pourrait à terme servir tous les pays de l’Afrique de l’Est et de l’Océan indien. De telles institutions permettront, je l’espère, de rompre la dépendance du Sud par rapport au Nord et de former le leadership de demain. L’amélioration des institutions d’enseignement primaire et secondaire d’excellence, avec un curriculum international et multilingue, permettra aux élèves d’accéder à ces universités ainsi qu’aux meilleures institutions dans le monde. De plus, un Centre de Développement Professionnel soutiendra l’amélioration de la compétence des enseignants, et l’introduction de méthodes d’enseignement innovantes.

Madagascar, en ayant identifié les défis auxquels sa population fait face, a clairement défini sa feuille de route. Et c’est en partageant de manière idoine avec le Réseau Aga Khan de Développement sa vision du futur, que nous pouvons dorénavant avancer main dans la main pour les générations à venir.

Merci.

Did you know...
You can access current weather conditions, local forecasts, the previous day's conditions and weather warnings in real-time via your wireless device? Access the Wireless Portal through your Web-enabled mobile device at wap.gc.ca or www.gc.ca - It's easy, it's fast, it's mobile.

The Government of Canada Wireless Portal is an evolving project that we invite you to try out and give us your feedback on. The services currently available on the Wireless Portal are described below. The services continue to evolve and expand as we move forward with this project.

The Wireless Portal is designed to complement the existing service channels, through which you can obtain Government of Canada information. This means that the information accessible through the Wireless Portal is already available on the Canada Site, through 1 800 O-Canada or at Service Canada Access Centres.

The Wireless Portal is your quick and easy single point of access to selected government information and services on the go!

To access government information and services, point your mobile Web-enabled device (Web-enabled cell phone, PDA) to: wap.gc.ca or www.gc.ca

How to Use the Government of Canada Wireless Portal
Services Available
Currently, a select number of services are available. As the initiative expands, more services will be added.

Services and information currently available include:
Border Wait Times
Select Border Wait Times to access the estimated wait times for crossing the Canada-United States land border at certain locations. This information is provided by the Canada Border Services Agency.
Canada Business service centres Contact Information
Select Canada Business service centres to access the toll-free numbers, locations and e-mail addresses for the Canada Business service centres. This information is provided by Industry Canada.
Canadian Company Capabilities
Select Canadian Company Capabilities to access the on-line database that contains information on Canadian suppliers and distribution channels to determine competition, to form partnerships and to uncover export ventures. The Canadian Company Capabilities database provides the name, address, contacts, products and services and key international markets, and it also allows direct links to a company's home page, an e-mail service and an on-line registration service. This information is provided by Industry Canada.

Canadian Hurricane Centre
Select Canadian Hurricane Centre to access hurricane and tropical storm information statements, watches and warning bulletins. This information is provided by Environment Canada

Please note that you should not rely totally on forecasts from this service in 2007 because:

This is a new service that started on September 1, 2004 and interruptions are to be expected while Environment Canada fine-tunes the service.

This service may not be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week; therefore the timely delivery of forecasts is not guaranteed.

Currency Converter
Select the Currency Converter to access conversions (to and from Canadian dollars) based on the Bank of Canada's nominal noon exchange rates, which are published each business day at about 1 p.m. EST. This information is provided by the Bank of Canada

Economic Indicators
Select Economic Indicators to access Canada's latest population figure, the rates for unemployment and inflation and the gross domestic product (GDP). This information is provided by Statistics Canada.

Exchange Rates
Select Bank of Canada Exchange Rates to access the current exchange rates. This information is provided by the Bank of Canada

Government of Canada Employee Phone Numbers
Select the Government Electronic Directory Services (GEDS) to access an integrated directory of federal public servants provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Government of Canada news releases, media advisories, background news, and more.
Select News to access Government of Canada news releases, media advisories and background news information in real-time.

Member of Parliament Contact Information
Select Member of Parliament Contact Information to access a listing of Members of Parliament contact information from the Parliament of Canada Web site.

Passport Offices
Select Passport Offices to access Passport Office addresses and phone numbers. This information is provided by Passport Canada.

National Parks
Select National Parks to access the List of National Parks of Canada by Province/Territory. Their contact information, including address, phone number and email, is provided. This information is provided by Parks Canada.
1 800 O-Canada International Toll-free Numbers
Select 1 800 O-Canada International Toll-free Numbers to access a list of toll-free numbers that can be used to access information on the Government of Canada from locations outside Canada and the United States. Service is provided in English and French, Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Weather
Select Weather to Access current weather conditions, local forecasts, the previous day's conditions and weather warnings in real-time for pan-Canada weather stations. This information is provided by the Environment Canada Weather Office.
Feedback
Your feedback, questions or comments about the Wireless Portal are appreciated and may be sent to: sitecanadasite@canada.gc.ca
If you have an opinion to share or would like a response to a question about any topic other than the Government of Canada's Wireless Portal, please visit the Canada Site's Questions and Comments Form.
Anwar Merchant is a Government of Canada On-Line Research Panel member.