Ismaili TV Originals
The Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center is pleased to bring you Community Barriers to Economic Prosperity: A Virtual Town Hall with Stacey Abrams, in recognition of National Voter Registration Day. Join us as we discuss solutions to the deep challenges faced by the southern states and opportunities for civic engagement.
Celebrate Eid al-Adha with an enchanting musical performance held at the Ismaili Centre Toronto in 2015. Dr. Karim Gillani and the Sufi Music Ensemble perform original compositions based on classical poems of the Mughal era with a theme of Rah-e-Ishq – The Path of Love. Using rich metaphors, symbols, and stories of the past, musical compositions, and interpretations of modern art, the ensemble echoed the sentiments of tolerance and acceptance of the Mughal civilisation. The musicians used a variety of traditional instruments such as the santur, tombak, sarangi, flutes, Indian tablas, harmonium, and keyboard.
This month marks 35 years of the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver. Join us in celebrating this milestone through a series of online events. Our second session features a special conversation with past and present institutional leaders. Moderated by CTV’s Nafeesa Karim, this promises to be an engaging discussion filled with insights into the history of the Ismaili Centre, alongside footage from the Centre’s archives. Past Council for Canada President Farouk Verjee and past Council for British Columbia President Bahadur Karim will share their experiences and fondest memories of the Centre’s opening ceremony. Discover the vision, conversations, and experiences that helped establish the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver as a keystone of our community in Canada. The session will close with Council for British Columbia President Samir Manji offering his reflections on the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver.
This talk will revolve around a simple question: at the time of this global pandemic, where do we seek answers? Are they to be found in faith and religious practice? Or should people exclusively seek every answer under these circumstances from science? The question of the interaction between faith and intellect (or rather science) as two sources of knowledge has been at the heart of major theological and philosophical currents in the Muslim world. How do we resolve these tensions without obviating either faith or science? Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor explores this theme and refers to Ismaili tradition and primary sources to demonstrate that there is no conflict between faith and science and both serve a purpose, both have weight and significance as well as the ability to reinforce one another.
Healthy Moms, Healthy Families: Did you know women's health has a direct impact on the well-being of their families? Join us for a panel discussion with esteemed speakers from Women's College Hospital to learn about barriers in women's mental health, and for an inspiring discussion on new initiatives to help bridge these gaps.
IJKC USA: Conversation with former White House Photographer Eric Draper, moderated by Karim Farishta
The Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center presents an up-close and personal look at the George W. Bush presidency as captured by Eric Draper during his eight years as the Director of the White House Photo Office and President Bush’s personal photographer. Join us for a moderated discussion on Draper’s journey as a photojournalist and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the iconic images he captured.
The Ismaili Centre, London, presents an exciting and humorous conversation between Dr. Mohamed Keshavjee, author of "Diasporic Distractions: New Faces in New Places”, and East African Swahili playwright Dr. Farouk Topan. Together they explore the existential realities of Asians in Africa during the 20th century, utilising popular fiction and anecdotes.
In recognition of the upcoming International Day of Democracy, the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center is pleased to bring you, “Strengthening Our Democracy.” Join us for conversations with U.S. Senator David Perdue and Candidate Jon Ossoff as they share their views on democracy and how to strengthen the United States of America.
Maintaining a balance between the spiritual and the material is one of the important messages in the guidance of Mawlana Hazar Imam. This Time to Think talk will discuss how this is translated into the institutional language as ‘improving the quality of life’ for the Jamat and the people amongst whom they live.
Designing a Better World is a new Ismaili Centre docu-series, focusing on designers who are improving society through their creativity and passion. In the first episode, world-renowned Islamic geometry artist, sculptor, and calligrapher Adam Williamson shares his journey and explains how the act of producing art is, for him, a deeply meditative and spiritual process. From architecture to policy-making, entertainment to organizational design, Designing a Better World brings together leading thinkers who are building a more inclusive, resilient, and peaceful world through better design.
Ginans – Ismaili religious literature originating from the religious-cultural context of the Indian Subcontinent, have sometimes been viewed as “lacking Islamic personality”. This talk will challenge this view and introduce audiences to multiple examples of religious poetry used by various Muslim traditions from the region to highlight typical characteristics of the literature that are greatly influenced by South Asian cultural contexts. The talk will also introduce the audience to multiple IIS publications that one can turn to in order to learn more and gain further insights into this topic.
Our history offers a rich repository of our beliefs and values, and how we have lived by them through the centuries. This talk explores select examples from the Dawr al-Satr (765-909 CE) and the Fatimid period (909-1171 CE) of our history, to illustrate how the Imams and the leadership at the time dealt with challenging circumstances of their age, using them as a springboard for laying stronger foundations for the future of the Jamat across various regions of the world.
We live in a world where we are often around people who are different from us. Research shows that humans are born with a bias in favour of those who are similar to them and against those who are different. Thus, this talk argues that it is imperative for the survival of civilised society that the value of pluralism is encouraged and taught at all levels of society.
The Ismaili Centres are proud to present Visionary Voices: Conversations on the 35th Anniversary of the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver. Please join us for a special event featuring a discussion with former Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney. Mr. Mulroney reflects back on the vision for the Centre, its significance as a symbol of the Ismaili community's contributions to Canada, and its untapped potential to fulfill even more of these hopes and aspirations in the years ahead.