Nizari Ismaili Imamat
Upon taking the position of Imam, the Aga Khan IV stated that he intended to continue the work his grandfather had pursued in building modern institutions to improve the quality of life of the Nizari Ismailis. Takht nashini (installation of the new Imam) ceremonies occurred at several locations over the course of 1957 and 1958. During this time, the Aga Khan emphasized to his followers the importance of fostering positive relations with different ethnicities – a message highly appropriate considering the racially tense atmosphere in East Africa at the time between blacks and South Asians. During the Aga Khan's installation ceremonies in the Indian subcontinent, the Aga Khan stressed his commitment to improving the standard of living of Nizari Ismailis and encouraged cooperation with individuals of other religions. The main themes that the Aga Khan emphasized to his community during these first few months of his Imamat were material development, education, interracial harmony, and confidence in religion.
In 1972, under the regime of the then President Idi Amin of Uganda South Asians, including Nizari Ismailis, were expelled. The South Asians, some who whose families had lived in Uganda for over 100 years, were given 90 days to leave the country. The Aga Khan picked up the phone and called long-time friend, then Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau. Trudeau's government agreed to open its doors, and thousands of Nizari Ismailis subsequently immigrated to Canada. The Aga Khan also undertook urgent steps to facilitate the resettlement of Nizari Ismailis displaced from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, as well as Burma, to other countries. Most of these Nizari Ismailis found new homes – not only in Asia, but, also in Europe and North America. Most of the initial resettlement problems were overcome remarkably rapidly by Nizari Ismailis due to their educational backgrounds and high rates of literacy, as well as the efforts of the Aga Khan and the host countries, and the moral and material support from Nizari Ismaili community programs.
In view of the importance that Nizari Ismailism places on maintaining a balance between the spiritual well-being of the individual and the quality of his or her material life, the Imam's guidance to his community deals with both aspects of the life of his followers. The Aga Khan has encouraged Nizari Ismailis, settled in the industrialized world, to contribute towards the progress of communities in the developing world through various development programs. The Aga Khan has described his role as Imam as being partly to uplift the material and spiritual well being of Nizari Ismailis – a duty which requires an understanding of Nizari Ismailis in the context of their geographic location and their time. He elaborated on this concept in a 2006 speech in Germany stating:
The role and responsibility of an Imam, therefore, is both to interpret the faith to the community, and also to do all within his means to improve the quality, and security, of their daily lives & the people with whom Ismailis share their lives.
This engagement of the Aga Khan with Nizari Ismailis is claimed to also extend to the people with whom the Nizari Ismailis share their lives, locally and internationally.
The Aga Khan is one of several Shia signatories of the Amman Message, which gives a broad foundation for defining those denominations of Islam that should be considered as part of the wider Muslim Ummah
During the Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy, he said:
I have two reactions to the pope's lecture: There is my concern about the degradation of relations and, at the same time, I see an opportunity. A chance to talk about a serious, important issue: the relationship between religion and logic.
When the current Nizari Ismaili Imam, the Aga Khan IV, was asked about his view on the consumption of alcohol in a 1965 interview with the Sunday Times, he said the following:
Our belief is that the thing which separates man from the animals is his power of thought. Anything that impedes this process is wrong. Therefore alcohol is forbidden. I have never touched alcohol. But this, to me, is not a puritan prohibition. I don't want to drink. I've never wanted to drink. There's no pressure being placed on me by my religion.
Further, the Aga Khan III wrote in his 1954 memoirs – just a few years before his death – that the Qur'an condemns the drinking of alcohol, and that Nizari Ismailis should avoid both alcohol and tobacco.
Read more about this topic: Aga Khan IV