Main aur Aga Khani aqsar baatein kiya karte hai

Oho…kya baat hai…“Why Poor Indian Muslims Die for Filthy Rich Manto inPak & FArzan in India�

Give me a break. Is someone trying to say that Muslim poverty is because I am too busy with a bottle of Chantilly and spooning the caviar? Are all poor Indian Muslims dying because of ‘us’? Go do a reality check. The Aga Khan Foundation had been more active than that idiot Imam Bukhari during the Gujarat riots, and they don’t wait for riots and they do not differentiate between communities, castes and religions.

Just two days ago my doctor a Dawoodi Bohra said, “Our Syedna only takes, takes…your Aga Khan gives.�

I don’t make any claims to him being mine but there are far too many misconceptions and people like Akbarally Meherally may try his “Allah most Merciful� trick to sell his books, but he can write his books because he got educated…who knows he might have got a scholarship from his local jamaat khana. He is being given this pedestal because he is oh-so-critical…well, he is hiding behind some Ummah. You must have the balls to be critical while being inside. I am aware of several flaws in the religion and I have written about it. (Twice in Indian newspapers, once at Chowk… http://www.chowk.com/articles/5279) Nobody ex-communicated me although I do not practise any faith. Why? Am I paying any money? No.

In her later years my maami, a convert from Ithna Ashri, like almost all of us, did not attend the jamaat khana but she was buried in the Ismaili kabristan and her non-believing husband and children (one of who wears the hijaab) were all permitted within this so-called secret place…

This is so amusing the way people go on about something ghus-puss happening…yeah, like they give us ginseng for niyaz or what?

There was an Ilog I had written earlier (invisible to the naked eye right now)…am reproducing it for the greater common good. Hope you get your jollies and now if you will excuse me, I need to recharge my hormones and swim in the filthy lucre like any good Ismaili…never mind that I ain’t really it.
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Kitnee deewaarein khadee karoge?
Posted: Sep 27, 2006 Wed 07:29 am

“Chutya aga khanis send 10%(?) of their income so that Aga Khan can enjoy his life in France. These mofos have not married a non white woman in 5? generations.�

I do not know who has written this and have not bothered to ask the person who told me about it. However…

A few clarifications are required:

Re. marrying only White women, this is a valid criticism, but isn’t it a matter of choice? How many Muslims marry Black women? Or Oriental? The Aga Khan cannot marry anyone from within the community, because he is the spiritual head. And I do not think Muslim women from other sects would marry him…

Where has this 10 per cent donation myth come from? Not a single person I know of has done so or does so. Whatever you give to the jamaat-khaana – if you do -- is voluntary and mainly for services like having someone come over to inform you about a majlis or some such thing. That may not be relevant anymore. And this amount is a lordly sum of Rs. 150 that my grandma paid ‘for life’.

Every Friday and Chaand Raat days there is a large gathering and people do drop a few coins (yes, coins) in an open tray (not a box that hides) – this is again voluntary. You would still get your ‘joora’ (prasad) and that money keeps the prayer hall clean, the lights working, the water running.

The Aga Khans have always been wealthy; they do not need the money from the community to keep them in fine fettle in France. Unlike some men of god and dargahs of pirs where money is forcibly collected, no such thing happens here. Not all Aga Khanis are rich; there are some poor ones but you won’t see them begging outside the jamaat-khaana or elsewhere for that matter.

It is true that the Aga Khan supported the British during the Raj, just as several nawaabs and maharajahs did.

But one of the ‘teachings’ clearly states that the followers should merge in the country they live in and be like the others. I would like to know how many religions pray for the country as a part of their ‘duas’ (prayers). The Ismailis do.

It is ridiculous to state that the Aga Khanis lead a segregated existence and do not mix with others or marry outside. Complete falsehood. There are a couple of colonies in Mumbai and the reason is that they are attached to a jamaat-khaana. Surely no one would want to live there except those from the community and that too the fairly devout.

Regarding marriage, several marry outside the community. Those who choose to convert, as my aunt and bhabhi and some distant relatives did, often continue to practise many of their old rituals. My maami, e.g. wore black during Muharram and went for majlis regularly; my cousin even went for ‘maatum’.

It is often best to give examples from one’s own environment because one knows it best. Although we were born in the Ismaili faith, everyone is following their own version – even within one family. One cousin is comfortable with the Sunni philosophy, his sisters are Shia. It is a small community and people know who you are and most of us do not visit the jamaat-khaana. However, last year there were a couple of deaths in the family, so we did visit the JK. This included those who do not believe. No one raised any objection or even commented on it. And forget getting 10 per cent, they don’t get even 10 rupees from us.

There used to be a large picture of the Aga Khan in front. As per his instructions there is now a small photograph at the side. And let us not forget other Muslims routinely visit dargahs of ‘human beings’. Not all Ismailis treat the Aga Khan as god. Most do not.

And there is this complete nonsense that Aga Khanis do not believe in the Quran or pray the namaaz. These are personal choices. There is no regular namaaz in the JK, but on Eid and at funerals, there is. And no one is stopping those who wish to pray from doing so. Many in my family do.

And they fast too and go on Haj, if they wish to. Nothing is denied them and nothing forced down anyone’s throat.

Aga Khanis do dress up on special occasions, just like Catholics do for Sunday mass.

I have heard about the orgies! A pity that no such thing takes place, but men and women are not segregated. And women of course do go to the jamaat-khaana. And there can be no ‘mukhi’ (a sort of head of the local JK) without his spouse, who becomes the ‘mukhiyani’ and is given equal importance. Women are also permitted in the kabristan. Also scholarships for further education are offered irrespective of gender.

It may not be the greatest belief system and is severely flawed, as most organised religions are. I have read a couple of books by those who have left the ‘faith’.

I wish these guys had the guts to write what they did when they were within the community. It can be done. As a ‘chutya aga khani’, abeit a non-practising one, I have been openly critical of several aspects of the community and I have done it while still being a part of it technically and in my country where there are probably the largest number of us.

I do wish the community would be more politically active.

There is far too much work being done by the Aga Khan Foundations in various parts of the subcontinent, and it is completely secular. In fact, I had met a Kashmiri woman in Pakistan who worked for one such organisation and was visiting the tribal areas. If the Islamic republic of Pakistan still feels affronted by this ‘non-religion’, all the citizens have to do is sign a petition and send it to the relevant authorities and cease to benefit from the monies being sent to their country and the colleges, schools, and other institutes run by the Aga Khan Foundation. Pakistan happens to be the country to get the biggest largesse from the coffers.

Hardcore Muslims would better than to sit and create fissures among themselves. I am glad that even by being on the sidelines I have at least avoided the ‘education’ that would tell me to differentiate between a Qadiyani, Ahmedi, Wahabi, and whatever else…instead of wasting time over these issues, we should see how we can improve the lot of the people and ensure that they become self-sufficient and enlightened, as all of us need to be on a regular basis.

I am posting this only to discard some misconceptions, including this image of the Ismaili offering the other cheek; it just does not apply to this one…

Thanks…