Ismaili centre, first of its kind in ME, opened in Dubai
By: Sultan Ahmed
DUBAI, UAE: Spiritual leader of the world's Ismaili Muslims Prince
Aga Khan on Wednesday inaugurated an Ismaili cultural centre in the
Gulf emirate of Dubai, the first of its kind in the Middle East.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he said the Centre, which
houses a library and will host conferences and an early childhood
education programme, will serve as "a place for peaceful
contemplation."
"It is not a place to hide from the world, but rather a place which
inspires us to engage our worldly work as a direct extension of our
faith," the Aga Khan said.
The centre is the fourth for the 15-million-strong Ismaili community.
Others are in London, Lisbon and Vancouver.
Around one million members of the sect live in the Middle East.
Dubai, one of the seven members of the United Arab Emirates, has
become "a truly global crossroads" and "the very embodiment of the
global village," the 71-year-old Aga Khan said.
The inauguration was attended by Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed al-Maktoum, a
member of Dubai's ruling family and chairman of the city state's
carrier Emirates, and by UAE Higher Education and Scientific Research
Minister Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak al-Nahayan.
Officials at the centre said it took four years to build and cost 22
million dollars.
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"Knowledge is
better than wealth because it protects you while you have to
guard wealth. it decreases if you keep on spending it but the
more you make use of knowledge ,the more it increases . what you
get through wealth disappears as soon as wealth disappears but
what you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you."MORE
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