Institute of Ismaili Studies set up, Boards & Legal

[mahebubchatur]

IIS-Strategic-Plan-January-2025

The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) has now published, for the first time, its 10-year Strategic Plan (2025–2035). This is commendable.

According to the Director, the previous plan was in 2011, due for renewal in 2021, but delayed until now. Since her appointment in 2023, she has worked on this plan, which has now been formally approved. Although not stated explicitly, approval of such a plan, by virtue of the IIS’s governance, would necessarily come with the assent of Mawlana Hazar Imam

It is encouraging to see that the mission statement for the next decade explicitly states that the focus is on the “Ismaili Muslim community” including teaching them and their curriculum

I reproduce below the part of themission statement and all the guiding principles & values as published in the IIS Strategic Plan.

⸻

Mission Statement

“… With a particular focus on Ismaili and broader Shi‘i studies, encompassing their historical and geographical contexts. Our mandate is international in scope, and it is informed by a commitment to addressing the relevant needs of the diverse Ismaili Muslim communities, which are inter-linked with those of the societies in which they live as well as the wider Muslim community..”

Guiding Values and Principles

• Adherence to the highest standards of ethics and integrity in all our endeavours, staff relations and organisational management as well as in our interactions with external individuals and agencies.
• The promotion and prioritisation of inclusivity, fostering a compassionate and supportive environment where respect, fairness, equity and equal opportunities for professional growth.
• Commitment to openness that ensures transparency, integrity and a spirit of inquiry, encouraging freedom of expression and greater understanding within the institution.
• Cultivating a learning culture that empowers individuals, promotes equal access to educational opportunities and strives for excellence in all endeavours.
• Recognising and valuing our people, ensuring fair compensation, fostering connection and care, and promoting a sense of responsibility and mutual respect.
• Protecting the intellectual space for the expression of a diversity of views whilst avoiding coercive, polemical, didactic, exclusionary or de-legitimising rhetoric.
• Assuring high standards of fiduciary and environmental responsibility and prudence in the management and use of financial resources.

⸻

While these are stated, it should be acknowledged that the IIS’s primary guiding principles originate from the Ismaili Constitution and the Farmans- guidance of His Highness the Aga Khan. These sources are neither referenced nor credited in the Strategic Plan.

Moreover, it is notable that pluralism—a core ethic in Farmans. consistently emphasised and championed by Hazar Imam—is absent from the Strategic plan list, despite it being vital for our survival according to Farmans of Hazar Imam for 3+ decades

The strategic Plan - Link

https://www.iis.ac.uk/about-us/our-inst ... egic-plan/

[mahebubchatur]

Further Reflections and Critical Analysis:
IIS 10-Year Strategic Plan and Conversation

Professor Zayn Kassam, Director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), was interviewed by IIS Board Governor Karina Govindji.

Reflections

These are based on the Director’s responses to the Governor’s questions.

Notably, there were no questions about the successes or failures of the earlier 10 year plan - 2011–2021 and admitted failures

It is especially worth recalling that Karina Govindji has been in a similar interview before—this time with Amin Mawji (now AKDN East Africa Head, on the Boards of AKU and of the Ismaili Imamat).

In that earlier exchange, Govindji and Mawji admitted that the present Ismaili leadership is not reflective or representative of the community—a failure they themselves acknowledged. Mawji added that leaders must be held to account, quoting Hazar Imam. As President of the UK Council in 2009, he said he pioneered the “One Jamat” concept.

Link to note & that interview : viewtopic.php?p=71749#p71749

⸻

Summary of Responses (Video Interview – 10 mins)
1. Why a New Strategic Plan?
• The last plan was from 2011, so this is overdue. The Director cited COVID-19 as one reason for delay.
• Purpose: to take stock of developments, reassess IIS’s plan & mission, relevance today and regroup for the next decade.
2. Curriculum Revisions
• Primary school curriculum (MTLIM), last updated 30 years ago, is now a priority.
• Secondary curriculum, expected to be completed 10–20 years ago, remains incomplete with two modules still pending.
• Early Learning Centres need to reconnect with the Jamat for real community benefit.
• Reasons for these delays and failures were neither asked nor volunteered.
3. Knowledge Production and Dissemination
• Use religious and historical materials on Ismaili identity to produce accessible resources.
• Expand videos, podcasts, and publications, including for those with limited digital access.
4. Technology and Inclusion
• Harness technology judiciously to ensure broad reach.
• Consider migration and diversity of Jamats as central to planning.
5. Stakeholder Engagement
• Consultation included ITREB, students, staff, governors, waezin, and LYAL.
• A new “master class” was created to address questions on the Imam’s role, lineage (silsila), and knowledge gaps.
6. Preservation, Production, Propagation
• Criteria for success:
• preservation of manuscripts and knowledge (including the Constitution and Farmans),
• production of new knowledge, and
• propagation to the Jamat.
• To date, much has been preserved, but little produced or shared widely.
7. Ethical Framework and Creativity
• The Director emphasised building an ethical framework and marshalling creativity to improve life and unite stakeholders.
• Yet, the plan does not reference pluralism, the Constitution, or the Farmans of Hazar Imam—where the core guiding principles reside.

⸻

Critical Concerns

Positive Observations:
• Publicly publishing a 10-year plan is a step towards strategic thinking transparency & pluralism
• Prioritising curriculum, early learning, and digital inclusion shows awareness of needs for many decades. This is a top priority in Farmans
• Stakeholder engagement and “master classes” shows the needs failures & attempts to bridge the many knowledge gaps in the transition of who is Imam his role authority rites and ceremonies etc

Critical Concerns:
• Lack of reference to pluralism, the Constitution, Farmans and the admitted failures is a major serious omission.
• Decades of curriculum delays remain unexplained, raising accountability concerns.
• Preservation without production or propagation limits impact.
• The speed of approval and timing (shortly after the Imam’s succession) raises questions about full consultations and review.

⸻

Conclusion

While the Strategic Plan and interview show effort, awareness, and a degree of reflection, the omission of pluralism, the Constitution, and Farmans—alongside admissions of leadership failure—suggest IIS is still struggling between institutional control by the same group for decades and adherence to the Imam’s Farmans guidance & constitution

For this 10-year strategy to be achieved & meaningful, pluralism and foundational Farmans must be explicitly integrated, as the very top priority, ensuring alignment with the Imam’s guidance & and enabling and empowering all the diverse, evolving Jamat to participate fully and meaningfully. Without this, the same centralised control that has long limited progress - change resisted - will continue to obstruct meaningful change in the 3 success imperatives of preservation production and especially proposition of knowledge which foundationally includes Farmans and our constitution

⸻

Mawlana Hazar Imam has said:
“One of the great stumbling blocks to the advance of pluralism, in my view, is simple human arrogance. All of the world’s great religions warn against self-righteousness—yet too many are still tempted to play God themselves—rather than recognising their humility before the Divine.”

⸻

Video: IIS Strategic Plan Discussion (10 mins)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j32rW3M5D9Y

Video: IIS Strategic Plan Discussion, 10 mins

X formally tweeter https://x.com/chaturmahebub/status/1956 ... hqfO552USg

[mahebubchatur]

Further Letter regarding the Nur of Imam e Zaman and the teaching of the Jamat by IIS & ITREBs & the Leaders in control for decades

Dear All, including IIS ITREBS LIF AKF & Noorani Family

Thank you, Taz, for sharing this material & Farman from Simerg

You are absolutely right—this not only adds to, but also affirms what the Institute of Ismaili Studies have now confirmed on 9 August 2025 and the IIS strategic 10 year plan.

I am therefore sharing the following summary and reflections, and taking this opportunity to remind both IIS and ITREB of their responsibility to respond to the requests for confirmation, and to act in accordance with the Imam’s Farmans.

This includes making available the Ismaili Constitution and incorporating these essential teachings into the IIS curriculum for the Jamat and Leaders.

We now know that the Primary Curriculum has not been updated for over 30 years, and that the Secondary Curriculum, even after 30 years, remains incomplete. This was confirmed by the Director of IIS in her recent interview regarding the new 10-Year IIS Plan (2025–2035).

This highlights the failure of the Leaders who have been in control for decades, in not achieving the IIS mandate for over 30 years.

Will this, or can this be achieved in the next 10 years with the same group of Leaders who have been and are in control for decades

Read more at Link: Tweet

https://x.com/chaturmahebub/status/1956 ... hqfO552USg

⸻

Comprehensive Summary: Didar – For Ismaili Muslims, Life’s Ultimate Purpose

The following reflections and analysis of Part Two of the Simerg series (“The Didar: Life’s Ultimate Purpose” by Imam Mustansir-Billah, 15th Century) are interconnected with the essence of the waez-session delivered on 9 August 2025 by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (Head of Global Waezeen).

The meaning and significance of the Imam’s Didar (vision) as the highest form of worship, and the ultimate purpose of human life, is to be blessed with the Light and Enlightenment (Nur) of the Imam.

⸻

1. The Ultimate Purpose of Life
• Imam Mustansir-Billah emphasizes that “the ultimate purpose of human life” is to come into the presence of the Imam of the time and be blessed with enlightenment (Didar) from the Nur of Imam.
• This Light is spiritual—manifesting within the soul and extending to the physical person—allowing one to recognize and experience true light and enlightenment from the Imam.
• Through this, the Imam’s guidance becomes both a spiritual (batini) and an exoteric (zaheri) reality and experience.

⸻

2. Zaheri and Batini Experience of Blessings & Guidance
• Exoteric (Zaheri): Traveling to see the Imam physically (e.g., at his residence). The Imam embodies and represents the gateway to God’s mercy, blessings, and guidance.
• Esoteric (Batini): Achieved through sincerity of intent, pious actions, worship, zikr (remembrance of God), and charity—by internalising and upholding the Imam’s blessings, guidance, and Light at all times.
• Together, these realities fulfill the ultimate purpose of human life.

Quote from Imam Mustansir-Billah:
“All believers are urged to come into the presence of the Imam and to see him with their own eyes. Thus, the esoteric (batini) vision, realized through pious works and the constant remembrance of God during the nightly vigil, as well as the exoteric (zaheri) vision, achieved by travelling to the Imam’s residence and beholding the gateway of God’s mercy, becomes the ultimate purpose of human life.”

⸻

3. Acknowledgement of the Jamat’s Devotion – Bay‘ah

The Imam recognizes the sacrifices and devotion of the Jamat, including:
• Giving up property and even risking their lives.
• Observing religious duties, nightly prayers, and acts of charity.
• Traveling long distances for knowledge and religious assemblies.

Their dedication embodies sincere acknowledgment of the Imam’s divinely ordained authority to convey Allah’s will.

⸻

4. August 9 Session: Didar as the Highest Form of Worship

The Institute of Ismaili Studies session on August 9 emphasized that:

“Looking at the face of the Imam is the highest form of worship.”

• This underscores that Didar is not merely physical but a profound spiritual encounter.
• The Imam’s presence embodies love, mercy, and blessings, allowing murids to experience divine Light and enlightenment.
• The ultimate purpose of life is thus both to seek the Imam’s guidance, mercy, and blessings and to receive spiritual illumination from the Nur of Imam.

⸻

5. Historical Confirmation: Imam al-Mahdi at Sijilmasa
• The unveiling of Imam al-Mahdi after generations in hiding illustrates the living, real presence of the Imam and the recognition of his spiritual authority.
• The followers’ devotion in that moment—falling at his feet—symbolizes the continuum of the Nur of Imam.

⸻

6. Continuity of the Imam of the Time
• The Light of all Imams is the same, forming a spiritual continuumacross history.
• Recognizing and seeking the Imam’s eternal presence affirms the living authority of the Imam in every age.
• This continuity is reflected in historical moments like Sijilmasa, in the Qur’an, in Farmans, and in contemporary confirmations—such as the August 9 session by IIS.

⸻

Therefore:
• The ultimate purpose of life is to seek the Imam’s guidance, blessings, mercy, and spiritual Light, which manifests from the will of Allah.
• Didar is the highest form of worship, through which one experiences divine love, mercy, blessings, and guidance.
• Historical examples and contemporary confirmations together illustrate the eternal, living presence of the Light and authority of the Imam, granted by Allah through our Prophet and the Qur’an.

M Chatur

[mahebubchatur]

Transparency and Planning 10 Years Ahead

IIS, Global Centre for Pluralism, LIF & AKDN – All under the Ismaili Constitution

The publication of the 10-year Strategic Plan by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) is commendable. Coming after 47 years, it marks an important step toward transparency, accountability, and alignment with the Imam’s guidance and the Ismaili Constitution.

Yet, serious gaps remain.

⸻

Annual Spending

Over the last three years, IIS expenditure has ranged between £22–25 million annually. These audited accounts are published only because UK law requires them. No forward budgets, corporate plans, or 3–10 year financial strategies have been shared with the Jamat.

By contrast, the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) publishes not just audited accounts, but also Corporate Plans outlining objectives, strategies, and the coming year’s budget. While they do not release their 3-year or 10-year OSBs (Objectives, Strategies & Budgets), such plans undoubtedly exist — as they do for all entities under the Ismaili Constitution.

⸻

End-of-Term Reports (ETRs) and OSBs

Every three years, under the Constitution, each National Council prepares a detailed End-of-Term Report (ETR). These cover wellness, financials, strategies, achievements, and challenges. Reports are consolidated nationally, reviewed by the International Forum (LIF) — a constitutional body of presidents and senior leaders — and coordinated globally.

At the end of each cycle, detailed Objectives, Strategies and Budgets (OSBs) for the next 3, 5, and 10 years are prepared, coordinated by the executive of LIF, and submitted to Mawlana Hazar Imam. These OSBs include:
• requests for specific guidance - Farmans from the Imam
• a list of names recommended for top positions by the current incumbents

The Imam provides direction — but these reports, including his guidance, are not shared with the wider Jamat, even in summary. Instead, they remain tightly controlled by national presidents, who also sit on LIF.

The ETR/OSB framework includes:
1. Main challenges at the start of the term
2. How challenges were addressed
3. New opportunities/needs and responses
4. Key accomplishments
5. Shortfalls
6. Institutional strengths and weaknesses
7. Challenges for the next term & mitigation strategies
8. Jamat surveys for each portfolio
9. Handover tools for successors
10. Areas where guidance from Hazar Imam is requested

⸻

What is Missing – IIS

IIS itself prepared a 10-year plan in 2011. The corresponding OSB for the next 10–15 years is missing from public view. The current plan would have included a review of past performance, achievements, and variances, and would have been presented to the Imam for his guidance.

Yet, none of this has been disclosed. Even in the recent IIS interview, while the plan was highlighted, there was no mention of Farmans or the Imam’s guidance — which are central to the process, and which traditionally project guidance 10, 15, and even 25 years ahead.

⸻

Conclusion

At present, IIS provides only the bare minimum required by law. But under the Constitution — and in the spirit of the Imam’s guidance on transparency, accountability, and inclusion — the Jamat is entitled to more.

IIS, LIF, and all Councils and entities under the Constitution should share openly with the Jamat:
• End-of-Term Reports (ETRs) every 3 years
• OSBs (forward budgets & strategies) for 3, 10, and 15 years
• The Farmans and guidance sought and given

The Ismaili Constitution and Farmans are still being withheld, despite clear instructions and reminders from Hazar Imam.

True leadership means acting in accordance with the Imam’s directives. Respecting one’s Bay‘ah of allegiance requires transparency, participation, pluralism, and inclusive governance — values the Imam has consistently called for in his Farmans and our constitution