Prince Karim Aga Khan, a man of humanity and culture

Prince Karim Aga Khan, a man of humanity and culture

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Prince Karim Aga Khan, who visited Indonesia last week, proves to be a humble personality. During his four-day stay here he moved around with an unassuming demeanor.

The leader of 15 million Ismaili Moslems scattered in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, met with President Soeharto, presented the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Surakarta and attended a seminar on architecture in Yogyakarta.

The prince, who was accompanied by his daughter Princess Zahra Aga Khan, did not exude an air of pomposity, which seems to be common to many leaders, and his remarks were always clear and easy to understand, yet carried a lot of weight.

During breaks in the seminar, held at the Melia Purosani Hotel, he squeezed his way through the crowd to have a drink, just like other participants. Then he settled in one spot and talked easily with seminar participants.

Yet, it was obvious that his presence inspired reverence from those around him. People raised from their seats when he entered a room, without being given instructions to do so.

The 59-year old prince, a Harvard graduate of Islamic history, is the 49th Imam of the Ismaili Moslem community, and bears the title of Aga Khan IV.

He is head of the Aga Khan Development Network, a Geneva-based foundation, which is responsible for a multitude of activities in the fields of education, architecture, health, rural development, and the promotion of private sector enterprises.

Following, are comments on the Aga Khan's personality and works from four prominent Indonesians who attended the seminar:

Dr. Nurcholish Madjid, Moslem intellectual, member of the 1995 Aga Khan Steering Committee:

The Aga Khan is a very modest person. Even though I only met him during the meetings his modesty is very obvious, in spite of the fact that he is one of the richest men in the world. But then we have to remember that he is also the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Moslems and as such he is bound by his duty to appear that way, although humbleness is part of his personality and part of his faith as an Ismaili.

He is responsible for the well being of so many people and he is a king without a sovereign territory, yet his relationship with his followers is very close.

A gathering like this seminar is like our President's accountability address to the People's Consultative Assembly. This time, it is on the subject of architecture, at other times it may be on education or health. And the projects have always been very productive.

They also work very closely with experts from other faiths. Many of those sitting at the speakers table are non-Moslems. This is a manifestation of the non-sectarian characteristic of the Ismaili. They believe that the truth in a religion is universal in nature, it does not belong solely to the Ismaili, or Moslems, but to all human beings.

The fact that Moslems are given prime attention is due to several considerations but also because Moslems in many parts of the world need help the most because of their poverty and backwardness.

As a speaker in the seminar said that in the beginning, the Aga Khan award for architecture had created controversy, it was later accepted by world class architects. What's more, it has contributed to a redefinition of architecture. If architecture is defined as a medium to serve the poor and Moslems, what's wrong with that?

Adhi Moersid, architect, chairman of the Board of Architects, the Indonesian Institute of Architects:

The Aga Khan is a very refined person and shows deep concern for the common people. But he is also a very shy person and, therefore, he is very happy when other people can help him to convey his ideas and turn them into reality.

Most of the Aga Khan projects are devoted to culture, like establishing universities in a number of countries, the research and development of Islamic architecture and most importantly, the establishment of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

The award is actually second or third in importance when seen against the opportunities of meeting and talking with many Islamic scholars and prominent figures. This is beautiful because it establishes worldwide Moslem brotherhood and this, in turn, enriches the award with ideas and concepts.

In Indonesia, there are a lot of rich people too. The only problem is how to synergize the ideas and capabilities of different people to set up projects similar to the Aga Khan projects.

The Aga Khan loves Indonesia more than other countries because of its pluralism, since the ultimate goal of Islam is to realize its own pluralism as a religion and culture.

Indonesia is fortunate to have been picked to host a symposium on Islam pluralism next year, which will be jointly organized by the Aga Khan Trust of Culture and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Father Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya, one of the winners of the 1992 Aga Khan Award of Architecture:

The Aga Khan comes from a very rich family but he is able to use his wealth for the benefit of the common people for the sake of humanism and culture.

If you go to India, Sri Lanka, or Thailand, Aga Khan projects abound, especially in the field of health services for the poor, hospitals for the poor, schools for the poor and orphanages.

It is my hope that in Indonesia there will be a rich man who will do similar things. The Aga Khan is a rich man, but he has a social responsibility in using his richness. He leads a very simple life, which is a reflection of his responsibility over his wealth that he gets from his grandfather and father. However, being rich or poor is not the issue here. The issue is how to use your richness. This is the thing that we have to learn.

So far, to become rich is our sole purpose. For me, there is nothing wrong in becoming rich but the question is: How do we face our responsibility of being rich in front of God and society? (hbk)