About the author:
Anthony Mansueto is a philosopher, social theorist, and political theologian. He holds a Ph.D. in Religion and Society from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley (1985) and is the author of Spirituality and Dialectics (with Maggie Mansueto), Knowing God: Restoring Reason in an Age of Doubt, Religion and Dialectics, and Towards Synergism. His articles have appeared in the Journal of Religion and Filosofskie Nauki, Commonweal, and Tikkun. He has taught at colleges and universities in the United States and in Mexico, has lead interfaith dialogue and organizing efforts, and served as a senior advisor to key religious and political leaders both in the United States and internationally. He is currently an Academic Dean responsible for a cluster of humanities disciplines at Collin College just north of Dallas.
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<<...Ismailis were crucial in translating the Greek texts of Plato and Aristotle, which were lost to Western Europe, into Arabic. It was in this language that most were passed on, via Jewish translators in Muslim Spain, to Christian Europe. Ibn Sina (980-1037), known in the West as Avicenna, came from an Ismaili family. His text on medicine was used not only in the Islamic world but also in the West up until the 17th century, and his philosophy profoundly influenced that of Thomas Aquinas and thus the whole Roman Catholic tradition.
Ismailis established the great university of al-Azhar — one of the world's oldest, dating from 971 — and effectively built the city of Cairo, Egypt...>>
The Ismailis' belief in a deeper, mystical approach to the faith meant that they played an important role in the intellectual history not only of Islam but also, indirectly, of Europe.
Ismailis were crucial in translating the Greek texts of Plato and Aristotle, which were lost to Western Europe, into Arabic. It was in this language that most were passed on, via Jewish translators in Muslim Spain, to Christian Europe. Ibn Sina (980-1037), known in the West as Avicenna, came from an Ismaili family. His text on medicine was used not only in the Islamic world but also in the West up until the 17th century, and his philosophy profoundly influenced that of Thomas Aquinas and thus the whole Roman Catholic tradition.
Ismailis established the great university of al-Azhar — one of the world's oldest, dating from 971 — and effectively built the city of Cairo, Egypt.
Important beneficiaries of Ismaili patronage include the mathematicians al-Haytham and Nasir al-Din Tusi and the poet and philosopher Nasir e-Khusraw. Although I am not an Ismaili, I have an unusual connection to the Ismaili tradition.
My family comes originally from Sicily, an island that has known many conquerors — most of them brutal exploiters. But the era of the Ismaili Fatimids, who governed Sicily for much of the 10th and 11th centuries from their capital at Cairo, was Sicily's golden age. Agriculture, commerce, the arts, the sciences and philosophy flourished.
Today, the Ismailis are but a small minority of Muslims, numbering about 20 million out of roughly 1.4 billion Muslims and 120 million Shia worldwide, but their presence continues to be felt.
They are concentrated mostly in Central Asia, western China, parts of the Middle East, India, Pakistan and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the United States, Canada and Western Europe. They are actively engaged in the struggle for social justice and human development.
They work locally, through active participation in civic institutions, and globally, through the Aga Khan Development Network.
The network is involved in an extraordinary range of activities from disaster relief, basic healthcare, rural development, microfinance and the promotion of private enterprise to architecture, culture and the revitalization of historic cities.
The organization operates more than 200 health centers, including nine hospitals, in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Pakistan and Tanzania.
It is at the forefront of disaster relief efforts worldwide, focusing its humanitarian efforts on long-term capacity building. The network has been involved in microlending for more than 25 years — long before it became popular — and currently has a portfolio of more than $52 million in outstanding loans to more than 97,000 people in 12 countries. This is in addition to more traditional economic development projects involving more than 90 companies employing more than 30,000 people and generating more than $1.5 billion in revenue annually.
The network's education programs encompass more than 300 schools with 54,000 students across East Africa and South and Central Asia — most of which emphasize education for girls and women and focus on academic rigor and leadership development — as well as two universities: the University of Central Asia with campuses in the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan.
One project especially dear to me is the Aga Khan Humanities Project, which developed an undergraduate humanities curriculum for Central Asian universities that tapped into and helped conserve local traditions while preparing students to engage a broader intellectual universe.
All of the network's hospitals, schools, development projects and humanitarian assistance programs are open to people of all faiths and origins.
The tension between Islam and the West reflects deep-seated economic, political and cultural contradictions. But when one looks at the Ismailis and understands their history, and their current contributions to human development and civilization, it becomes clear that relations between Islam and the West cannot be summed up simply as a clash of civilizations.
We have learned too much from Islam — and much of that with the assistance of the Ismailis.
Islam — and especially the Ismailis — has engaged and learned from the West. Let us make this century not one of new crusades but rather one of dialogue and collaboration in healing and building up our common home, the Earth. Let it be the time when we make it a true house of peace.
Anthony Mansueto holds a Ph. D. in religion and society from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. He is dean of communications and humanities at the Spring Creek Campus of Collin College in Plano.
