“Despair not of the Spirit of Allah. Lo! None despaireth of the Spirit of Allah save disbelieving folk.”
– Holy Qur’an, Chapter 12, Verse 87
Ismaili Jamats globally unite in prayers and solidarity with their brethren of Karachi sending a strong message that their brethren are not just a forgotten minority in a big state, but an indivisible part of a strong global brotherhood.
Equally, and no less significant, is the Imam’s global work and name, which has resulted in condemnation across the globe by world leaders, and which will ensure that this tragedy will not end up as just another footnote in an unending series of attacks on religious minorities in Pakistan.
As K. N. Pandita says in a recent article:
“But given the international influence and reach of Prince Aga Khan and the great humanitarian works that his Foundation is doing in many parts of the world including Karachi, the massacre is bound to cause ripples in Pakistan politics. This is the reason why the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Army chief both lost no time in flying into Karachi to take stock of things”.
There is reason to hope that from this tragedy, and from the blood of innocents, a reaffirmation of the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan will result, Inshallah.
Read more at Simerg | Hope, and not Despondency, in the Wake of Misfortune and Tragedy
Earlier & Related
A Message of Peace – A Musical Tribute to the Recent Karachi Attacks - The incident of Wednesday May 13, 2015 has left a scar on the hearts of millions of people and specially the Ismaili Muslims around the world as their innocent spiritual brothers and sisters were killed by unidentified gunmen in bright day light in Karachi Pakistan. We as a community can pray for the departed souls…
Ismailis contribution to Pakistan’s establishment and development - LAHORE: The echoes of the merciless terrorist attack on the Agakhani Ismailis, a major Shia community having presence in more than 25 countries of Africa, Europe, Australia and North America, will be heard for a very long time to come as over 15 million followers of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV have suddenly been left…
Read at Simerg | Hope, and not Despondency, in the Wake of Misfortune and Tragedy - “Despair not of the Spirit of Allah. Lo! None despaireth of the Spirit of Allah save disbelieving folk.” – Holy Qur’an, Chapter 12, Verse 87 Ismaili Jamats globally unite in prayers and solidarity with their brethren of Karachi sending a strong message that their brethren are not just a forgotten minority in a big state,…
Attack on Ismaili community has many dimensions: PBIF chief - President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain said that the attack on peaceful and progressive Ismaili community has many dimensions which must be taken into consideration. He said that enemies of Pakistan want to hurt our economy therefore the patriot and peaceful communities which have played a leading role in the national…
Pakistan Ki Awaz | Their contributions are immense - They [Ismailis] are a people who have contributed immensely to the well-being of this country. Sir Aga Khan III was one of the founders and first President of the Muslim League, the political party which eventually started a movement for a separate homeland for the Muslims of India. The community went on to found some…
Tragic attack on Ismailis - In the history of terrorism and communal/sectarian violence in Pakistan, this is the first time that gunmen have made the Ismailis target of their bullets. The dastardly act stands in diametrical opposition to the peaceful and non-violent community that the Ismailis are. – K N Pandita, Political Analyst on national and international affairs Who are…
A moment of truth: Ismailis and Pakistan - Not only that the Ismaili Muslims are a peaceful community, they are in many respects the pride of our society. – Ghazi Salahuddin, Reporter at The International News In the barbaric killing of 45 members of the Shia Ismaili community in Karachi on Wednesday, there clearly were some reverberations of the massacre of the Army…
Finding meaning amidst chaos: The extraordinary value of human life - As loved ones are laid to rest and prayers echo in Jamatkhanas worldwide, more prayers continue with rigor to bring peace all over the world, not just for Ismailis but for all of humanity. Such sentiments overtake the need for alternate responses, as the inherent understanding within the global Ismaili community is prayers are in…
Read at Simerg | Canadian Muslim Organizations Offer Condolences to the Ismaili Community - Messages of condolences have been pouring in from all over the world for the Ismaili community and His Highness the Aga Khan for the precious lives that were lost in Karachi on May 13, 2015, resulting from a gun attack on an Ismaili bus. “Life is utterly sacred in all Faiths, and in Islam it…
Read at Simerg | Leaders and Communities Extend Condolences to His Highness the Aga Khan and His Ismaili Followers as Mass Funeral is Held in Karachi for Terror Victims - A genuine outpouring of sympathy has been extended to His Highness the Aga Khan and his followers after the gun attack on a bus in Karachi on May 13, 2015 in which 43 Ismailis were killed at point black range. Two more people died later in a hospital from injuries they suffered. An Associated Press…
(In Urdu) Express News Pakistan TV’s Special Report on Ismaili Muslims and their contributions in the history of Pakistan - Pakistan’s premier media outlet chronicles the His Highness the Aga Khan III and IV, and Ismailis continuing contributions to the development of Pakistan since its founding.
Daily Times Pakistan | Civil society expresses solidarity with Ismailis - LAHORE: A large number of people, civil society organizations and human rights activists hold protest demonstration and candle light vigil against the brutal terrorist attack on the Ismaili community in Karachi, on Monday at Liberty Roundabout. The protestors holding placards and banners strongly condemned religiously motivated terrorist attacks on a particular community and perceive as…
‘Had we not heard the cries of pain, we would have thought that everyone was dead’ – Pakistan – DAWN.COM - KARACHI: Al-Azhar Garden and surrounding residential buildings in Safoora Goth give a serene view. Almost all the residents there hail from the Ismaili community and to facilitate their travel within the city there are various shuttle services. On Wednesday morning, one such shuttle bus of Al-Azhar Garden, carrying around 60 passengers, was attacked soon after…
Association of Physicians of Pakistani-descent of North America (APPNA) Condemns Karachi Bus Attack - APPNA expresses its deep sorrow at the killing of over 40 members of the Ismaili community near Safoora Chowk Karachi on May 13, 2015. Newspaper reports indicate that six gunmen boarded the bus which was carrying 60 members of the Ismaili community. The gunmen carrying 9 mm pistols entered the bus and executed 43 passengers…
I’m Not Angry – Faizal Karmali - Yesterday, I felt a deep sense of loss. Some 43 members of my community were buried after being killed in cold blood because of how they identify — as Ismailis — just as I do. It was a targeted attack and while I have never met or known any of the victims myself, my eyes welled and my chest…
Vatican Radio | Pakistani Catholics, Muslims condemn terror attack on Ismailis - The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan (CBCP) has condemned the killing of innocent people on the basis of their faith as unacceptable and called on the government to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. The NCJP was reacting to Wednesday’s terror attack in…
Journey of a lifetime: The man who dared, the man who drove – The Express Tribune - By Sameer Mandhro, KARACHI: Was it courage? Or was it will? Or maybe it was just the subconscious that helped him drive the bus full of victims to Memon Hospital. The facility is located hardly a few minutes away from the scene of the massacre. But does the distance increase with the proportion of the weight…
Sindh Governor condemns killing of innocent citizens - KARACHI: Sindh Governor, Dr. Ishrat- ul- Ebad Khan has condemned firing on a bus killing innocent citizens besides causing injuries to several other in Karachi on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by the Sindh Governor House, Dr. Ishrat- ul- Ebad grieved at the unfortunate incident in a meeting with a delegation led by Sultan…
Senate of Pakistan adopts unanimous resolution condemning Karachi attack - ISLAMABAD: The Senate resumed proceedings on Wednesday and adopted a unanimous resolution condemning a terrorist attack targeting the Ismaili community in Karachi today. The Senate suspended routine proceedings to take up discussion of the attack and the session opened with offering of prayers for the deceased. PPP Senator Karim Khawaja moved a motion to discuss…
IsmailiGnosis.com | Who are the Shia Ismaili Muslims: A Primer with Visual Charts - In response to recent media coverage and reporting on the Ismaili Muslims and their Imam, His Highness Aga Khan IV – which has been fraught with errors, superficiality and misinformation – Ismaili Gnosis presents the following primer on the Shia Ismaili Muslims. We encourage our readers to share this article widely. Click on the above…
US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky: Statement on the Killing of 43 Ismailis - May 14, 2015 – WASHINGTON, DC – Media Release – Schakowsky Statement on the Killing of 43 Ismailis “I was shocked to learn of the devastating attack that brutally and senselessly murdered 43 innocent Ismailis and wounded many others. They were attacked because of their religious beliefs by militants who are targeting anyone who doesn’t…
Pakistani-Canadian Community of Toronto to hold Candle Light Vigil to Commemorate Karachi Tragedy - CONSULATE GENERAL OF PAKISTAN TORONTO: PRESS RELEASE – CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL TO COMMEMORATE KARACHI TRAGEDY Toronto 13th May 2015: The Pakistani-Canadian community of Toronto is holding a vigil at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, 16th May 2015 at the Consulate (7880 Keele Street, Unit #14, Vaughan, ON). The event is open to all communities and is…
Schools affiliated with Aga Khan Board stay open as others close - “There are better ways to protest specially studying hard and defeating the evil mindset which forces people to attack innocent citizens in the first place,” Maha Qadri, a concerned parent Friday, May 15, 2015 – Karachi: Despite the education minister’s directives for schools to remain functional on Thursday, educational activities largely remained suspended in the…
The Globe and Mail | When doing good brings down the wrath of brutes - In the past decade, I have visited Aga Khan projects in East Africa, India, Central Asia and Pakistan. I’ve walked the slums of Karachi, Nairobi and Delhi with dedicated Aga Khan workers and volunteers, seeing them bring hope to areas where the Taliban would bring none. Today, I weep for the innocent victims on that…
Second worst act of violence against Ismailis since 1982 - LAHORE: The deadly Wednesday morning attack on the Ismaili Aga Khani community in Karachi is perhaps the second worst incident of its kind since 1982, when over 60 members of this minority sect were killed by a mob in the picturesque Chitral Valley. Some 33 years ago, an enraged and unruly crowd had set ablaze…
#KarachiBusAttack: Forget free speech, where is our right to life? - “We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle, that we are all citizens, and equal citizens, of one State … You are free; you are free to go to…
Asia Plus | World leaders condemn Karachi terrorist attack - DUSHANBE, May 14, 2015, Asia-Plus – Pakistan’s Daily Times reports leaders from India, UN, US and EU expressed sorrow over loss of 45 innocent lives in a terrorist attack on passenger bus in Karachi. According to reports, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened by the tragic incident. Expressing solidarity with people…
Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs condemns Karachi shooting and expresses condolences to the families of the affected - We have learned with great sorrow that more than 40 people lost their lives and around 20 others were injured, according to initial reports, as a result of the armed attack perpetrated against a bus carrying members of the Ismaili sect, in Karachi, Pakistan today (13 May) in the morning hours. We strongly condemn…
US Ambassador Olson Extends Condolences to the Families of Karachi Bus Attack Victims - On behalf of the American people, U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson extends his deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims of Wednesday’s heinous bus attack in Karachi, and strongly condemns this senseless terrorist act. The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to the people of Pakistan in their efforts to counter terrorism,…
Iran Condemns Terrorist Attack in Pakistan’s Karachi - TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham condemned a Wednesday terrorist attack in the Pakistani city of Karachi that killed scores of Shiite Muslims on a bus. Afkham slammed the atrocity and condoled with the bereaved families of the victims and the Pakistani people and government. “Extremism and terrorism are against humanity and…
At Simerg: Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper says a survivor of the attack recorded her statement - Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper says that a survivor of the attack recorded her statement before the police and said that the attackers entered the bus from the rear portion a few minutes after its departure. She added that the occupants of the bus thought that robbers had embarked on the vehicle. We express our deep sorrow…
European Union condemns the Karachi shooting and expresses its condolences to the families and friends of the victims - “The deadly attack on a bus in Karachi today that has killed at least 43 people and wounded more civilians is a further instance of the scourge of sectarian violence. The Pakistani government must do its utmost to tackle sectarian violence and bring to justice the perpetrators of these violent and criminal acts. There must…
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s Statement on Attack in Karachi, Pakistan - I strongly condemn the heinous May 13 attack on a bus in Karachi, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of members of the Ismaili community. The American people stand in solidarity with the people of Pakistan, and with the global Ismaili community on this tragic day. Make no mistake: There is more strength by…
Ismaili community pays final respects to victims of the attack - Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return
Statement by the Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer - THE SENATE Wednesday, May 13, 2015 PAKISTAN BUS ATTACK IN KARACHI Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, I rise today with a very heavy heart. Very early this morning, I awoke to the news that 43 innocent Ismaili Muslims who were riding a bus in Karachi, Pakistan, were senselessly gunned down by six armed individuals who…
The Consul General of Pakistan in Chicago conveyed condolences to the President of the Ismaili Council for the Midwestern USA - The Consul General of Pakistan Mr. Faisal Niaz Tirmizi on behalf of the Government and people pf Pakistan and members of the Pakistani community in Chicago conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the President Murad Bhaidani of the Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the Midwestern USA on the tragic killing of 45 Ismaili Muslims in Karachi.…
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne offers “condolences to the families of the victims, and to the entire Ismaili community.” - “Across the globe, Ismaili communities are renowned for peacefully coexisting with their neighbours. As Premier, I have worked closely with the strong and vibrant Ismaili community in Ontario, and I have seen this commitment to religious and ethnic harmony first-hand.” Premier Kathleen Wynne Premier’s Statement on Attack in Pakistan NEWS May 14, 2015 Ontario Premier…
It is time to give back to the Ismaili community - “I have lost friends. I don’t know how I should react. Words are not enough to define this tragedy. People who were part of our lives are no more with us but their memories will keep haunting us,” laments Shafiq*. He is a member of the Ismaili community – a community which lost 45 of its members yesterday…
Who is behind the Karachi bus attack? - ISLAMABAD: Besides trying to determine the involvement of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in the terrible butchery of 45-plus innocent people belonging to the Ismaili community in Karachi, the security agencies are trying to find out if the barbaric incident has anything to do with the recently concluded by-election in the port city for…
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif: Ismailis are peaceful and patriotic people who have worked for Pakistan’s wellbeing - “Ismailis are a very patriotic and peaceful people who have always worked for the wellbeing of Pakistan.” – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif As the country came to a standstill following the brutal attack on the Ismaili community passenger bus, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed sadness over the attack, saying the attack is an attempt…
For Ismailis, an unprecedented horror! Pakistan’s Leadership strongly condemns the cowardly attack - Just as the night staff at the Memon hospital was preparing to leave, it heard that passengers of a bus had been shot dead. “We thought how many could there be … three or four at the most? But then the bus arrived and bodies just kept coming in one after the other,” said Ahmed*…
The Karachi attack: Why the Ismailis? - Al-Qaeda-linked groups have set their eyes on the Shia Ismailis who contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth, in a bid to cause diplomatic tensions for Islamabad with their spiritual leader Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan, analysts told The News on Wednesday. At least 44 people were killed when a bus carrying members…
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon Strongly Condemns Killing of 45 Ismailis on Pakistan Bus - The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack today on a bus in Karachi, Pakistan, reportedly killing at least 45 members of the Ismaili community and injuring several others. The Secretary-General calls on the Government of Pakistan to take all necessary measures to bring to justice the perpetrators of this despicable act. Taking…
The Globe and Mail: Aga Khan describes Karachi attack as ‘senseless act of violence’ - Wednesday, May 13 2015 The Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims around the world, has expressed shock and sadness at a bus attack in Pakistan that targeted members of his minority community on Wednesday. Six militants disguised in police uniforms stopped a bus in the port city of Karachi carrying about 60 Ismaili…
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “The attack in Karachi is deeply saddening…” - The attack in Karachi is deeply saddening & utterly condemnable. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2015 We stand firmly with the people of Pakistan in this hour of grief. I wish all those injured a quick recovery. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2015
Hon. Jason Kenney offers condolences to Malik Talib, President Council for Canada - Spoke w/ Aga Khan Council of Canada President Malik Talib to offer condolences for the terrible massacre of Ismaili Muslims in Karachi today — Jason Kenney ن (@jkenney) May 13, 2015
Hon. Jason Kenney, Canada’s Minister of National Defence, expresses sympathies to Ismailis in Canada and around the world - I join with Prime Minister Harper in expressing my deepest sympathies to Ismailis in Canada and around the world following the terrible attack in Karachi. The Ismaili Jamaat is a force of generosity, peace, and pluralism throughout the world. This makes today’s attack particularly abhorrent. Sadly, it follows similar attacks in Pakistan against Christians, Ahmadiyyas,…
Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on terrorist attack on Ismailis in Pakistan - May 13, 2015 Ottawa, Ontario Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on the terrorist attack on Ismailis in Karachi, Pakistan, that killed many people and injured several more: “Canada condemns the cowardly terrorist attack on a bus carrying Shi’a Ismaili Muslims in Karachi. “It is particularly chilling that gunmen opened fire indiscriminately,…
BBC News: Pakistan gunmen kill 45 on Karachi Ismaili Shia bus - Analysis: M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad At least 45 people have been killed and 13 injured in a gun attack on a bus carrying Ismaili Shia Muslims in the Pakistani city of Karachi, police say. A police official said six gunmen on motorcycles had stopped the bus and fired indiscriminately at passengers. This is…
The Express Tribune: 43 dead, 24 injured in bus attack on Karachi’s Ismaili community - KARACHI: Six unidentified assailants on motorbikes opened fire on a bus belonging to the Ismaili community in Karachi’s Safora Chowrangi area, leaving at least 43 dead and 24 injured on Wednesday. Army chief General Raheel Sharif telephoned Prince Karim Aga Khan and expressed his heartfelt condolences on the brutal attack, a statement released by the…
Mawlana Hazar Imam shocked and saddened by attack on the Ismaili Jamat in Pakistan - Gouvieux, France, 13 May 2015 — Mawlana Hazar Imam has expressed shock and sadness in the wake of an attack on a bus carrying members of the Ismaili community on their way to work in Karachi, Pakistan that left 43 people dead. “This attack represents a senseless act of violence against a peaceful community,” said…