The editor’s dilemma is what to select from hundreds of photos that are made available through the kindness and generosity of a passionate and great photographer. Montreal’s Muslim Harji has contributed significantly to this blog since the commencement of the Diamond Jubilee as well as to its sister blogs, simerg and simergphotos, over the past 8 years. We have selected the following to provide a glimpse and capture the beauty of the magnificent Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Lisbon in July 2018. For more photos by Muslim Harji, please visit his Flickr page  (see link on his profile, below). 

The Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee in Lisbon

By MUSLIM HARJI

It’s exactly a month since we celebrated the Diamond Jubilee Darbar of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, on July 11, 2018, in Lisbon. When we arrived in the beautiful city of Lisbon, it was buzzing with joy and happiness. Ismailis from every corner of the Globe were to be seen everywhere — in hotel lobbies, corner stores, buses, metros, trams, restaurants, cafes, tourist sites and of course at the  Park of Nations (Parque das Nações), the primary site of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. At the closing time of each night, the Oriente Metro station and all the carriages would be jam packed with Ismailis! I have never seen anything like this before.

The epic Diamond Jubilee celebration in Lisbon, the closing out of the incredible year of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s 60th year of Imamat, was truly a memorable and historic experience for everyone who was there; I will personally cherish it in my heart, mind, and soul for the rest of my life. This event was a testament to the diversity and beauty of our community, and we should all take comfort in the fact that our community is flourishing around the world.

Close to 45,000 murids from every corner of the planet came together as “ONE JAMAT” and celebrated the event for seven straight days.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations would not have been possible without the help of the Portuguese volunteers and hundreds of  international volunteers, some of whom had arrived weeks earlier to help plan and organise this event for all of us to enjoy. They were kind, gentle and compassionate.

At the same time, the hospitality and warmth of the Portuguese leadership and jamat were remarkable and their ability to plan an innovative and forward-thinking event on such a large scale was truly impressive. I am delighted to share these photos with readers of Barakah.

Thank you!

Date posted: August 11, 2018.

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Muslim Harji has been acclaimed for his wonderful photo essays for this blog as well as its sister websites Simerg.com and Simergphotos.com. He and his wife Nevin have lived in Montreal for over 35 years, where they raised two children and ran a successful business. Upon retiring in 2004, Muslim and Nevin started to explore the world. All told, together and individually, they have visited almost 50 countries around the globe, and plan to continue fostering their love for travelling the world.

For more photos of Lisbon, please click https://www.flickr.com/gp/134574605@N03/u6B8G6.

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This website, Barakah, is a special project by http://www.Simerg.com and is dedicated to the textual and visual celebration of His Highness the Aga Khan.