Over half of the community possessed at least a high school education. The Ugandan Asians, of course, had certain advantages that set them apart from other refugee groups. According to a follow-up survey conducted at around this time, 89 percent of the Ugandan exiles who wished to enter the Canadian labour force had already done so, and more than 90 percent indicated that they planned to stay in Canada permanently. Approximately 3,300 Ismailis initially accepted federal financial assistance to facilitate their resettlement by the end of their first year in Canada, fewer than 150 were still receiving government help. This very Canadian origin story turned out to be a good omen for the Ugandan Ismailis and their trajectory as future citizens. Misinterpreting this gesture, the official responded that Canada could accept 6,000 exiles, which was double the number that had been authorized. When, near the end of the evening, the Aga Khan asked how many Ugandan Ismailis Canada would be able to take in, the official caught a glimpse of the same waiter, who held up three fingers on each hand (to indicate that the score was tied at 3–3). One Canadian official had reportedly instructed a waiter beforehand to keep him updated on the game’s score throughout the meeting.
The Aga Khan was ultimately able to secure refuge for roughly 6,000 Ugandan Ismailis in Canada, thanks to his personal friendship with the prime minister at the time, Pierre Trudeau (the two had attended Harvard together in the 1950s), and, as rumour has it, a touch of good fortune.Īccording to one account, the Aga Khan happened to schedule a dinner meeting with Canadian immigration officials that coincided with the 1972 Summit Series of hockey, which pitted Team Canada against Team USSR. The first wave of Canadian Ismailis - which included my parents and grandparents - arrived in the fall of 1972 after the notorious dictator Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of some 80,000 residents of Asian origin from Uganda. Vassanji.Īt a time when an increasing number of politicians throughout the West are showing skepticism toward Muslim immigration - particularly raising questions about the ability of Muslims to successfully integrate into Western societies - the history of the Ismailis in Canada serves as a timely reminder of the need to reject crude, one-dimensional depictions of Islam. Prominent Ismaili Canadians include Rahim Jaffer, Canada’s first Muslim member of Parliament, the former Rogers CEO Nadir Mohamed, the Mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi, Malala Fund CEO Farah Mohamed, and the Giller-Prize-winning novelist M.G. The jamaat (Ismaili community) is well represented in business, political and cultural circles. No less remarkable is the history of Canada’s Ismaili community, which, since arriving in Canada in the early 1970s, has woven itself into our societal fabric to a degree that’s perhaps unmatched among non-Western migrant communities. One testament to this near-universal admiration came in 2010, when the Aga Khan became just the fifth person to be named an honorary citizen of Canada - a truly remarkable accolade. However, commentators from both sides of the political spectrum have refrained from casting aspersions on the Aga Khan himself, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims and one of the world’s most respected figures. Canada’s Ismaili Muslim community was thrust into the spotlight recently following Justin Trudeau’s New Year’s getaway to a private island in the Bahamas owned by the Aga Khan.