Ismaili Walk partners with BC Women’s
February 6, 2008
Dear BC Women’s supporters:
The Shia Ismaili Muslim Community of British Columbia is delighted to partner with BC Women’s Hospital Foundation and the Provincial Health Services Authority to raise awareness and funds for BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre’s newly established Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI).
WHRI’s pursuit of knowledge and research to improve the lives of women and their families is very much aligned with the philosophy of the Ismaili community, which encourages the pursuit of knowledge and scholarship. The history of Islam is filled with examples of great scholars and intellectuals– going back a thousand years to the establishment of the earliest universities like the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt in 969 AD. The exchange of ideas that occurred as a result of the encounter between Islam and European civilizations from the 9th century onwards contributed to a new search for knowledge in Europe and is responsible for a significant part of our present understanding of the world and the universe.
Since 1992, the Ismaili community in B.C. has been supporting local initiatives that enhance civil society. To date, we have raised close to $2.5 million dollars, with these funds benefiting local organizations such as hospitals, the Vancouver Public Library, Simon Fraser University, the Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, the Crisis Center of Greater Vancouver, and United Way’s Success by Six Initiatives.
We are looking forward to working with BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre and to having the community’s support for this worthwhile endeavor.
Sincerely,
Malik Talib
President
Ismaili Council for B.C.