His Highness The Aga Khan, left, stands with Adrienne Clarkson as he is introduced at a reception before receiving the inaugural Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship in Toronto in September, 2016.Chris Young/CP
Adrienne Clarkson was Canada’s 26th governor-general and co-founder of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.
In 1957, I was a third-year university student when I saw young Prince Karim on the cover of Time magazine. He had just become Aga Khan IV. I could not imagine then what it was like to be our age and to bear that enormous responsibility of spiritual and temporal leadership.
Years later, when I was governor-general, I had the privilege of meeting this remarkable man when he came to Ottawa to turn the sod for the building of the Ismaili Centre. We did it together on a wonderful day with speeches and flowers. We became friends. I consider this friendship to be one of the most meaningful in my life. And I will miss my dear friend, who died on Tuesday at the age of 88.
We were of the same generation and shared the same values. We found common ground in our belief in the public good and in the values of Canada. Right from our first meeting, I admired this extraordinarily generous, acutely intelligent and sensitive human being. When we became friends, he was the spiritual leader of more than 14 million people; he was the man who persuaded prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau to take 10,000 threatened Ismailis out of East Africa as refugees to our country more than 40 years ago. His high intelligence was matched only by his charm and openness as a person. As the imam of the Ismailis, he had great spiritual responsibilities, yet we could enjoy delightful conversations about books and art.
Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, dies at 88
I always found him warm, witty and humourous, but above all, I will remember him for his generosity and kindness. The kindness was without condescension and the wit without cruelty. In every conversation with him, I knew I had his full attention; everyone who has ever spent time with him has been touched by his gift for listening. And I learned so much from him, particularly about what he called the cosmopolitan ethic, which embraces pluralism, welcomes diversity and believes in compassion.
I think that architecture was his greatest love, and indeed there is a much sought-after prize for architecture in his name which is presented every two years. I believe he could have become a great architect if he had not been called to become his people’s spiritual leader. He loved everything to do with the building of the Jamatkhana and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. He examined every detail of the stones and the trees. His pleasure in dealing with the landscape architecture and the detailed finishings was palpable. He also transformed the Château de Chantilly near Paris, bringing it back to magnificence after decades of neglect. His observations of human failings were perceptive, but he was always unfailingly compassionate. He was never impatient. He always approached things with his delicious sense of humour.
We didn’t always talk about profound things, but everything he said was measured, calm and meaningful. He thought very highly of Canada and had a great belief in our values. He wrote that he wanted his people to live here, “where the threat to democracy is minimal and seeks to draw on the experience of established democracy to make a vibrant and civil society and is sensitive to cultural difference. In this way, they can be effective in improving the quality of life of all their citizens. Canada is a prime example of such a country.”
He had such a belief in us. And that is why he established the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, which works to examine the experience of pluralism in practice. At a time when we are being faced with manic pronouncements and threats to our sovereignty from our nearest neighbour, we must remember that the Aga Khan, the greatest spiritual leader of our time, believed in Canada.
We must always remember how much he believed in us.