A Castelo Branco City Council distinguished the leader of the Ismailis, a community of 15 million people spread across the world, with the city’s gold medal, in March, as part of the city’s 253rd anniversary celebrations.
However, on that date, the prince cannot be present, so the municipality decided to hold a ceremony today to award the highest distinction from the Municipality of Castelo Branco to the Aga Khan.
Without making a statement to the media, the leader of the Ismailis, a community that considers him a descendant of Muhammad, made a short intervention at the ceremony that took place in the main hall of the Castelo Branco Town Hall.
He left words of gratitude for the “magnificent ceremony” and for the award of the gold medal for the city of Castelo Branco.
The president of the municipality explained to journalists that he was contacted by Aga Khan Portugal, to produce three embroidered panels of Castelo Branco for the foundation.
“At the time we made a first face-to-face contact. We had the opportunity to take to the prince a work carried out by our embroiderers, based on the coat of arms of the Aga Khan foundation. Since that day we have seen the enthusiasm with which the prince welcomed the embroidery and the size of the work that is represented in the foundation’s palace in Lisbon”, highlighted Leopoldo Rodrigues.
According to the mayor, the prince monitored the production of the three panels that are displayed in the foundation’s palace, “from the design, the choice of colors and the different motifs that are represented. Basically, they were created by the prince”.
“It’s an extraordinary work and today it also ends up being an ambassador for the embroidery of Castelo Branco and the city in its palace”, he added.
Leopoldo Rodrigues also highlighted “the pride” that Prince Aga Khan takes in showing these embroideries to visitors who are welcomed into his palace.
“And, for being a great ambassador of Castelo Branco embroidery, for this gesture, for the enthusiastic way in which he received the embroidery and incorporated it into such an important space, in terms of what world diplomacy is, we decided [e foi aprovado por unanimidade] award the city’s gold medal, the highest distinction in the municipality of Castelo Branco, to the prince”, he concluded.
Prince Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather as Imam of the Ismaili Shia Muslims in 1957 at the age of 20.
Since taking office, he has dedicated his efforts to improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable populations, highlighting the vision of Islam as a spiritual and reflective faith, a faith that teaches compassion and tolerance and that defends human dignity .
In recognition of his efforts and contributions to promoting human development and improving the social condition of societies around the world, he has received, over the decades, numerous decorations, honorary titles and distinctions from government and institutions around the world. .
Read Also: Ismaili Imamat wants to strengthen cooperation with CPLP
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Tags: Aga Khan receives gold medal promoting Castelo Branco embroidery
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