HISTORY OF THE KHOJA
SHIA ITHNA ASHERI
COMMUNITY
A series of talks on the origins, yearning of faith, current state and future
challenges of the Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Community.
Part 2 of 2
By:
Shan E Abbas Hassam
1
Khoja Population
• World Population: 6.9 billion
• Muslim Population: 1.6 billion
• Shia Population (lowest figure): 200 million
• Khoja Population (approx): 120,000
• % of Shia Community = 0.06%.
2
Khoja Population (A Snapshot)
• Pakistan: 40,000 (Karachi and Sindh)
• India: 21,000 (Kathiawar, Gujarat, Cutch and Mumbai)
• Africa: 14,000 (Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Mozambique, South
Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe).
• Indian Ocean Islands: 6,500 (Madagascar, Re-Union, Mauritius)
• United Kingdom: 10,000
• Canada: 8,000
• USA: 3,000
• Middle East: 2,000 (UAE, Iran, Oman)
• Rest of Europe: 1,000
• Australia: 1,000
• Yemen North and South: 700
• Misc: 500-750.
3
Khoja Origins
• Islam came to India in 12th Century.
• Main Religions: Hindu, Buddhism and later Islam.
• Indian Class System:
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Brahmins (Priest Class)
Kshatriya (Ruling Class or Warriors)
Vaisya (Commoners / Business Class)
Sudra (Lower Class – workers).
• Lohanas – from Vaisya.
4
Assassinations
Lalji Sajan
Hirji Alarakhia
Abdulla Lalji
Kassam Alibhai Lalji Miyani
5
Karachi Jamaat
• 1871 – 2 groups within Karachi Khoja Community: (1) Followers of
Agha Khan and (2) Pirhai Community.
• 4 Khoja Ismailis ex-communicated (similar to those ex-communicated
in Mumbai).
• 1876 – 4 men donate land to buy a mosque.
• 1879 – Lalan Alidina shot dead.
• 1905 – KSI Pirhai Jamaat acquired graveyard ‘Hussainibhag’
6
Consolidation and Collective Organisation
• 1946 – formation of Africa Federation
• 1976 – formation of The World Federaton
• 1980 – formation of NASIMCO
• 1983 – formation of The Council of European Jamaats.
• 2011 – formation of The Pakistan Federation
• 2013 – formation of The India Federation?
• 2013 – formation of Australia Federation?
• Associate Members of The World Federation
7
Modern Day Challenges
• Khoja Identity
• Khoja Community Spirit
• Khoja Language
• Khoja Institutions
• Khoja Progressive Thinking
8
Khoja Identity and Community Spirit
Need to reflect on the below:
• What does the Khoja identity mean?
• How can our youth connect to this?
• How can you connect Khojas from different countries?
• What is the ‘added value’ of being a Khoja?
9
Khoja Language
• Why is language important?
• Khojki extinct.
• Cutchi, Gujarati – main languages.
• UNESCO – extinct languages – Cutchi!
• Advice of Ayatullah Sistani.
• How can we revive our use of Gujarati?
10
Khoja Institutions
• Khoja Communities that settled in Africa built Imabargha, Mosque
and Madrasah.
• Can we also be pioneering?
• Can we re-look at role of our Jamaats? Residet Aalims? Regional
Federations, World Federation?
• Need for The World Federation to focus on community aspects and
‘added value’ for Khoja Community as a priority.
11
Khoja Future?
• Inquisitive Minds brought us to the Shia Ithna Asheri Madhab.
• Without yearning for progression we too may become extinct within
2-3 generations.
• What are we now going to do differently?
• Can we retain our culture, our language, our values, our ethos and
most importantly our Madhab in the 21st Century? In the West?
• Or will we as predicted simply ‘wither away?’
12
Part 2 Bibliography
• ‘The Endangered Species’ by Hassan M Jaffer (recommended reading
for every Khoja Home!
• Special thanks to Hassan M Jaffer for leading this area, his advise and
continual support.
• John Hollister and Farhad Daftary
• Foundation for Endangered Languages – www.ogmios.org
• Endangered Languages Project – www.endangeredlanguages.com
• UNESCO
• HRELP – Endangered Languages Centre. www.hrelp.org/languages
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