20 April 2024 / 11. Shawal 1445
Director Dr Hasnain Walji, a past president of The World Federation has been researching into the history of the Khoja community for over 10 years. In producing this 120 minute long film, he has spent a year travelling around the world. In the documentary, he meets individuals from different backgrounds who provide an insight into the journey of the Khoja community.
This is the first-ever documentary film exploring the 700-year history of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Community. For so long, many of the elders in our community had expressed a wish that the story, of who the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheris are, must be told for future generations to glean an understanding and appreciation of their ancestors’ struggles, trials, tribulations as well as triumphs as they spread across the globe.
Hassanbhai Jaffer, the author of the seminal work on KHOJA History "The Endangered Species" says:“ A must see documentary for all family members where elders could sit with their progeny to explain where we started from and where we are today and the sacrifices made by many in the evolution of this community. To the jet setting Khojas of this age, the sight of bullock carts in which their elders used to travel while India, the type of sailing crafts and the hardships of sailors and passengers as they sailed out from western shores of India to settle in East Africa and Madgascar is a reality check of their origins. The month long journey by sea, firsthand account of early sailors recalling that for the month long sea journey, supply of fresh water would often be restricted to one cup a day come a shock to viewers."
The trailer for the documentary can be viewed below:
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Director Dr Hasnain Walji, a past president of The World Federation has been researching into the history of the Khoja community for over 10 years. In producing this 120 minute long film, he has spent a year travelling around the world. In the documentary, he meets individuals from different backgrounds who provide an insight into the journey of the Khoja community.
This is the first-ever documentary film exploring the 700-year history of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Community. For so long, many of the elders in our community had expressed a wish that the story, of who the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheris are, must be told for future generations to glean an understanding and appreciation of their ancestors’ struggles, trials, tribulations as well as triumphs as they spread across the globe.
Hassanbhai Jaffer, the author of the seminal work on KHOJA History "The Endangered Species" says:“ A must see documentary for all family members where elders could sit with their progeny to explain where we started from and where we are today and the sacrifices made by many in the evolution of this community. To the jet setting Khojas of this age, the sight of bullock carts in which their elders used to travel while India, the type of sailing crafts and the hardships of sailors and passengers as they sailed out from western shores of India to settle in East Africa and Madgascar is a reality check of their origins. The month long journey by sea, firsthand account of early sailors recalling that for the month long sea journey, supply of fresh water would often be restricted to one cup a day come a shock to viewers."
The trailer for the documentary can be viewed below:
If one of our Shia goes for Imam Husayn (as)’s Ziyarat, then he will not return but all his sins will be forgiven. For every step that he or his mount takes, 1,000 virtues are written for him, 1,000 sins are forgiven and his status is elevated by a 1,000 degrees.' (Bihar al-Anwar, volume 101; Kamil al-Ziyaraat)
If you have been blessed with the opportunity to go to Iraq this Arba’een and are doing the walk from Najaf to Karbala, why not help fundraise for the poor and needy at the same time?
STEPS – Shi’i Theology, Ethics and Practice Series. Series Two: Marja’iyyah. Click here to watch the second series of videos, listen to Podcasts and download and read the Ebook for further reading.
