My name is Salim Lalani and I will explore the truth about Aga Khan. Agha Khan is an amazing global personality. A humanitarian, spiritual leader, descendant of the Prophet of Islam, Shia Imam of 15 million Shia Muslims, horse breeder, royalty and business magnate. He is considered is to be one of the wealthiest in the world. They say he owns a yacht, a yacht club in Costa Esmeralda in Sardinia, a private island in Bahamas, several luxurious real estates around the world, a chain of Serena hotels, Meridiana airline, stables thoroughbreds, jewelry, private jets and so on. He is also decorated with numerous titles, doctorates, citizenships and awards.
That is how we all know Agakhan.
Question is, is all that glitters gold?
Is perception reality?
Is it possible that there is another side to the coin?
I'm Salim Lalani not asking my viewer to form an opinion or pass a judgement. I'm only asking if there is a possibility. If you're open to possibilities of life, hang in there, because we are about to enter the secret world of this most amazing, multifaceted personality.
But why do I need to take you inside somebody's secret world?
What is my problem?
Do I have an ulterior motive?
Agha Khan is happy. His disciples are happy. He seems to be doing good work for the betterment of humanity. So why put someone's dirty laundry out in the public?
Before we get into all that, it is important that I introduce myself. It will provide a background to the purpose of my work.
Salim Lalani as a worshiper of Aga Khan
I was born an Agakhani in India, grew up to be a staunch murid, sang devotional songs declaring him to be God, prayed to him for almost everything. From good health to financial security to salvation. I was his representative in Sydney leading a secretive religious meeting. I served in his institutions, indoctrinating young children into believing he was God. I counted the cash that is sent to him as religious dues.
Realization About the truth
It was 2014 when at age 55 years I realized perception is not reality. I renounced the faith. I remember inviting my family and friends to have a discussion on what I had realized. But to my surprise, nobody turned up. They didn't want to talk. I buried the issue there and life went on.
But fate took yet another turn in October of the same year. I operate a small financial planning practice in Sydney. An Agakhani friend paid me a visit. He was in a deep financial crisis. It was a classic case of a modest income and few mouths to feed. There was despair, anger, hopelessness, resentment at home. There was even an odd incidence of domestic violence. Needless to say, this was having an immense psychological impact on the whole family, particularly children. And the main reason for this financial crisis was dasond, a mandatory 12 and a half percent of income payable to Aga Khan.
Every follower makes this commitment to Aga Khan by virtue of taking birth in the community. And if there was anyone who understood this, appreciated this, it was me. Because since childhood, we all were indoctrinated with the idea that 12 and a half percent of our income belongs to Agha Khan. If we were to pay this money, without fail, we would go to heaven. But if we were not to pay, or even miss a few payments, we will go to hell.
Anyway, I had a dilemma on my hands. What advice do I give my friend? How do I help him out of this difficulty?
Do I suggest he stop paying Agakhan and support his family?
Supporting the family was ok but to suggest discontinuing dasond would be an extremely absurd and offensive suggestion to any Agakhani murid.
If I suggest he keep the dasond for his family, he may or may not have gone to heaven upon death. But one thing was for sure, I would lose him as a friend.
On the other hand, if I was to suggest he keep paying Agakhan, his family would burn in real hell. Hell of fear, anger, resentment and insecurity.
Right here right now!!
That was the dilemma.
After a few moments of contemplation, I decided to help the family in favor of keeping him as a friend. Having made up my mind, I cautiously and politely asked him if paying Aga Khan was more important than saving the family.
Before I could say or do anything, he stood up, walked towards the door, turned around, looked me in the eye and said something. It is those words that would give purpose to my future work. Those words are still ringing in my ears after six years.
Salim, I will die, let my family die but not stop paying Agakhan!!
He walked out, shut the door behind himself. The thud of that door was a little louder than usual.
And I remember sinking into my chair!!
My mind boggling and my head spinning!!
How can a man be so irrational? How can a man cause so much pain to himself and his family for his beliefs? How can he give so much pain to his innocent family, particularly his children who he loves the most?
And here's the best part of Aga Khan
The Agha Khan whom we know as a humanitarian, a multi-billionaire, receives religious dues from the needy such as my friend, but has no system nor budget to help them.
How do I know?
On numerous occasions, I'm a witness to the fact that murids have bailed murids out of trouble.
Not Aga Khan nor his institutions!!
Yes, financial disasters such as what my friend experienced happen in Australia. A beautiful country like mine, a financially secure country like mine. Imagine what could be happening in the third world countries.
On that day in my office, I decided I will work towards creating awareness.
Whether I'm heard, whether I'm ignored, whether I'm silenced.
Thus began a learning journey.
I interacted with Aga Khan’s scholars and his institutions. I had many questions that begged a response.
They responded to all of them.
With deafening silence!!
Questions such as, on what basis does Aga Khan portray himself as the descendant of the Prophet?
What gives Aga Khan the right to personally own the religious dues when the Prophet did not have that right?
What gives Aga Khan the right to promote the devotional literature depicting him as God?
Questions on two adultery cases filed against him by his ex wives, Begum Salima and Begum Inara in French courts?
When such questions were asked, scholars did not have one word for me.
That silence confirmed what I had suspected.
Now I was determined to spread awareness.
But how?
To make people aware, one must not only be aware themselves but be able to convince the public of the truth.
Initially I found myself inadequate, but soon help arrived.
In the form a friend who was paradoxically formless.
Time!!
It got me going by telling me a story.
Secret world of Aga Khan
A mind boggling world!!
The centerpiece of the secret world was a cult.
Not a destructive or a violent cult where you are indoctrinated into killing people and yourself but an extremely secretive, ambiguous and an impregnable system whose objective was to fool people into sharing their incomes with Aga Khan.
In following blogs and YouTube Videos, I will present this story the way time narrated it to me.
My viewers will then decide for themselves if Agakhan is a humanitarian or a cult leader!!