April 30, 2005

To His Highness the Aga Khan,

On behalf of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), I would like to commend you, as the spiritual leader (Imam) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim community, for the establishment of the Global Centre for Pluralism in Canada. Furthermore, we are pleased that the Government of Canada has also pledged support towards the development of this institution. We hope that your magnanimity and commitment to pluralism will inspire members of other faiths to come forward and embrace this concept as well.

At HAF, we believe that pluralism must be a fundamental part of any nation that values diversity, democracy and multiculturalism. HAF will support your efforts to promote pluralism as this concept has always been a central component of the Hindu faith as articulated in an ancient Sanskrit hymn: “Ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti” meaning “Truth is one, the wise call it by many names.” We strongly feel that acceptance of pluralism is the only way to bridge religious divisions and to bring together people of all faiths during these troubled times.

Representing the 2 million strong Hindu American community, HAF is dedicated to providing a voice that educates government, media, think tanks, academia and public fora about Hinduism and issues of concern to Hindus locally and globally. We would like to meet you and your key representatives in the near future to discuss ways we can collaborate to promote pluralism together. You may learn more about HAF and our efforts at our website at www.hinduamericanfoundation.org.

Sincerely,

Pawan Deshpande
Member, Executive Council
Hindu American Foundation