Aga Khan: Not a clash of civilizations, but a conflict of ignorance…

Today the Reuters news service is reporting on the message of Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims, delivered to a group of journalists in New Delhi. His message? That today’s world conflict is not a clash between Muslim and Western civilizations, but a conflict of ignorance, to which the answer is to promote education for pluralism and tolerance (on both sides of the divide), as well as to combat poverty in those regions where violent extremism is born.

I find it somewhat notable that Reuters is putting out this story, because there isn’t much of a news event behind Aga Khan’s message, as valuable as it is. On Friday Aga Khan opened a new high school in Hyderabad that is part of an international network of schools that promote tolerance and pluralism.

Kudos to the journalists behind this story and much gratitude to Aga Khan for saying what needs to be said.