Field Trip to Ismaili Jamatkhana in Milpitas
On March 7, during the month of Ramadan, Religious Studies Professors Daniel Morgan and Gaurika Mehta organized a visit of 20 students to the Ismaili Jamatkhana (Meeting Place) in Milpitas. Host, Sadiq Maredia, provided a broad overview of the Islamic tradition with a focus on the specificities of the Ismaili tariqa (or Way). He emphasized, in particular, the commitment of the Aga Khan Foundation to solving contemporary global problems related to healthcare and food precarity. This work, he reminded us, was central to the Ismaili commitment to khidma (service). Finally, the group went on a tour of the various parts of the Jamakhana itself, including the prayer hall, although due to Ismaili concerns about the privacy of worship, the group wasn’t able to observe du士a (prayer service) directly. Overall, it was an excellent experience that allowed faculty and students to engage with community members from an important tradition that is all too often overlooked in scholarly and public discourse around Islam.
