Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, dies aged 88
The Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili Muslims and head of a major development aid foundation, died yesterday in Lisbon at the age of 88, his foundation announced.
He was the founder and president of the Aga Khan Development Network, which employs 96,000 people and finances development programmes particularly in Asia and Africa.
He was the owner of Shergar, the Derby-winning racehorse who was kidnapped from his stud farm in Co Kildare, in 1983 and never seen again.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres described the Aga Khan as "a symbol of peace, tolerance and compassion in our troubled world" following the religious leader's death.
Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace laureate and education campaigner, said his legacy will "live on through the incredible work he led for education, health and development around the world".
Islam 'religion of peace'
Born in Geneva, the Aga Khan spent his childhood in Kenya and was appointed in Tanzania to succeed his grandfather in 1957.
His father was passed over in the line of succession after a tumultuous marriage to American actor Rita Hayworth.
A billionaire owner of yachts and jets, the Aga Khan was a regular on the racetrack and continued the family tradition of breeding thoroughbreds.
He also ploughed a large amount of his inherited wealth into philanthropic projects and was awarded honorary Canadian citizenship for his work on development and "tolerance around the world".
The Aga Khan also held British and Portuguese citizenship. The Ismaili leadership is based in Lisbon, where there is a significant community.
Despite his role as the spiritual head of the Ismaili Muslims, he was reluctant to discuss Middle East conflicts, religious fundamentalism or Sunni-Shia tensions.
Islam is not a faith "of