THE FUNERAL OF Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, and a notable supporter of Irish horse racing, has taken place in Lisbon.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Spain’s King Emeritus Juan Carlos were among the dignitaries who attended Saturday’s private ceremony for His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini at the Ismaili community centre.

Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and the mayor of Lisbon were also among the mourners.

The Ismaili religious community said Prince Karim will be laid to rest during a private burial ceremony in Aswan, Egypt, on Sunday.

His death was announced on Tuesday by the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community.

The following day, Rahim Al-Hussaini, 53, was named Aga Khan V, the spiritual leader of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims, in accordance with his father’s will.

The late Aga Khan 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.

The network deals mainly with issues of healthcare, housing, education and rural economic development.

It says it works in more than 30 countries and has an annual budget of about one billion dollars for non-profit development activities.

The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is treated as a head of state.

A defender of Islamic culture and values, he was widely regarded as a builder of bridges between Muslim societies and the West.

Involvement in Irish horse racing

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.

The Aga Khan was a notable supporter of Irish racing and one of the driving forces behind the redevelopment of the Curragh.

The Aga Khan Trophy is a renowned event on the Irish showjumping calendar, which takes place during the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS every summer. The trophy was donated by the Aga Khan’s father, a regular visitor, in 1926.

Khan was the owner of Shergar, a Derby-winning racehorse who was stolen from his stud farm in Co Kildare in 1983 and never seen again.

Shergar’s kidnapping is widely believed to have been conducted the IRA, with the star race horse’s remains still undiscovered to this day.

Horse Racing Ireland paid tribute to the Aga Khan following his death, with CEO Suzanne Eade saying the sporting organisation was “greatly saddened” to learn of his passing.

“His Highness was an iconic figure in the global racing industry. He was recognised the world over as a champion breeder and a champion owner and he made his mark in many countries with Ireland playing a significant role in his family’s renowned operation for over 100 years,” Eade said.

“On so many levels, Irish racing and breeding will forever be in his debt. We were honoured to present His Highness with Horse Racing Ireland’s Contribution to the Industry Award last December.

“We hope that recognition went some way towards acknowledging his immense contribution, wonderful generosity and unwavering support of our industry for so many years.” 

Includes reporting by Andrew Walsh and Emma Hickey