Thousands of Ismaili Muslims will be in downtown Dallas on Monday to greet their spiritual leader, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, during a rare U.S. visit that includes meetings with city officials and community members.
The Aga Khan spent the past week in Texas to open the nation’s first Ismaili Center in Houston — the seventh such facility worldwide. The 11-acre campus features gardens inspired by Texas’ natural landscapes and a 150,000-square-foot structure that blends modern architecture with classical Islamic elements.
“Empty buildings, however striking, do not serve their communities,” the Aga Khan said during the opening ceremony. “The Center will bring people together, strengthen bonds, and help us all collectively to bring happiness and harmony to societies here and elsewhere.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, Carrollton Mayor Steve Babick, and Plano Mayor John Muns welcomed the Aga Khan at Dallas Executive Airport on Sunday. Representatives from Euless and Lewisville were also present. Each mayor presented the Aga Khan with a key to their city.
Babick described the experience as deeply meaningful. “I am a Catholic, so to me, it is as though the Pope came to Texas and to Carrollton,” Babick told Axios. “He is a very non-ostentatious person. He is very low key, very polite. He does not come across as somebody of such significance. And so that was, to me, a real honor.”
Prince Rahim succeeded his father, who passed away in February at age 88. The Ismaili community, a branch of Shia Islam, recognizes him as a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and spiritual leader to millions worldwide.
The Dallas stop marked the Aga Khan’s first visit to the United States in a religious role and highlighted the growing Ismaili Muslim population across North Texas.