Secret plan to help Hitler: Aga Khan III, pictured at the races
Posted on 03/09/2008 12:38:19 AM PST by Stoat
Secret plan to help Hitler: Aga Khan III, pictured at the races
Ministers shelved the proposed prosecution of Sultan Muhammad Shah – who was Aga Khan III at the time – for fear it would inflame Muslims.
The spiritual leader of the world's Zizari Ismaili Muslims was accused of pledging to raise an army of 30,000 Arab troops to back a German occupation of Egypt, Syria and Palestine.
Evidence emerged at the end of the war when the Allies captured German archives and interrogated their intelligence agents.
Details of the case have remained top-secret for more than 60 years and were declassified only last week, with their release by the National Archives at Kew.
In a 1942 memo submitted to the German Foreign Office by a Nazi agent, Aga Khan III expressed admiration for the puppet Vichy government in occupied France.
The Eton-educated racehorse owner then offered to raise troops in the Middle East to fight the Free French, saying: "If you give me ten to 15 days warning, I will have for you 30,000 armed Arabs, amongst my most faithful disciples, who will shoot the Gaullistes in the back."
As he was a British subject, officials concluded he could face treason charges and the death penalty. But it was eventually decided disloyalty by the then Aga Khan, who died in 1957, "could not be proved".
Relatives of Carter or Clinton, perhaps?
Bookmark. Thanks.
You're quite welcome...I'm delighted if you've found it interesting.
Pretty strange story to me. Where exactly is he going to find 30,000 Arabs to follow an Isma’ili? Most are not Arabs, none are even considered Muslims. Duruz from the Levant? Suleymanis from Yemen & Najaran? Sounds unfeasible to me.
Perhaps a few people owed him favors?
The Hindustan Times is also carrying the story, and hopefully more details will emerge with time.
Aga Khan III 'offered to help Adolf Hitler' in World War II- Hindustan Times
& why would either of them follow a Nizari?
Yeah, I’m curious to know more details about this odd story. Thanks for posting.
You're quite welcome :-)
From Wikipedia:
Prince Ali Solomone Aga Khan (June 13, 1911 – May 12, 1960), known as Aly Khan, was a vice president of the United Nations General Assembly representing Pakistan, for which he served as U.N. ambassador (1958-1960). Best known, however, a racehorse owner and jockey, he was a son of Aga Khan III, the head of the Ismaili Muslims, and the father of Aga Khan IV.
His first name was typically spelled Aly in the popular press. The titles of prince and princess, which are claimed by children of the Aga Khan by virtue of their descent from Shah Fath Ali Shah of the Persian Qajar dynasty, were recognized as courtesy titles by the British government in 1938.[1]
In 1939, Prince Aly Aga Khan joined the French Foreign Legion and served with its cavalry division in Egypt and the Middle East. In 1940, he joined the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, becoming a lieutenant colonel in 1944. That same year, he participated in the Allied landing in the south of France with the United States Sixth Army, serving as a liaison officer with the rank of captain; for this, he was made an officer (military division) in the Legion of Honor in 1950.[7]
He also was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the United States Bronze Star.[8]
I’m calling BS on this. Aga Khan III was no Nazi sympathizer. If anything, inviting the Nazis to invade Palestine and promising to raise 30k caterers, is just the sort of grand-scale practical joke AK3 would have enjoyed. Too bad the Nazis didn’t fall for it, they’d have suffered before dying.
Side note: Yes, his son Aly was married to Rita Hayworth at one time. AK3 skipped over Aly and was succeeded by Aly’s eldest son, who is AK4.
I thought it was strange that he would sympathize with the enemy against his own son, even.
I find it really strange that the Ismailis follow the Aga Khans at all still. The Aga Khan III seemed more English than anything, while his son married a Frenchwoman (the mother of the present Aga Khan) and the present Aga Khan IV married first an Englishwoman then an Italienne while his daughter converted to marry an Anglican. Strange that the Ismailis in India still send him money
The mother of the present Aga Khan...I’m thinking she’s British, not French. My mom is never wrong on these matters and she’s here telling me the lady’s name was Joan and she lived in Eaton Square, back in the day. (That would be the 1960’s.)
Yep. British. Joan Guinness.
sorry, my mistake. However, they hardly seem like spiritual leaders to me, I think. I know the present Aga Khan is pretty well respected and does a lot for charity, but does all the money given to him by poor Ismailies end up in charity or does some line his pocket?
He’s been AK4 since 1957, you’d have to dig deep to turn up reproach against him in the conduct of his duties and the management of his fortune. That’s very unusual no matter what faith or line of work.
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