Please click for New York Times slideshow
“….President Hamid Karzai flew into a remote valley in Afghanistan’s central highlands Saturday (August 1, 2009) to seek the vote from the Ismaili community, on his second campaign rally outside the capital ahead of the election this month….” (New York Times)
Please see complete New York Times story and photos at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/world/asia/02afghan.html and watch slide show at Ismailis Gather for Afghanistan’s President
Watch British newspaper, The Guardian, video report at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/aug/06/afghanistan-elections-2009
Simerg - Insights from Around the World 
Sayyed is a great person. He saved the Ismailis in Afghanistan.
Sayed Mansoor Nadiri can be a political leader, and he is a Sayed only. We Afghan people do have respects for all Sayeds, but he is not a spiritual leader.
Some very interesting discussion on President Karzai’s trip to Ismaili territory and his sponsor, Mr. Nadiri, can be found at:
http://easterncampaign.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/karzai-and-the-ismaili-and-his-acdc-warlord-son/
Of course, it is hoped as Simerg has suggested that reconciliation can be reached between different groups in Afghanistan for the betterment of all the members of the Jamat. After all we are all Murids of the same Imam, irrespective of our political associations and allegiances.
Thank you
Mansour
Who is Syed Mansoor Nadiri? And in what capacity is he a spiritual leader?
A number of readers have reacted to this story, with an identical response!
In their (common) response, the readers have provided links to various reports dating back a few years which provided detailed activities of Mr. Nadiri and his son, Jaffar. The readers further disclaim that Mr. Nadiri and his clan owe any allegiance to His Highness the Aga Khan.
Simerg provided a link to the New York Times story and is not in a position to make judgments, as readers have done, about the religious affiliation or otherwise of the Nadiri family and the thousands of Ismailis who show their support for him.
Simerg hopes that whatever problems and misunderstandings might have accrued over the past several decades of unrest in Afghanistan are resolved to ensure the unity of the entire Ismaili Jamat in Afghanistan.
This is Shujauddin.
Dear Readers
I shall say that Sayeed Mansoor Nadiri is one leader who is truly a supporter of the Jamat in Afghanistan. Yes, he may be treated as a spiritual leader in view of the family’s background, influence and importance in the past but no one is more important than Imam-e-Zaman.
Thank you.