in East Africa, Islam has made converts amongst three entirely different races: African, Indian and Arab. In a continent torn by racial rivalry, Islam was thus bound to meet with serious obstacles. The very universality of our faith won adherence among all races, but their political hatred of each other prevented them, until quite recently, from joining together in promoting their common creed. A

Mowlana Khalil-Ullah Ali 1 ascended to the Masnad of Imamat in 957 A.H. in Anjudan, Iran. Many Khoja Ismailis from Hindustan came for the Holy Deedar of the Imam. It is reported in the book "Gulzar-e-Shams" that the Imam resided in Anjudan and his last resting place is also in Anjudan after his wafat in 993 A.H. Sayyed Dadu Pir was named as Wakil by the Imam during this time. Dadu Pir was not given the Piratan but as Wakil he was appointed to collect Maal-e-Wajbaat from the Jamats.

It would seem at times that hope is difficult to sustain. The challenges of building security, alleviating poverty, addressing the impact of climate change, and the complexities of pursuing reconciliation are a few of the cross-cutting areas that dominate our thinking.

The experience of the past seventeen years has strongly reinforced my conviction that the path to sustainable peace in Afghanistan depends heavily on two key principles – regional cooperation, which is key for national development and stability; and a commitment to pluralism