RM/MA - Mehr News - Tehran, Iran
Saturday, June 30, 2007
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes that by understanding and putting into practice the teachings of the poet Molana Rumi the work of the United Nations alliance of civilizations will ultimately be successful.
Following is the text of remarks by the UN secretary-general delivered at the commemoration ceremony of the Persian philosopher and poet Molana Rumi in New York on June 26:
Saturday, June 30, 2007
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes that by understanding and putting into practice the teachings of the poet Molana Rumi the work of the United Nations alliance of civilizations will ultimately be successful.
Following is the text of remarks by the UN secretary-general delivered at the commemoration ceremony of the Persian philosopher and poet Molana Rumi in New York on June 26:
“I am delighted to join all of you today for this very special commemoration. Let me welcome the distinguished scholars and artists who have traveled long distances for this event. Let me also thank their Excellencies, the Permanent Representatives of Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey for hosting this gathering at the United Nations.
“I must admit that I have been a bit unsure of where to begin. Many of you are dedicated disciples of Molana Rumi. Others have just participated in a panel discussion on the significance of his poetry led by leading academics. For such scholars to be followed by a mere student of Rumi is a tall task, even for a Secretary-General!
“Of course, just by looking around this hall, I can claim confidently that, eight centuries after his birth, Molana Rumi lives on. This event is a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm our devotion to his humanist philosophy and to highlight the principles of tolerance, understanding and compassion, which suffuse his compositions.”
He continued, “As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I hope to carry out my duties cheerfully and with humility, just as our moderator suggested. I know this is a big task, but I would like to accomplish it with the same tolerance, understanding and compassion that Rumi teaches.
“I must admit that I have been a bit unsure of where to begin. Many of you are dedicated disciples of Molana Rumi. Others have just participated in a panel discussion on the significance of his poetry led by leading academics. For such scholars to be followed by a mere student of Rumi is a tall task, even for a Secretary-General!
“Of course, just by looking around this hall, I can claim confidently that, eight centuries after his birth, Molana Rumi lives on. This event is a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm our devotion to his humanist philosophy and to highlight the principles of tolerance, understanding and compassion, which suffuse his compositions.”
He continued, “As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I hope to carry out my duties cheerfully and with humility, just as our moderator suggested. I know this is a big task, but I would like to accomplish it with the same tolerance, understanding and compassion that Rumi teaches.
“Rumi’s poetry is timeless. But its celebration at the United Nations is extremely timely. Events of recent years have created a growing gulf between communities and nations. They have led to a worrying rise in intolerance and cross-cultural tensions. Reversing these trends has become vital to long-term peace and stability in our world.”
Ban Ki-moon added, “These goals demand that every one of us look beyond our narrow short-term self-interests. As Rumi teaches, we must be mindful of the people around us, and love them as human beings and God’s creatures. In doing so, we should all recognize our essential interdependence and place the well-being of our communities and of all humanity on par with our own interests.
Ban Ki-moon added, “These goals demand that every one of us look beyond our narrow short-term self-interests. As Rumi teaches, we must be mindful of the people around us, and love them as human beings and God’s creatures. In doing so, we should all recognize our essential interdependence and place the well-being of our communities and of all humanity on par with our own interests.
“This commemoration draws attention to this urgent need in a most engaging fashion. Indeed, by bringing together people of diverse backgrounds to celebrate Rumi’s universal philosophy, today’s gathering contributes to the UN’s own efforts to promote a culture of peace through the Alliance of Civilizations. The successor to our earlier Dialogue among Civilizations process, this initiative responds to the clear need for action by the international community to bridge divides and promotes understanding. The Alliance has identified several priority areas for action and is developing a strategy to promote better understanding between the world of politics and religion. Commemorations like this one can help inspire and motivate its important work and ensure the project’s ultimate success,” he concluded.
Later, Professor James Morris, Prof. Mahmut Erol Kilinc from Turkey, the first Culture Minister of Turkey Professor Talat Sait Hamlan, Chairman of George Washington University’s Islamic Institute Professor Hossein Nasr and Professor Waliahmedi from the University of California participated in the panel discussion.
Prof. Hossein Nasr made a speech and referred to the fact that Rumi was born in Iran.
He explained the reasons for the present popularity of Rumi’s works, which were written 800 years ago, and introduced and reviewed various dimensions of his philosophy.
Prof. Nasr referred to the theory of inner attachment of Rumi to the world, and called him the exponent of humanistic thoughts.
In the section arranged by Iran’s Permanent Representative Office at the UN, a poem by Rumi was read in Persian and afterwards in English.
Afghanistan’s permanent representative to the UN noted that he was pleased that his country had been able to collaborate with Iran and Turkey on arranging the event. He added that Rumi’s philosophy is included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The part of the program arranged by Turkey included a performance of a sama by whirling dervishes.
Later, Professor James Morris, Prof. Mahmut Erol Kilinc from Turkey, the first Culture Minister of Turkey Professor Talat Sait Hamlan, Chairman of George Washington University’s Islamic Institute Professor Hossein Nasr and Professor Waliahmedi from the University of California participated in the panel discussion.
Prof. Hossein Nasr made a speech and referred to the fact that Rumi was born in Iran.
He explained the reasons for the present popularity of Rumi’s works, which were written 800 years ago, and introduced and reviewed various dimensions of his philosophy.
Prof. Nasr referred to the theory of inner attachment of Rumi to the world, and called him the exponent of humanistic thoughts.
In the section arranged by Iran’s Permanent Representative Office at the UN, a poem by Rumi was read in Persian and afterwards in English.
Afghanistan’s permanent representative to the UN noted that he was pleased that his country had been able to collaborate with Iran and Turkey on arranging the event. He added that Rumi’s philosophy is included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The part of the program arranged by Turkey included a performance of a sama by whirling dervishes.
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