An ongoing struggle within Islam

By Suroosh Irfani - Daily Times - Pakistan
Monday, December 31, 2007

Telescoped into Bhutto’s assassination is an ongoing struggle within Islam that globalisation is bringing to a head.

(...)

In all probability, Bhutto has dealt with this crisis in her forthcoming book that attempts at reconciling Islam and modernity.

Until such time that her book is published, it is useful to draw a leaf from Akbar Ahmed’s new book to help understand the nature of the crisis we are facing today.

Entitled “Journey into Islam: Islam and the Crisis of Globalisation” (Penguin, 2007), Ahmed’s is an account and analysis of “how Muslims are constructing their religious identities” under the impact of globalisation and a ‘War on Terror’ that has heightened tensions between Muslims and the West on the one hand, and Muslims themselves on the other.

Ahmed analyses these tensions in terms of three ‘models’ of Islam, giving each model the name of an Indian city — Ajmer, Deoband and Aligarh. The names are broad generic terms for three different (and often conflicting) approaches to Islam worldwide.

The Ajmer model refers to “all those Muslims inspired by the Sufi and the mystical tradition within Islam”.

Islamic figures in this model range from Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti, founder of the Chishti Sufi order buried in Ajmer, Maulana Rumi, and Fethullah Gülen, a hafiz-e Quran who became “a great Sufi master himself through the inspiration of Maulana Rumi” and has millions of followers involved in educational reform.

Likewise, Aligarh, site of the first modern college founded in India, includes nineteenth century reformers like Syed Ahmed Khan in India and Muhammad Abduh in Egypt, the socialist and modernising leaders of the Middle East, and the democratic leaders of Malaysia.

Aligarh, then, reflects “a broad but distinct modernist Muslim response to the world”. And whether they are devout or secular Muslims, followers of Aligarh share the desire to engage with modern ideas while preserving what to them is essential Islam.

As for Deoband, drawing its name from India’s leading madrassa founded in the 19th century, it refers to orthodox mainstream Islamic movements — the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas in the Middle East.

Besides Ibn Tamiya in the past, these movements are identified with modern religious figures like Syed Qutb and Maulana Maududi.

“Taliban, Osama bin Laden, and members of Al Qaeda also identify with the same spiritual lineage and argue that changes in the world are anathema to Islam, which can only be preserved by retreating to its beginnings, in the Prophet’s [pbuh] example and the Quran”.

At the same time, Ahmed’s models also reflect broad Muslim responses to one another. For example, “Ajmer followers think Deobandis are too critical of other faiths and too preoccupied with opposing mysticism, while they find Aligarh followers too concerned with the material world”.

As for Aligarh, they view themselves as members of the Muslim vanguard who “perceive Ajmer as backward and dismiss Deoband as a rabble of ignorant clerics”.

On their part, while Deoband followers are dismissive of the Ajmer model that they view as bordering on heresy, they are equally critical of Aligarh for being “too secular and too influenced by the West”.

The above models offer a lens for understanding why suicide bombers were targeting rallies of the People’s Party, even before Bhutto returned from exile.

Going by Ahmed’s model, the October 18 and December 27 bombings of Bhutto and her supporters signified a ‘Deoband’ backlash against the twin targets of Ajmer and Aligarh: the carnivalesque PPP crowd signifying Ajmer, and Bhutto’s “campaign manifesto” reflecting Aligarh.

The graphic increase in Deobandi militancy reflected in the ongoing ‘jihad’ for enforcing Shariah in the northern areas of Pakistan is consonant with Ahmed’s observation that the Deoband model is gaining strength with the heightening of tensions between ‘Islam’ and America following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

The three models, however, are not ‘watertight’ concepts — there is flexibility, overlap, and even creative transformation from one category to another.

Ahmed cites Iqbal as an example of a creative synthesis of the three approaches.

As for Pakistan and the next elections, there is every possibility that the sympathy wave for Bhutto will make it possible for the Pakistan People’s Party to once again emerge as the largest party representing the federation.

(...)

Suroosh Irfani teaches Cultural Studies at National College of Arts, Lahore

[Picture from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto]

Extension and improvement of the Zaouia Nassiria

[From the French language press]:

Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI s'est enquis, mercredi à la commune rurale de Tamgroute (province de Zagora), du projet d'extension et d'aménagement de la Zaouia Nassiria et de ses dépendances.

Le Matin, Maroc - mercredi 26 décembre 2007 - par MAP

His Majesty the King Mohammed VI inquired Wednesday in the rural commune of Tamgroute (province of Zagora), the proposed extension and improvement of the Zaouia [Sufi Center] Nassiria and its dependencies.

The Zaouia Nassiria includes an institute of religious studies consisting of five study rooms and a home that can house nearly 120 students.

Since its inception (year1010 of the Hijra) the Zaouia Nassiria has played a pioneering role in the various fields of science and thought, in addition to its religious and social mission.

The library, founded by Shaykh Mohamed Bennacer, has 4,400 books and manuscripts, 1,165 of which are now kept at the National Library in Rabat.

These books include the interpretation and explanation of the Holy Qur'an, jurisprudence, rites of the religion of Islam, Arabic language and literature, history and geography, logic, mathematics, astronomy and medicine.

A Dark Day for Pakistan

By Haras Rafiq - Press Release from The Sufi Muslim Council - U.K.
Thursday, December 27, 2007

The Assassination of Benazir Bhutto is one of the Darkest Days in the History of Pakistan.

The Sufi Muslim Council wishes to express our condolences to the family and friends of the late Benazir Bhutto and all of the people that were killed in Rawalpindi in a display of mindless anarchist violence.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to them all.

Ms Bhutto and her colleagues were working for a great cause to help to bring back democracy within Pakistan. She was a great advocate for her country and was looking to play a major role in trying to bring back some sense of order to a nation that has seen great unrest since its inception.

She will be sorely missed by all people that are purveyors of moderation.

“This is one of the darkest days in the history of Pakistan” said SMC Foreign Affairs advisor Ex Consul General Pakistan (retired) Salahuddin Choudhry. “She was a childhood friend of my wife’s and a daughter of Pakistan.”

Haras Rafiq (Exec Director SMC) also said “We condemn all acts of extremist violence that wish to send Pakistan back to the dark ages and I would like to urge everyone to try to remain calm at this moment both in Pakistan and the UK”.

Furthermore the Sufi Muslim Council invites all organisations to unequivocally condemn the terrorist acts of today and come together in helping to find solutions that can help bring stability to the region.

Shaykh Serigne Saliou Mbacke returns to God

Al Jazeera Africa - Touba, Senegal
Sunday, December 30, 2007

The leader of Senegal's most powerful Muslim brotherhood has died [Friday 28] starting a three-day mourning period in the West African country.

Millions of Senegalese were expected to make a pilgrimage over the weekend to the grave of Serigne Saliou Mbacke, the leader of the influential Mouride association who died on Friday and was buried on Saturday.

Mbacke, who died aged 92, was a highly influential figure in the West African country, to the extent that he was a religious adviser to the Abdoulaye Wade, the president, who is a follower of the brotherhood.

Mbacke was the fifth caliph of the Mouride and the last surviving son of Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke, who founded the group in 1883.

He was buried in the holy city of Touba, about 200km east of the capital, Dakar, in a ceremony attended by Wade according to a source in the presidency.

News of the death was delayed until after the burial ceremony so as to avoid disruption from mourning followers of the brotherhood.

The brotherhood is the biggest centre of religious, economic and political influence in the mainly Muslim country.

(...)

The movement became wealthy based on Mbacke's investments in agriculture, particularly in peanuts.

Mbacke had built several Islamic schools in Senegal and figured among the 100 most influential Africans in a list drawn up by the French magazine Jeune Afrique.

Bamba's eldest grandson will become the sixth caliph of the Mourides.

[Read also (in French): http://www.africanglobalnews.com/article2242.html]

2007:Year in Review

By Mas'ood Cajee - Alt Muslim - U.S.A.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Top ten good news stories of 2007: though clouds gather, we must search for silver linings. They are always present and apparent to the optimist and the wisdom-seeker, as surely as springtime buds emerging from winter’s cold bareness

1. A common word: Muslims reach out to Christians
In a dramatic and groundbreaking display of inter-religious solidarity, 138 of the world's most senior Muslim leaders, from Sokoto sultan Ababakar to Bosnian mufti Zukoulic, wrote to their Christian counterparts proposing a solid base upon which the two global faiths can cooperate in creating peace and understanding in the world in October 2007.

The basis of the letter: the shared belief of both Muslims and Christians in the principles of love of one God and love of the neighbor.

Participants hoped that the recognition of this common ground will provide the followers of both faiths a shared understanding that will serve to diffuse tensions around the world.

With over a half of the world's population consisting of Muslims and Christians, the letter's authors believe that meaningful world peace can only come from peace and justice between these two faiths. As such, it represents a truly authoritative call for tolerance, understanding and moderation from some of the world's most influential Islamic leaders and thinkers.

In bringing together Muslims from around the world, and from both the Sunni and Shi'a, Salafi and Sufi traditions, it also marks an historic achievement in terms of Islamic unity.

The request for further meetings was accepted by Pope Benedict in November and a subsequent message of greetings was sent in time for the Christmas (and Eid) holidays.

2. Celebrating the year of Mevlana
Happy 800 Birthday,Rumi! UNESCO, the United Nations agency for educational and cultural collaboration, designated 2007 as the Year of Mevlana, in honor of the 800th anniversary of the birth of Mevlana Jallaluddin Rumi, the 13th century spiritual master, poet and mystic.

Readings, performances, and lectures were held around the world, from California to Amsterdam. In recent times, Rumi has been America’s best-selling poet.

3. In Pakistan, lawyers emerge as a country’s conscience

4. A journalist exposes the underbelly of a dictatorship

5. In London, a concert for peace in Darfur

6. The pioneering Amman Message is declared
An initiative of the King of Jordan, the Amman message is a consensus document that has sought to tackle the theological basis of religious extremism in the Muslim world.

Over 500 of the most senior Islamic scholars from around the world, representing all the major branches and schools of Islamic thought, have endorsed the Amman Message and its Three Points, which clarify, among other things, who is a Muslim and who has the right to issue fatwas (legal rulings).

British Muslim writer Yahya Birt says that the Amman Message can “form the basis of global Muslim unity, the grounds for the advancement of peaceful Muslim relations, and an endorsement of the means by which religious scholarship moderates extremism in matters of religious interpretation.”

7. Funny Muslims: Groundbreaking sitcoms air on TV
In North America, two mainstream television sitcoms with positive characters and themes are promising to humanize Muslims on the small screen.

“Little Mosque on the Prairie” follows a Canadian Muslim congregation in small-town Saskatchewan, while “Aliens in America” has Raja Musharraf, a Muslim exchange student from Pakistan, breaking bread with his American host family and making a splash at his Wisconsin high school.

“Little Mosque on the Prairie,” a play on the hit 1970s show “Little House on the Prairie," debuted in January 2007 on Canadian television to a record-breaking two million viewers. Networks in Israel, France and Turkey have already signed up to air the sitcom.

Episodes of “Aliens in America”, which has aired on America's CW network since September 2007, have included Raja convincing a class flirt to dress modestly and refusing (as a convenience store clerk) to sell beer to underage drinkers.

“Aliens” is the first mainstream comedy aimed at an American teen market that directly confronts issues around the phenomenon of Islam in America.”

"Little Mosque" creator Zarqa Nawaz, a mother-of-four from Regina, Saskatchewan, cut her teeth directing documentaries and short films and has just completed work on the second season of her hit show. Her success is inspiring scores of other Muslim filmmakers to follow in her footsteps.

8. India takes a step toward addressing disparities
At 150 million plus, India has the world’s second largest Muslim community after Indonesia. However, Indian Muslims suffer from high levels of poverty and low levels of opportunity.

After years of neglect, the Indian government finally took the modest but important action of studying the scope of problems that India’s Muslims face.

What the government panel known as the Sachar Committee found was not pretty, but the mere fact that an official baseline has been established is cause for hope.

9. The brewing revolution in Muslim music

10. A nascent movement for deaf Muslims
Deaf Muslims, like deaf people everywhere, face many barriers to education and participation. As awareness spreads about those challenges, a growing number of initiatives are beginning to address the needs of the hearing-challenged within the Muslim world.

To educate: the greatest Jihad

[From the French language press]:

Jamais penseur et Soufi n’a laissé dans la postérité sénégalaise et de la sous-région, une bibliographie aussi diversifiée que celle produite par Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba ainsi qu’une biographie sur lui aussi considérable.

Sud Quotidien, Sénégal - mercredi 26 décembre 2007 - par Madior Fall

Never a thinker and a Sufi has left in the Senegalese and in the subregion posterity a bibliography as diversified as that produced by Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba, as well as a substantial biography.

Just like a patient and passionate archaeologist, his biographers continue to search his works, his itinerary, his actions, his thoughts, his teachings.

Among them: Cheikh Anta Mbacke Babou, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania (USA).

His work: Fighting the Greater Jihad: Amadu Bamba and the Founding of the Muridiyya of Senegal, 1853-1913; Ohio University Press, October 2007, has now been translated into French.

The French translation: «Le Jihad Supérieur ou Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba et la Fondation de la Mouridiyya au Sénégal, 1853-1913 » (Ohio University Press, 2007) will hopefully arouse an instructive "dialogue", not sterile polemics, but documented exchanges on approaches and attitudes that would certainly gain by a cleansing of their fanatics slag.

Editorial review:
In Senegal, the Muridiyya, a large Islamic Sufi order, is the single most influential religious organization, including among its numbers the nation’s president. Yet little is known of this sect in the West.

Drawn from a wide variety of archival, oral, and iconographic sources in Arabic, French, and Wolof, Fighting the Greater Jihad offers an astute analysis of the founding and development of the order and a biographical study of its founder, Cheikh Amadu Bamba Mbacke.

Cheikh Anta Babou explores the forging of Murid identity and pedagogy around the person and initiative of Amadu Bamba as well as the continuing reconstruction of this identity by more recent followers.

He makes a compelling case for reexamining the history of Muslim institutions in Africa and elsewhere in order to appreciate believers’ motivation and initiatives, especially religious culture and education, beyond the narrow confines of political collaboration and resistance.

Fighting the Greater Jihad also reveals how religious power is built at the intersection of genealogy, knowledge, and spiritual force, and how this power in turn affected colonial policy.

Fighting the Greater Jihad will dramatically alter the perspective from which anthropologists, historians, and political scientists study Muslim mystical orders.

[Review from http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Greater-Jihad-Muridiyya-1853-1913/dp/0821417665]

Either a saint or a hedonist

India Post - Union City, CA, U.S.A.
Monday, December 24, 2007

Shams al-Din Hafiz (1320-1390) was a great Persian mystical poet who, as a professor of Koranic exegesis, composed some of the most sensitive and lyrical poetry ever produced in the Middle East.

Hafiz was born in Shiraz, the capital of the province of Fars.
He grew up in an age when the finest Arabic literature had already been written and when Persian poetry had reached the zenith of its romantic era.

What was left for Hafiz was the highest attainment yet of lyrical poetry, the ghazal. Scholars remain divided as to whether Hafiz was, as Wickens puts it "...a mystic or a libertine, a good Muslim or a skeptic, or all of these by turns".

Though, for the most part, "It is now generally claimed merely that he spoke through the standard themes and terminology of hedonism, the lament for mortality, human and mystical love, and so on; that he was a superb linguist and literary craftsman, who took these forms so far beyond the work of his predecessors that he practically cut off all succession; and that he revolutionized the ghazal and the panegyric both, by making the one the vehicle for the other."

This confusion regarding the status of Hafiz as either a saint or a hedonist is not surprising, Hafiz himself addresses it in many of his ghazals. The form itself requires such ambiguity.

As one Islamic literary critic puts it, "...the ghazal is not meant to explain or illuminate the poet's feelings; on the contrary, it is meant to veil them" (Anne Marie Schimmel, German Iranologist, 1922 - 2003). Indeed, it is this very inability to pin him down that is one of the signs of Hafiz's genius.

As Schimmel explains, "...the special charm of his verse consists in the fact that he uses the traditional vocabulary to such perfection that every interpretation seems to make complete sense."

It may be difficult for a modern reader to appreciate this multi-faceted quality of Hafez's poetry.
However, one has always to keep in mind that the Persian spirit was at that point deeply permeated by Sufi thought and thus by the belief that the divine presence is felt in the different manifestations of life.

"The rose that blooms in the garden points to the eternal rose (and Rozbehan Baqli, 1128/1209, Hafez's compatriot, was once blessed by a vision of the Divine Glory in the form of clouds of roses that overwhelmed him).

The nightingale is in the same position as the human heart that longs and cries for the view of the rose-like cheek of the beloved, for the bird is an age-old symbol of the human soul..."

There are those, however, who despair at the readiness of the Sufi to attribute spiritual meaning to every utterance of Hafiz. As British Orientalist Edward Granville Browne (1862 - 1926) laments, "The student of Hafiz who cannot decide for himself which verses are to be taken literally and which symbolically is hardly likely to gain much from a commentator who invariably repeats that Wine means spiritual Ecstasy, the Tavern the Sufi Monastery, the Magian elder the Spiritual guide and so forth."

Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882 - 1927), the founder of Sufism in the West, has praised the poet at length. "Hafiz found a way of expressing the experiences of his soul and his philosophy in verse, for the soul enjoys expressing itself in verse. "The soul itself is music, and when it is experiencing the realization of divine truth its tendency is to express itself in poetry.

Hafiz therefore expressed is soul in poetry...The work of Hafiz, from beginning to end, is one series of beautiful pictures, ever-revealing and most inspiring. Once a person has studied Hafiz he has reached the top of the mountain, from whence he beholds the sublimity of the immanence of God".

Yet another approach to the understanding of the symbolism of wine is offered by Indian spiritual leader Meher Baba (1894 - 1969). "The Sufi master-poets often compare love with wine. Wine is the most fitting figure for love because both intoxicate. But while wine causes self-forgetfulness, love leads to Self-realization."

[Picture: Hafez, detail of an illumination in a Persian manuscript of the Divan of Hafez, 18th century; in the British Library, London. Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez

The Booze Poet and the Spiritual Wine

By Leon Agusta - The Jakarta Post - Jakarta, Indonesia
Monday, December 24, 2007

"I am not `Malin Kundang' like Goenawan Mohamad is. I am not the `Man of the Frontier' like Sitor Situmorang.

I am not the `Heir of the World's Culture' like Chairil Anwar was. I just bequeath and the world transliterates," said Sutardji Calzoum Bachri in one quick spurt of words while delivering his Cultural Oration during the Jakarta Academy Awards Ceremony on Dec.10, 2007.

With those words he affirmed his position as one of the links in Indonesia's historic chain of poetry, which as a mode of cultural communication arts introduces signals to itself and to each poet of the passing generations and eras; it is his sensitivity to these signals that has distinguished Sutardji Calzoum Bachri from other poets.

Sutardji's relationship with the art of poetry was revealed in his intimate, almost confessional oration.

He said of his working process, "I write on a piece of paper that already bears text. I write upon those texts; the mantras that are the cultural manifestation of the subculture with which I am best acquainted, namely the culture of Riau."

As artists and creative souls often do, when Sutardji delivered his oration, he deviated from the precisely set out text that he was holding in his hands.

He let his mind wander, once again, creatively -- his talent emerging, and inspiration flowing and filling his oration with confessions and observations, replete with energetic interlacing expressions of thoughts about the art of poetry, human character, cultural roots, the history of the nation, and the oaths of youths.

"In creating history, poetry has its own unique role. On one hand, poetry is the fruit of history. On the other, poetry becomes the seeds for history. One of the bitterest fruits forced down the craw of the Dutch colonialists was to us a sweet, big fruit in the form of a piece of writing titled the Youths' Oath ... Like that of a poem, the content of the Youths' Oath is imagination.

"This Youths' Oath poem became the seed that grew into the history of the nation's struggle to attain its independence; rendering the imagination behind the words therein into reality."

Sutardji, who is most often called Tardji among his friends, is not only an authentic poet, but also an authentic intellect.

His way of reinterpreting the Youths' Oath (Sumpah Pemuda) is evidence of this.

The Melayu Stage Foundation (Yayasan Panggung Melayu) celebrated his birthday for one week in Taman Ismail Marzuki, July 13 - 19.

A thick book that documents the Working Papers of International Seminars and a number of essays concerning him, including writings from local and foreign writers, was published under the title The President of Poets, The King of Mantras (Raja Mantra Presiden Penyair).

"Apparently Sutardji is even bigger than Chairil Anwar," writes the editor Maman S. Mahayana.
The moniker "The President of Poets" was first uttered by Sutardji himself "in 1974, when he was really drunk," said a friend of his, painter Hidayat LPD.

Also present during the "self-baptism" were Sanento Yuliman, Jeihan, Wilson Nadeak, Jakob Soemardjo, Hamid Jabbar, and a number of other artists and friends.

It was already common among his colleagues to refer to him as "poet of booze" at that time. His performances then were always accompanied by a bottle.

Later, however, this "bottle poet" developed a strong urge to turn to Sufism when in 1989, with Mustafa Bisri and Taufiq Ismail, he was invited to the International Poet Conference in Baghdad, Iraq.

On that trip, he visited holy and historical places like Najjaf, Karballa, Kufa, the tomb of the king of Sufis Abdul Kadir Jaelani, and the Abu Nawas Garden. Sufism became the new direction of his works. He even went on the pilgrimage to Mecca.

According to Abdul Hadi WM, the Sufi spiritual tendency was actually visible in his early works, but was always hampered by the skepticism and nihilism that were also somehow strongly alluring to the poet.

During the Jakarta Academy Awards 2007 program, the title "The King of Mantras" was never heard. The term "The President of Poets" was also unheard.

The Director of the Jakarta Academy, Taufik Abdullah, without mentioning the names of the award recipients, simply said, Jakarta Academy Awards are given to recipients with lifetime achievements, not merely monumental works."

Alfons Raryadi, one of this year's judges said regarding the basis of the choice of Sutardji Calzoum Bachri for the honor, "A long time ago Chairil Anwar coined the phrase "Three Unravel Destiny", and now "One Tarji Unravels Chairil'."

[Photo from http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutardji_Calzoum_Bachri]

Second Book of the Masnavi translated into Russian

MNA - Mehr News - Tehran, Iran
Monday, December 24, 2007

The Second Book of Rumi’s Masnavi has recently been rendered into Russian by Hassan Lahuti.

Lahuti is currently translating other volumes of the masterpiece of the Persian poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

After completion, the series will be published by the Iranian cultural attaché’s office in Moscow.

[Picture: Mr Hassan Lahuti. Photo: http://www.ketabname.com/main2/identity/?serial=1436&chlang=en]

Muslim Scholars send Christmas Greetings to Christians

[From the Swiss-German press]:

138 Hochrangige islamische Gelehrte haben den Christen in aller Welt ein fröhliches und friedliches Weihnachtsfest gewünscht.

sda/reuters/baz - Basler Zeitung, Basel, Schweiz - Montag, Dezember 24, 2007

138 Distinguished Islamic scholars have wished a happy and peaceful Christmas to Christians all over the world.

In a joint statement in Arabic, English and Latin addressed to the "Christian neighbors" the Religious Representatives sent their wishes for peace: "Al-salamu aleikum, Peace be upon you, Pax Vobiscum."

A similar Christmas message was never previously given: because Islam has no central authority like a pope or patriarch that could speak for all believers, there was always only a mutual exchange of greetings among individual scholars with representatives of Christian churches.

Among the 138 signatories of the greetings message are representatives of the two largest Islamic faith directions (Sunna and Shia), and also members of Sufism -the mystical current of Islam- and other religious currents.

[Read the message of greetings: http://www.acommonword.com/lib/christmas/Christmas_greeting_10.pdf]

Seminar highlights works of Rumi

The Siasat Daily - Hyderabad, India

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Consul-General of Islamic Republic of Iran Agha Hossein Ravish described Moulana Jalaluddin Balkhi Rumi as a great mystic and humanist to the core transcending national and ethnic borders.

Mr. Ravish said Rumi’s works throw light on the ubiquity and universality of his message of brotherhood, peace and love.

While taking part in the two-day national seminar on ‘Rumi and his teachings in the context of contemporary world’ at Department of Persian, Osmania University, Mr. Ravish quoted several of Rumi’s famous works.

On the occasion, Consul-General of Afghanistan Agha Gul Hussain Ahmadi released a book on ‘Time Management in Islam’ written by professor S.M. Tanveeruddin, Head of Department of Persian, OU.

Mr. Ahmadi mentioned that oneness of God and unity of mankind stood out as the central tenets of Rumi philosophy.

He also described as to how Rumi, arguably the most widely read poets in world, emphasised on spiritual upliftment.

OU Vice-Chancellor Suleman Siddiqi said that Rumi’s message was ever-lasting love for reality.

[Visit the Osmania University at: http://www.osmania.ac.in/]

Victims of a civil war

[From the French language press]:

Sous la férule d'un cheikh soufi, ils sont cinq cents enfants venus du Darfour à écrire et réécrire les versets du Coran sur une planchette de bois, la "loha", calée sur les genoux.

AFP - Agence France-Presse, France - jeudi 22 novembre 2007

Under the leadership of a Sufi shaykh, they were five hundred children from Darfur to write and rewrite the verses of the Qur'an on a little wooden board, the "loha", lying on their knees.

Some have only five years, others are emerging from adolescence, and all of them are supported, housed, fed and educated at Ombadda, near Khartoum, by a Qadiriya Brotherhood, the oldest Sufi Brotherhood in Sudan.

Victims of a civil war that broke out in 2003, the black tribes of Darfur (Western Sudan), are Muslim just like their adversaries, the Janjaweed.

"Everything is destroyed there, we can no longer live and study," said Abd el-Wahid, a 13 years old from Kungara, in Northern Darfur, where the United Nations has counted 200,000 dead and more than 2 millions people uprooted.

Not much inclined to let us interview the students , Shaykh al-Rifaï, a young religious bearded man 31 years old, adds: "You see how sad are their faces, they carry a lot of misery within."

Invoking the spirit of Christmas

TT Women's Desk - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Monday, December 24, 2007

“If thou, like Christ, be pure and single–hearted,

Who once ascended far beyond the sky,

Thy life will shine with beams of light, whereby

The Sun will brighten by thy light imparted.
(Translation: Smith)

These verses of universal beauty and meaning were written by the poet Hafez (d. c. 1389 CE) and are engraved on the interior eastern wall of his mausoleum in Shiraz.

We send greetings, best wishes and peace to all Christian women, mothers and their families throughout the world.

May the celebration of the coming to earth of the great soul of the Prophet Jesus be accompanied by the spirit of love and compassion for the whole of mankind.

May the true spirit and meaning of his teachings be embodied by disciples of light who have the wisdom and knowledge to attract positive forces from the universe towards this strife-ridden planet.

[More on Hafez at: http://www.untiredwithloving.org/hafiz.html]

Mandir dha de, Masjid dha de, par kisse ka dil na dhayee

By Sarover Zaidi - The Hindu - Chennai, India
Sunday, December 23, 2007

The Ruhaniyat festival in Mumbai brought together performers and singers from places as diverse as Rajasthan, Bengal and Konya, Turkey

“Mandir dha de, Masjid dha de, par kisse ka dil na dhayee” (you may break the mosque or the temple, but do not break anyone’s heart), explains Kachra Khan, evoking Bulleh Shah and his relevance in the current world.

He represents the Langaas community of Rajasthan which is being showcased amongst many others in the Ruhaniyat festival in Mumbai.

It has been a musical experience that enthralled the audience in an overwhelming and sublime manner.

This festival was made possible by Mahesh Babu and his wife Nandini, who, for the last seven years, have been searching and showcasing many Sufi mystics and musicians from India on the platform of the Ruhaniyat festival.

Over the last 5 years, the event has been supported by TCS and SBI. The experience this year ranged from Kamala Devi Bheel from the interiors of Madhya Pradesh, to the Whirling Dervishes which has come from Konya, the home of Jallaluddin Rumi.

The message of Rumi is “the essence of Insaniyat” explains Mithaf Biyukalim, the deputy Mayor of Konya, who had accompanied the troupe of Whirling Dervishes here.

Celebrating harmony
Mevlana Rumi was born in Balkh, explains Kadir Ozcakil, the head of the Whirling Dervishes troupe. Konya is the city where Rumi lived and was buried and the city is the symbolic Mecca of the Masnavis.

Kadir says he started young; in fact, he was initiated into the orders at the age of five by his uncle who was a Sheikh and for the last 34 years he has been practising the meditations of a whirling dervish.

He explains the ritual through the word Mevlana which means the intersection between the brain and the heart. Here the brain symbolises tolerance and the heart symbolises love. This, he says, should create the Sama of life.

On a full moon night, this group of Islamic mystics initiated the “Sema” (the mood) for love, peace, and harmony in the city of Mumbai. This was heard in complete silence as Sema is more of a ceremony than a performance.

Joy and rebellion
The word “Baul”, besides meaning “the mad mystic”, “the wind” also means “the one carrying the dead body”.

This was elaborated by Parvathy Baul who explained that to be a Baul is to seek freedom from everything, including the bond with the body.

Baul is both an individual ecstasy and an individual revolt. This is the path of rebellion which defies all caste and religion.

The path of the Baul for Parvathy is the path of absolute joy. She started young as a painter in Shantiniketan and used to visit the wandering mystics of Bengal to sketch them. It was then that she was pulled by their words and songs and eventually by the essence of their lifestyle.

She also believes that the path of the Baul and the mystics is not the alternative in India but the norm. It is only in the mainstream Indian classical forums that this is called the alternative.

She enthralled the audience with her song which literally means “the practice of dying” while she made the audience come alive with her voice.

The Manganiyars from the deserts of Rajasthan sang the story of Rani Bhatiyani who committed Sati for her true love, the brother of her husband. An early ancestor of the Manganiyars from the hamlet of the Rani, unaware of the death of the Rani, was directed towards her palace by the enraged in-laws, only to meet the spirit of the Rani who showered him with her jewellery.

The gift of music
Defying her orders not to mention this to the in-laws, the Manganiyar meets them only to lose the precious collection.

Heart broken, the Manganiyar walks back to his village, but meets the spirit of the Rani again, who, although angry with him for violating her command, blesses him with the gift of ever sustaining music.

Manganiyars have been carrying on this hereditary tradition of music ever since although some aspects of this tradition, like the Kavitv, are in danger of being disrupted.

Ruhaniyat also witnessed a glimpse of this rare form from the masters themselves. The Maganiyars, besides singing the story of Rani Bhatiyani, also sang songs of the popular Sufis of the region, such as Sucha Sayain, Bulleh Shah and Kabir.

Overall, the Ruhaniyat festival was very well organised and presented, but the demand for its passes was high and it had shades of becoming an elite event. The team does plan to take this to a much larger public platform, and is also taking this to seven cities over the next three months.

[About the Ruhaniyat Festival, see also these articles (click and scroll down): http://sufinews.blogspot.com/search?q=Horniman]

The Scarf's Scrap

By Mohammed Wajihuddin - The Times of India - India
Sunday, December 23, 2007

(...) After the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lifted the ban on headscarves in universities (a ban on wearing scarves in government offices continues), Istanbul’s secular elite sensed an impending danger: had Islamism entered their homes?

Last week, celebrated Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say triggered a storm when, in an interview to the German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung, he admitted, “The Islamists have won. We are 30 per cent while they are about 70 per cent. I am thinking about moving elsewhere.”

As one of the ambassadors of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, Fazil Say echoed the fears of secular friends when he lamented: “All the ministers’ wives wear the headscarf.”

Say may be exaggerating but the fact is that the wives of both President Abdullah Gül and AKP’s boss, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wear headscarves.

The secularists have feared the return of this piece of cloth ever since Erdogan’s AKP was returned to power in the July election with a landslide victory. The main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), founded by Turkey’s great moderniser Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who abolished the Caliphate, won just 21 per cent of the vote.

(...)

But others in Istanbul dismiss these misgivings as unfounded.

“The headscarf is just about freedom of choice. The government is not pandering to the Islamists,” defends Erkam Tufan Aytav of the Journalists and Writers Foundation, a wing of the Movement of Volunteers.

The Movement, an initiative started in the 1960s by scholar Fethullah Gülen, has dozens of educational and cultural branches in over 120 countries.

To back their argument, Aytav and his friends in the Movement cite examples from institutions (academic, television, business) where both scarved and non-scarved women work side by side.

Yes, there are many scarves on the mosque-dotted streets of Istanbul but there are jeans and skirts and dreadlocks too. Just as the mellifluous azaans from the high minarets have not silenced the stirrings of the country’s secular temperament the sartorial changes too, say optimists, will meld into rather than swamp lifestyles.

(...)

Mumbai’s Islamic scholar Zeenat Shuakat Ali, who was part of our delegation, was elated at the moderate Islam practised in Turkey.

“You must compare Turkey with Saudi Arabia. One glows in the benign influence of Sufism while the other staggers under the oppressive monarchy sanctioned by the clergy,” says Ali, who sobbed openly at Rumi’s decorated grave while saying her fateha (prayer in tribute).

Outside Istanbul’s most famous landmark, the massive 17th-century Blue Mosque built by Ottoman king Sultan Ahmet, a tiny cafe serves delicious kebab and Turkish chai (black tea in small glasses).

Two middle-aged men play chess at a corner table even as the young wife of the restaurateur takes the orders. Uninhibited by the stream of strangers, the jean-clad Muslim woman works hard, adding to the galloping economy of a country whose GDP has touched 7.6%.

It is on the legs of women such as this that Turkey will hopefully stride into the European Union.

[Picture from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque]

[Visit Fethullah Gülen's website http://en.fgulen.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/]

“Roumi le brulé”: upcoming review

TT Culture Desk - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Saturday, December 22, 2007

Jean-Claude Carriere to review “Roumi le brulé” in Tehran

“Roumi le brulé” [Rumi the Burnt], a book authored by Nahal Tajadod about the Persian poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi is slated to be reviewed by French author Jean-Claude Carrière during a session at Tehran’s Book City on December 25.

France-based Iranian writer Tajadod released “Roumi le brulé” in French in 2004 and it has recently been translated into Persian by Mahasti Bahreini.

Carrière is an expert on Rumi and the author of “Love: The Joy That Wounds: The Love Poems of Rumi”.

He has also worked as the principal of a French film school, written books on films and screenwriting and hosted a debate program on French television.

Memoirs make us travel through the time zones

Glam Sham - Mumbai, India
Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Aasakta, Pune based Theatre Company is scheduled to perform its play "TU" on Saturday, December 22nd 2007 at the NCPA Experimental Theatre at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

TU is a two-act Marathi play, based on the famous Sufi philosopher-poet Rumi’s verses. The production is being supported by Tata Sons.

TU has received accolades not only at the state level (the Best Play award at the Maharashtra State Competition) but at the national level also, at Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and at the Bharat Ranga Mahotsav.

Aasakta began the journey as a small conglomerate of college students aspiring to do theatre of their own choice.

Participating in various one-act play competitions was an integral part of this journey and the economics as well. Winning several prizes and re-cycling the prize money to produce new plays built the organization up.

However, talented, young, energetic and dedicated team members have been the core strength of the group. The group has so far had approximately 150 performances of all plays that it has produced on its own.

The stories of the characters in this play "TU" are blended in each other’s stories, as are the past, present and the future in the story. There are no obvious boundaries to the time and space in the play.

Memoirs and thoughts make us travel through the time zones in the story and … the virtual time and space unfolds before us.

To read a detailed synopsis of the play, which enfolds through 52 poems, click on this link:

http://www.glamsham.com/dramas/marathi/19_preview-tu.asp

Being a Whirling Dervish

Asli Saglam/ANA - Turkish Daily News - Ankara, Turkey
Thursday, December 20, 2007

Konya: The Year of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi has seen many whirling dervish performances around Turkey and also abroad.

Whirling dervishes, who perform the sema ceremony in long white dresses called “tennure" and tall conical hats, making the audience feel like they are from another world, are often florists, officers, doctors, grocers and farmers in their daily life.

Today there are 14 permanent whirling dervishes within the directorship of the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community. Additional performers are residents of Konya who have different jobs but are as professional as the staff.

These craftsmen and traders become whirling dervishes in the evenings after they close down their shops and offices. Their information is on record at the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community and they are always ready to perform after office hours.

One of the whirling dervishes is Recep Erol, 29, who owns a flower shop in Konya's Zafer Square. Following Rumi's path is a way of life for him and being a whirling dervish is like praying.

Some in the audience are surprised when they find out that he is one of the part time whirling dervishes. "Most of the people around me know that I am a whirling dervish, we don't only perform for people, we come together with friends once in a while," Erol said, adding, "I started learning Sufism when I was 12 years old."

Celalettin Berberoğlu, who owns a grocery store near the Rumi Museum, was born into the philosophy of Rumi and started learning how to be a whirling dervish when he was a 6-year-old.

"I have been a dervish for 31 years now, I even go abroad to perform, but actually being a whirling dervish is not an occupation," said Beberoğlu.

Rumi wanted dervishes to look after their families so it was their occupation but now it is seen as a job, he said, adding that every dervish should have another job.

"The sema ceremony is actually a celebration; turning to God when hearing the order, "turn into me;" it is rendering thanks to God," he said, adding, "dervishes are enlightened during the sema ceremony, the body leaves its frame and reaches unification."

On a very small scale

Staff report - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Karachi: Fatima Zahra Hassan is a visual artist, designer, art educator and researcher with more than 12 years of experience in the field of art.

She was also one of the first graduates of the National College of Arts’ (NCA) Miniature Department.

Her recent display of work opened at the Chawkandi Art Gallery Tuesday evening.

Hassan is inspired by Sufism and the works of poets such as Bulleh Shah and Rumi and her paintings are based on their poetry’s interpretation.

When questioned about her choice of subject, she said “The best thing about Sufism is that it talks about humanity, peace and the love of God, there is no extremism involved.”

However, Hassan seemed rather reluctant to categorise her work under Miniature Art.

“Although some of the work comes under miniature parameters I would just call them paintings. Nevertheless, the beauty of miniature art is that one can explain a lot on a very small scale.”

Around 12 to 15 years ago nobody was familiar with this style of art while today miniatures are the latest trend in Pakistani art. It is our own heritage and people have slowly begun appreciating it.

“The Union” shows two cypress trees symbolizing divinity while one with the creeper around it suggests the lover and the beloved.

Hassan is currently focusing on three-dimensional and digital art and her future work will carry a similar Sufi theme but with the use of more technology.

The Essence of a Flower

Music Editor - The Times of India - India
Monday, December 17, 2007

Most singers or musicians try to break away from the style that their gurus have established to make a statement, but Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan doesn’t crave to do so.

Having learnt music under uncle and music maestro Late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat is quick to acknowledge the impact his guru’s style has had on him.

And that style reflects in his recently launched album Charkha on Sa Re Ga Ma. Obviously the expectations from him are high, luckily for him he could meet those expectations.

"Even in this album the music is different from what you get to hear these days. You’ll get to hear various kinds of songs. We have maintained the body structure of quawalis and worked around it," he says.

And besides the newly composed songs Rahat has also added an unrecorded number composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Talk about his association with Bollywood and he has only good things to say. "I have got a lot of love and appreciation here. From Man se man ki lagan to Jag suna suna all my songs have been liked by people.," he smiles.

The singer is happy that politics has not affected the give and take between India and Pakistan where music is concerned.

"Music and politics are two different things. There shouldn’t be any politics in music. Music is like the essence of a flower you can’t bind it," he says.

With Sufi music being the flavour of the season for Bollywood, what does Rahat have to say about it?

"What you hear under the name of Sufi music is not the real thing. The mellow songs that these bands make are good, but not all songs are Sufi," he points.

Ask him about influence of Nusrat’s songs on him and he says, "I have learnt everything I know from him. It’s in my blood, the influence has to show. My songs are in his style so people don’t really ask me to compose as per his style".

"I work thoroughly on my music that the reason it took me two-and-a-half year to put together this album," he explains.

With peace, patience and hope

The New Anatolian - Ankara, Turkey
Wednesday, December 19, 2007

On Monday, December 17th, President Abdullah Gül was in Konya to attend the ceremony marking the 734th anniversary of the passing of the great Sufi master Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi.

President Abdullah Gül said there is need to understand the philosophy of Mevlana more than ever today.

"We can establish a better world if we try to understand the words of Mevlana that calls for brotherhood and divine union," Gül told during the ceremonies.

Gül said, "we can learn from Mevlana that we can overcome problems irrespective of how bad circumstances are and that we can be patient against unsolved problems."

"We can solve problems of not only our country but the world with peace, patience and hope," he also said.

[Picture: Mr Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey. Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_Gül ]

Windows through Empathy

All About Jazz - Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Sunday, December 16, 2007

Cheb i Sabbah, musical adventurer, global spiritualist and producer extraordinaire has returned to the Indian subcontinent for Devotion, his seventh album on Six Degrees Records

Hundreds of artists in the world music genre, or for that matter any genre, have come and gone like bottle rockets, but Cheb i Sabbah's light keeps burning and it is his bhakti (devotion) to the spiritual essence of music, and to truth and humanity, that is responsible for his longevity.

Devotion was produced in the past year or so but has been in the making for at least nine years since Cheb i Sabbah started visiting India to record his first release.

His first visit to the Mother land goes back to 1970. He has been to the country several times in the interim, and with each journey he has excavated an aspect of its culture and spirituality with respect and taste to produce sublime albums like Shri Durga (1999) and Krishna Lila (2002).

Both are considered gold standards by classical music purists and casual listeners alike, and remixes from these projects are club staples around the world.

South Asia is a kaleidoscope of multiple faiths, fantasies, languages, cultures and sub-cultures. It is not an easy task to sift through the rich but massive tapestry of religious devotional music and distill it into a flawless 62-minute summary of prayer.

Cheb i Sabbah has managed to produce eight wonderful pieces that are inclusive of its three main religions but are a metaphor for the deep spirituality that suffuses every aspect of life in the Indian subcontinent.

Early this year, during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Cheb i Sabbah was among the 70 million devotees at this greatest of human gatherings on earth, and lived with the Naga Babas of Juna Akhara, the oldest order of (naked) sadhus (holy men).

This deeply inspirational experience comes through in Devotion, as does his emotional attachment and practice of Vedic spirituality.

Also palpable is Cheb i Sabbah's embrace of the good in all mystical and esoteric paths. The record features three distinct traditions ofreligious music representing Hinduism, Sikhism and Sufi Islam.

(...)

“Kinna Sohna” (How Beautiful Did God Make You?), is a Sufi tune written by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and sung here by Master Saleem, the versatile young artist from Punjab who sets the song free and makes it his own.

“Qalanderi”, another Sufi track features the sensuous vocals of Riffat Sultana, daughter of the late, great Pakistani classical singer Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, who also happened to be Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's musical guru.

“Qalanderi” is a luminous example of what Cheb i Sabbah does best: taking a valuable artifact and with great care and joy reinventing it for a contemporary audience. This trippy and slow-burning qawwali takes off into the stratosphere and brings to mind the fervent dances of whirling dervishes. It ends all too quickly.

(...)

If there was a Cheb i Sabbah in every country, there would be a thousand windows through which we would see other countries and other cultures and perhaps develop empathy to other people that would help solve some of the problems of our troubled, ravaged world.

Devotion is a step in that direction and a call to the prayer of love.

[Listen to samples at Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/2u6xhm ]

Love did not leave anything of me

By Mehmet Seker - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Monday, December 17, 2007

Human beings are equipped in the best possible way, both materially and spiritually.

The human being is potentially able to achieve the level of “the best of creation,” which is dependent on his ability to use and develop his endowment of spiritual attributes.

Those who can escape from the material world and escalate toward the higher ranks of the heart and soul will experience this world in a different way and they will become conscious of the secrets of creation.

When they look, they will see things that others cannot; and everywhere they look, they will see the manifestations of the Beautiful Names of God.

Without doubt, they would never trade such moments filled with the indescribable flavors of spiritualism for anything. Instead, they will spend all the bounties given to them for the sake of God with the sole intention of reaching Him.

Those who have achieved such nearness to God are always careful in their relations with the Beloved and thus extremely cautious to retain their sensitivity and maintain this level. These people are nothing more or less, in effect, than Friends of the Truth.

Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi is one of these Friends -- one of the perfect representatives of the many Sufi devotees whose way of life is to love and be of service to people, to become a perfect human being and thus to have the good pleasure of God.

Rumi’s path of love within Sufism’s inclusiveness has always attracted people from all cultures and backgrounds and this is certainly the major reason for Rumi’s appeal in both the East and the West.

The theoretical aspect of this path is Sufism, while the practical aspect is Dervishood. Rumi led the theoretical path, as a leader in his time and all times to come after him; in addition, his mature dervishood, taken from this world and decorated with angelic qualities, set a good example of devotion to God through the passion and love with which he inspired millions.

During his lifetime, there were many people of other faiths around Rumi, listening to him and respecting him for what he was teaching. Thus, Rumi emerged in a period in which disorders, conflicts and exploitation lay heavy on the peoples of the world.

Throughout this period, Rumi proved himself to be both a powerful personality and an eminent scholar. For not only did he talk about compassion and tolerance, but he actually produced an exemplary atmosphere where these values were upheld, thereby opening the door to dialogue through his message.

Today, we are experiencing rather similar turmoil, unrest and conflicts everywhere. Yet instead of raising the awareness of the need for understanding, religious devotions are simply being manipulated in the so-called “clash of civilizations.” Therefore, at this time in history, it is most imperative that we find the time to come together, to talk and try to understand one another, to find a common ground and shared references.

Once again, then, we need this most outstanding poet, a revered mystic renowned for his understanding and wide embrace, to shed light on the relation of human beings to their Creator as well as their interrelations with others.

The world has never been without representatives of love and peace. Rumi was and is one of the perfect representatives of such a complete human being and one of the greatest teachers of universal love and peace.

Rumi has always been a major figure in the Middle East and Western Asia, where he has had an exalted and comprehensive impact among a wide variety of people.

The great Islamic scholar and poet, Muhammad Iqbal, became fascinated with Rumi’s view of discovering the Divine Entrustment in one’s self. Embracing Rumi’s understanding of the perfect human being and seeing Rumi as a spiritual guide for himself, Iqbal states:

“I received a share of his light and warmth. My night has become day due to his star … In Rumi, there is sorrow, a burning that is not strange to us. His union talks of going beyond the separations. One feels the beauty of love in his reed and receives a share, a blessing from the Greatness of God.”

Yet Rumi is not merely a Mevlana (”our master”) -- one of the titles assigned to him and widely used among Muslims -- whose scope is limited to one part of the world. Rather, he is the master of people from both the East and the West.

In fact, Westerners have increasingly been amazed that his presence seems so alive eight centuries after his death. In a tribute to Rumi, Andrew Harvey puts forward that Rumi, the remote star shining in the West, will help lead the West out of its materialist manifestation of ego-over-everything.

Thus, Harvey sees Rumi as “an essential guide to the new mystical renaissance that is struggling to be born today … and the spiritual inspiration for the 21st century.”

(...)

Music is defined by Rumi in the following couplet:

"Music is the nutrition of the souls of the servants of the Lord,
Since in music there is the hope of reaching God".

Therefore, music, when combined with meditation and contemplation, is seen as being a faster way to reaching God.

On the other hand, music brings out physical movement, as it addresses bodily impulses and desires. At first, these motions were restricted to the swinging of the body while seated.

However, with time, people started to accompany the musical harmony with swaying and larger movements and this gradually evolved into the sema. In this way, contemplation became the union of the soul, sound, and motion, as both the heart and body achieved a state of meditation, overcoming all physical and intellectual interference.

Thus, the sema symbolizes the escalation of the human spirit: the servant’s turning of his face toward the Truth; being exalted with Divine love; abandoning personal identity and the self to become lost in God; and finally returning to servanthood, mature and purified.

The semazen, the whirling dervish, with the sikka (the traditional “hat”) on his head and with the tannura (a shroud-like gown) on his body, is born into the truth as he symbolically removes his jacket at the onset of the dance and begins his revolutions -- thus, his evolution -- on the path of profound contemplation.

During the sema, his arms are wide open, with his right hand turned toward the sky as if praying, ready to receive honor from the Divine One, and his left hand turned down, transferring the bounties that come from the Lord to those who are willing to receive them.

As the semazen whirls from right to left, circling with the full devotion of his heart, he embraces all the nations of the world, and all of creation, with utmost love and respect.

Ultimately humanity was created to love and to be loved. According to Rumi, all types of love are bridges to divine love and, believing this completely, Rumi spent his whole life dedicated to God Almighty.

Not only did he try to reach the Lord himself, he earnestly strove to help others to do the same. In the end, he was a traveler on the journey of love, describing this love as one that “did not leave anything of me, nor on me.”

And through these travels of the soul, he allowed his feelings and emotions to be heard by countless others, leaving a powerful trail of inspiration that would long outlast his own life and come to nurture millions of souls.

An outstanding quality of devotion

TT Art Desk - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Monday, December 17, 2007

The Selçuk University paid tribute to Iranian vocalist Shahram Nazeri by appointing him as honorary head of its Rumi research center in Konya on December 15.

He also received the Golden Sama medal, which was awarded by Rumi’s 22nd niece, Esin Celebi.

“I have received many medals over the past few years, but I consider this award to be the most important of them all,” Nazeri said.

The honoring ceremony was held before the commencement of Nazeri’s concert held in commemoration of the 800th birth anniversary of the Iranian poet and mystic Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

Nazeri’s performances are famous for their quality of devotion to Rumi’s poetry.

“The most important message of Rumi was unity and the avoidance of division,” Celebi said during the ceremony. “I’m happy that we have enthusiastically gathered together here to commemorate the high status of Rumi,” she added.

Nazeri was presented with the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur medal, one of the most prestigious awards in the world of art and culture, in Paris on September 29.

It was given to him in recognition of the scholarly interest he has taken in the musical interpretation and vocalization of the transcendent lyrics of Rumi.

Molana visits the Bektashi Community

MNA - Mehr News - Tehran, Iran
Saturday, December 15, 2007

An exhibition of Iranian art, culture and handicrafts on the theme of Rumi was held at the National Museum of Albania in the capital Tirana to mark the occasion of the 800th birth anniversary of Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

Iranian and Albanian cultural figures including the leader of the Bektashi community in Albania, Haxhi Babab Dede Reshat Bardhi, Iran’s ambassador Ali Beman Eqbali and a group of writers and literary figures attended the opening ceremony on Thursday.

Babab Reshat made a short speech at the ceremony pointing out that Iran benefits from having a high culture and civilization.

He referred to Rumi as a great poet possessing mystical qualities. He said that the exhibit will assist in further familiarizing the Albanian people with the character and poetry of Rumi.

Iran’s ambassador Eqbali spoke, mentioning that Iran’s art, culture and civilization are held in high regard world-wide. He also remarked that the mysticism found in the works of Rumi is receiving global attention, adding that the poet recommends peace, friendship, love and theism.

A number of paintings and calligraphy works inspired by Rumi’s poetry, a collection of Persian inlaid artifacts and various productions by Rumi experts were put on display during the three-day event.

From Rumi to Ferdowsi

TT Culture Desk - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Monday, December 17, 2007

Iran’s programs marking Rumi’s 800th birth anniversary will be brought to a close with the celebration “500 Days with Molana” on December 19th [today] at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall.

Iranian Rumi experts and scholars including Ahmad Jalali (Iran’s former UNESCO ambassador in Paris), Gholamreza Avani (Head of the Wisdom and Philosophy Institute), Reza Purhossein (Manager of Iran’s TV Channel 4) and the eminent painter Aidin Aghdashlu will be making speeches at the event, secretary of the celebration Ali-Asghar Mohammadkhani announced on Sunday.

He went on to say that live music concerts conducted by Hamidreza Nurbakhsh, Alireza Cheraghi, and Behnam Badani have also been organized for the program, adding, “A theater performance about Rumi which was recently staged in Paris, directed by Hossein Mosafer-Astaneh, will also be on the agenda.”

Mohammadkhani remarked that Iran’s programs in commemoration of Rumi had been extensive and had included an International Rumi Congress held in Tehran, 100 student theses written on the subject of Rumi, and over 20 sessions held in Tehran’s Book City attended by Rumi experts.

“There were also many programs on Rumi held internationally in countries such as Germany, France, Australia and Russia,” he stated.

Mohammadkhani also mentioned that Book City is planning to begin sessions focusing on Ferdowsi and the Shahnameh beginning on December 26th to mark the 1100th birth anniversary of Ferdowsi.

The Ferdowsi sessions will continue into the beginning of January 2008, he concluded.

[Picture: Tehran, the Vahdat Hall. Photo from http://www.persiancarpet.lv/english/ir_teh_vahdat.htm]

To Knowledge, through Love

Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, J&K, India
Friday, December 14, 2007

Srinagar: The University of Kashmir has named its main entrance gate of the campus after Moulna Jalal-ud-Din Rumi.

The vice-chancellor of Kashmir University, Prof Abdul Wahid Qureshi, inaugurated the gate on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Wahid described Rumi as one of the greatest spiritual, mystical and philosophical poet.

The vice-chancellor said Rumi advocated “tolerance and reason and access to knowledge through love.”

He said naming the gate after this great poet is humble way to pay tributes to him. The UNESCO had declared 2007 as Year of Rumi in recognition to his universal appeal of love and brotherhood.

Enclosing the divine

By Mehru Jaffer - Sunday Deccan Herald - Bangalore, India
Sunday, December 16, 2007

Rumi chose womanhood, the ability to nurture, and the privilege of childbearing as metaphors for the sacred

Did Jalal al-din Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet and great Islamic Sufi mystic whose 800th birth anniversary is being celebrated around the world this year, shun the feminine and treat it merely as carnal?

This is not true according to most scholars at the ‘Wondrous Words’ conference held in London, some weeks ago, at the invitation of the British Museum and the Iran Heritage Foundation. The conference was on the poetic mastery of Rumi.

Rumi looked upon women as the most perfect example of God’s creative power on earth. In Masnavi-I Ma'navi (spiritual couplets), his monumental mystical work, Rumi calls woman, “a ray of God”. “She is not just the earthly beloved, She is creative, not created”.

“Rumi is one of those rare spiritual masters who had female disciples. This is not so common in the history of Sufism.

Rumi’s letters, teachings, advice to his son to be kind to his wife and the tenderness he showered on his own wife— show how sacred the feminine was to the poet,” points out Dr Leili Anwar-Chenderoff, Head, Iranian Languages Department, INALCO (Institut des Langues et Civilisations Orientales), Paris.

Anwar-Chenderoff does not think Rumi considered the soul of a woman inferior to that of a man. In fact, women were the banos, or the respected ladies of his home. He believed that it is possible for both man and woman to progress towards contemplation of the truth.

There are numerous other examples to show that the great poet, jurist and theologian held women in high regard. These may contradict some misogynic aspects of Masnavi but Anwar-Chenderoff does not think that the writings and opinions of Rumi were misogynic.

Rumi, after all, was a product of a time and culture when the mention of the word ‘man’ evoked images of courage and strength.

He is bound to have shared many of the traditional views of his contemporaries, for he was steeped in both the religious and the literary traditions into which he was born. But he also believed that a woman can be courageous and a man— cowardly.

The late Annemarie Schimmel, author of My Soul is a Woman, has expressed that the role of women is the most misunderstood feature of Islam.

She disagreed with those who take Islam to task without first trying to comprehend the cultures, language, and traditions of the many societies in which Islam is the majority religion.

Schimmel spent a good part of her life proving the clear equality of women and men in the eyes of God, Prophet Muhammad, the Quran, the feminine language of the mystical tradition and in the role of holy mothers and unmarried women as manifestations of the divine.

When recited in the right spirit, beyond the male dominated interpretation, the Quran does reveal respect for all human beings regardless of sex or social situation. And none realises this essential Quranic spirit better than the Islamic mystic or Sufi.

Unity of being
Wahadat ul-Wajud, the unity of being or oneness of existence, is at the core of Sufi belief. Since there is no room for duality here, there is no divide between the male and female either. There is only the yearning amongst everyone to journey towards the one and only ‘truth’.

Nargis Virani, a scholar from New School, USA, feels that gender distortion is created perhaps by the word ‘nafs’. “Arabic is a very gendered language and ‘nafs’, or spirit or soul, is grammatically and linguistically very female.

But to equate it with a biological female is a fallacy”, she explains. All human beings have ‘nafs’ and the spirit of every man and woman has both beauteous as well as bestial aspects.

Rumi illustrates this best when he says that a human being is a donkey’s tail with an angel’s wings. The moral of the metaphor is to inspire human beings to spend their lives trying to balance the profound and the profane within the self.

Patriarchal culture, however, interprets ‘nafs’ literally as woman who is to be avoided and to be treated inferior to man if mankind is not to be led astray.

Sufi articulation of gender is broader than the way it is sometimes presented.

In I am Wind You are Fire, her seminal work on Rumi, Schimmel writes that the poet may not have been a systematic thinker but was aware that the human being consists of several layers. The first is the body that is mere husk or thornbush hiding the beautiful spirit.

Rumi once called the body “dust on the mirror spirit”, dust that veils the radiant spirit found beneath it. He also referred to the body as a “vessel for the wine soul”.

The other component of the human being is the ‘nafs’, usually referred to the lower instinct of human beings, but which can be educated and refined.

Writes Rumi, surely with a smile, “When the ‘nafs’ says meow like the cat, I put it in the bag like the cat!”

Fatemeh Keshavarz, professor of Persian and comparative literature at Washington University in St Louis, USA, talks most poetically of the gendered nature of the images and metaphors through which Rumi portrayed the sacred.

“He chose womanhood, the ability to nurture, and the privilege of childbearing as metaphors for the sacred”, she says.

Rumi refashioned the sacred as the baby that comes to this world from the deepest and least known corners of a woman’s being. He was aware that the sacred is given to imperfect human beings to nurture and valued the profound responsibility carried out by women of mothering the sacred.

Sacred making
He was respectful of the godly function of women who have first-hand experience of the act of ‘sacred making’. He saw women with their vulnerabilities and strengths, with their ability to nurture life in their very bodies and withstand the pain of bringing the sacred into existence.

In fact, Professor Keshavarz imagines Rumi delighted at the paradox that the ‘weaker’ sex shared with God productive and life generating privileges and was quite convinced that there is more to the presence of women in the world than just being the lesser sex.

The brilliance of Rumi, according to the scholar, is to have taken the carnal image of the feminine and to have turned it against itself.

In ‘Fihi Ma-Fih’, his sermons, Rumi repeatedly uses the metaphor of the sacred impregnating humanity till all women become Marys impregnated with the seed of God and potentially entitled to a Jesus of their own.

Rumi saw women not just as worshipping and obeying God but ‘mothering’ Him in a very real sense.

[Picture: The Mathnawî of Mevlâna (1278); Ritual Hall (Semahane); Mevlâna mausoleum; Konya, Turkey. Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Turkey.Konya021.jpg]

This day is not a mourning day

Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Monday, December 17, 2007

Everyday is special

Today is the anniversary of the death of Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi (1207-1273), a Sufi saint and founder of the Mevlevi order of Sufi dervishes.

Called Şeb-i Arus (the Night of Union) this day is not a mourning but a day of celebration.

Rumi is most famous in the world for his "Mesnevi" (The Couplets), written originally in Persian. The "Mesnevi" is one of the best-selling books of poetry in the West.

[Picture: Rumi's tomb in Konya (Turkey). Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_ad-Din_Muhammad_Rumi]

Sufism in Somalia

[From the French language press]:

Les travaux du 10ème congrès International des Etudes Somali, inaugurés jeudi dernier par le Premier ministre, M.Dileita Mohamed Dileita, se sont clôturés ce soir au Palais du Peuple, en présence d’une cinquantaine de chercheurs et d’intellectuels issus de divers horizons.

A.D.I. Agence Djiboutienne d'Information - Republic of Djibouti - samedi 15 décembre 2007

The proceedings of the 10th International Conference of Somali Studies, inaugurated last Thursday [Dec. 13] by the Prime Minister Mr Dileita Mohamed Dileita, were closed this evening [Dec. 15] at the Palais du Peuple, in the presence of about fifty scholars and intellectuals from different horizons.

Animated by several local and international scholars, including Professor Lee V. Cassanelli (University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.) and Professor Giorgio Banti (University of Naples, Italy), the work of this 10th congress ranged in topics relating to the Somali literature, Sufism and Islam, and culture and identity of the Somali people.

[More on Djibouti at Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti]

[Picture: Map of Djibouti. Photo from: African Studies, University of Pennsylvania, PA, U.S.A.
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/Djibouti.html]

More attunement with the Mystic Poet

By Tanveen Kawoosa - Etalaat - Srinagar, J&K, India
Thursday, December 13, 2007

Instead of organising musical shows just to entertain VIPs, there is dire need to focus on intellectual programmes in tune with cultural ethos of Kashmir.

This was stated by the Additional Secretary of the Cultural Academy, Mr Zafar Iqball Manhas, at a conference organised by the Academy in collaboration with Bazmii Hamdani to highlight the teachings of the great Sufi saint and scholar of 14th century, Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (RA).

While admitting that the Academy lacks clear and well defined vision in terms of art and cultural activities, Manhas said this feature has distanced the Academy from rational thinkers, intellectuals and people at large.

‘’It is not the job of the Cultural Academy to organise stereotype functions and entertain bigwigs. This way we misinterpret the cultural canons and create huge communication gap between the people and us,’’ added Manhas.

While highlighting the teachings of Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (RA), Mr Khurshid Mohmad Kanoongoh (President J&K Bazmi Hamdani), stated that, besides being a deeply religious person, the Sufi saint was an intellectual of the highest calibre.

‘’He was also a great reformer with numerous books to his credit. His well known book ‘’Zakhiratulmulk’’ based on socio-political ideas is counted among his most acclaimed works. His verses are testimony to his perception and analytical mind which evokes intellectual and spiritual curiosity,’’ he added.

In Kashmir, the Kubravi order, which is an off shoot of the Suhrawardi, was introduced by this saintly scholar of 14th century (1314-1385).

The mystic poet preached Islamic message in various parts of central Asia such as Bokhara, Samarkand, and Balkh.

He laid emphasis on justice, fought against caste system and urged Kashmiri people to become self reliant.

It is said that he earned his living by stiching caps.

Devotees usually recite ‘Awradi fatihiya’ (verses in praises of Allah) composed by this Sufi saint, in Khanqah’s (shrines) of Kashmir.

Dedicated to Shattari Sufism

Pune Newsline - Express India - Pune, India
Thursday, December 13, 2007

Sufi Syed Ali Shah, President of Sufi Gafoorshah Durgah Trust, announced that the recently launched website, http://www.sufishattari.com/index.htm, dedicated to the Shattari tariqa, received 3,000 hits in the first fortnight of its launch.

A three-day sandal mubarak celebrations in commemoration of Hazrat Sufi Gafoorshah Husaini and Hazrat Mohammadshah Husaini began Friday at Daruwala Pool durgah, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Sufi Syed Ali Shah announced on Thursday that as part of the celebrations, there will be a programme on Sufi devotional music on Friday and a health camp will be organised between 11 am and 4 pm on Saturday.

The Quran recitation will be held on the last day [today, Sunday] of the celebrations.

[Picture: Sufi Gafoor Shah Qalander Kadri Shattari]

Mr. Singh seeks more keshdari

By Madhur Singh - Time - U.S.A.
Thursday, December 13, 2007

Ever since 18-year-old Ishmeet Singh won the glitzy American Idol-inspired Voice of India contest on Star TV last month, the phone hasn't stopped ringing at his family's home in Ludhiana, the busy industrial hub of Punjab.

But the kudos is about more than Singh's impressive singing prowess; he has earned it by the fact that he is a keshdhari (turban-wearing) Sikh.

"It is his sabat-surat [appearance conforming to the Sikh ideal] that has brought him where he is today," says his proud father Gurpinder Singh. "He has shown other Sikh boys that they don't need a trendy hairstyle to attain stardom."

At a time when more and more young Sikh men are relinquishing the turban — considered the very core of a Sikh man's cultural and religious identity — community leaders have hailed Singh's win as, literally, a godsend.

Sikh blogs have been pointing out that Singh was declared a winner on Guru Nanak Jayanti, the anniversary of the birth of the founder of Sikhism. And he has been honored by the Akal Takht, the highest seat of the Sikh clergy.

(...)

Cutting one's hair is not new among Sikhs, but the number of turbanless, clean-shaven Sikhs has grown astronomically in the last two decades.

"In India, education has become so secular that even Sikh schools do not preach Sikhism," says Dr. Kharag Singh, editor of the journal Abstracts of Sikh Studies. "As a result, children don't realize the philosophy behind wearing a turban."

The euphoria over Ishmeet Singh's victory reflects the need of the Sikh community's elders to find turbaned role models.

While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, always seen with a spiffy turban, is an obvious example, Sikh leaders also hail pop culture icons such as the "turbanator" — cricket hero Harbhajan Singh — and popstar Daler Mehndi, whose glittering turbans are said to have inspired many a short-haired Sikh to take to the turban.

Sikh organizations from Vancouver to Melbourne are renewing efforts at prachar, or preaching, to the 3 million-strong Sikh diaspora.

Schools to teach young Sikhs how to tie a turban have opened in many cities, and an organization called Akal Purakh Ki Fauj has brought out "smart turban software" to help users identify the style of turban that would best suit them.

Turban-tying competitions are held across Punjab on Baisakhi, the Sikh New Year, and a Mr. Singh International contest is held for turbaned Sikhs every year — as all Sikh men use the surname 'Singh,' which means lion — in which participants get points on how well they tie their turbans.

Sikh clergy are to meet this week for an annual convention at which their battle plans will be refined in the escalating culture war to restore the turban to its place atop the head of the Sikh male.

[Picture: Young Indian Sikhs. Photo by Ajay Verma/Reuters]

A tension between dimness and luminosity

Staff Report - The Daily Times - Pakistan
Thursday, December 13, 2007


Islamabad: The latest work of Pakistan born artist, Mansoora Hassan, is to be exhibited at the Tanzara Gallery starting tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 14th).

Currently based in Turkey, her work is influenced by Sufi thought as she continues to employ various techniques she has experimented with and developed over the years.

She has built her own distinctive body of symbolism that addresses itself through a soul-searching process. Architectural elements, masks and gestures are woven into the layered mixed-media paintings on canvas and handmade paper.

As a contemporary image-maker, Hassan wishes to push artistic limits through diverse aesthetic considerations and visual explorations of select social and political issues.

She has co-founded several nonprofit organizations to engage in a dialogue that aims to increase cross-cultural understanding, education and human development through the arts.

Mansoora’s work has a distinctive flavor that sets her apart from other modern artists. She is a photographer, a painter working in mixed media and a video artist.

Seeking a basic commonality of spirit in an increasingly dissonant world, she has used an approach that depends upon a tension between dimness and luminosity to articulate her artistic vision: imagery concealed in multiple veils.

[Picture: Mixed media work from the Rumi series. Visit the Artist at her web site http://www.mansoorahassan.com/]

Mevlana's life story retold on ballet stage

Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Ankara: The 13th century Sufi saint, Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, will be getting another tribute from the world of art on the 734th anniversary of his death when the Ankara-based Simurg dance company's new production "Sır" (Secret) premieres on Dec. 17.


The modern ballet, choreographed and directed by ballet dancer Selçuk Göldere of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet's Modern Dance Troupe (MDT), is based on the sema ritual of the whirling dervishes.

Featuring classical Turkish music composer İsmail Dede Efendi's music for Mevlevi rituals as its score, the one-act show will be staged at the Ministry of Education's Assembly Hall.

Göldere told reporters this week during rehearsals that "Sır" diversified the methods of expression using modern dance routines but that the performance would stay loyal to the sema ritual -- particularly its musical structure.

The piece follows Mevlana's life story, works, philosophy of life and teachings, Göldere said.

"One important element in the life of Mevlana is the inner journey he takes toward his self; a secret. Our performance reveals that secret," he said.

Tickets for the performance, slated for Dec. 17 at 8 p.m., can be purchased at www.biletix.com

“The Molana Symphonic Composition”

TT Culture Desk - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Iranian musician Hushang Kamkar has recently completed “The Molana Symphonic Composition”, a piece commemorating Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

A recording of the new work is to be issued by the IRIB Music Center. “The idea for creating the piece goes back a few years,” Kamkar said during a press conference in Tehran on December 10.

“I wanted to compose a piece worthy of the dignity and the grandeur of Rumi,” he added.

However, Kamkar only began composing the symphony about five months ago, after rejecting a proposal by the IRIB Music Center to write a piece in honor of Rumi.

“I refused to accept the request because I can not do any work based on an assignment in a limited time, but I then composed the piece based on my own interest and I have delivered it to the center to be released,” Kamkar explained.

“After consultations with some experts on Rumi, I decided to create a work that can also be presented to the world. Rumi’s mysticism and love have been considered in every melody of the work.”

A poem of Rumi sung by young Iranian music phenom Alireza Qorbani inspired Kamkar to compose the piece, although veteran vocalist Shahram Nazeri is more famous for his performances of Rumi’s poetry.

“I planned to perform the symphony accompanied by Shahram Nazeri, but I saw that he was very busy with his other performances and various programs abroad… Thus I enlisted the skills of Alireza Qorbani for the symphony, and I am very pleased with my choice,” Kamkar noted.

A performance of “The Molana Symphonic Composition” is scheduled to be broadcast on TV and radio stations by IRIB, which also plans to make a music video version of the show.

Rumi Day, Celebration of Light

Persian Mirror - U.S.A.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Rumi Day, Celebration of Light- Rana Farhan in concert at the Sufi Circle this Saturday December 15th at 6:00 pm in Huntington Station, N.Y.

Joining Rana for the evening will be Steven Toub on guitar, Travis Sullivan on Saxaphone, Marco Penascia on Bass and Brian Fishler on drums.

The evening will also include a Whirling Dervishes performance by Murshida Khadija Julia Goforth and dervishes and a catered Persian dinner from Ravagh Restaurant.

You can go to www.ranafarhan.com to listen to samples.

Date: Saturday Dec.15th 2007 Time: 6:00 to 9:00 PM Place: St. Peter’s Evangelical Luther an Church 11 Ogden Court Huntington Station, NY 11746, U.S.A. Tel: 631 793 9928

Tickets $25 including dinner. For more info and directions go to http://www.suficircle.com/

One House, many Doors

By Emily Guendelsberger - Philadelphia Weekly - Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.

December 12-17, 2007

The sema, the spinning religious ceremony most people think of when they hear “whirling dervishes,” originated in Turkey 800 years ago.

Sufi mystic and poet Jelaluddin Rumi, author of countless “love poems to the divine,” felt even in his pre-Copernican day that the place of all things in the universe was to revolve in harmony.

The distinctive turning ceremony he created to represent this idea is open to the public, accompanied by music and quite beautiful. Just don’t clap.

The spectacle is the ultimate expression of a religious philosophy that’s all about love, so it’s apt this octocentennial sema is taking place in one of the few cities in the world with love in its name, offering a rare opportunity to see the whirling dervishes of Istanbul without crossing the Atlantic, as well as a chance to hear translations of Rumi’s poetry.

Fri., Dec. 14-Sat., Dec. 15, 8pm. $30-$55.
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St. 215.898.3900
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. http://www.pennpresents.org/

A Night of (Persian) Poetry

Payvand, Iran
Wednesday December 5, 2007

New York: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 Persian Arts Festival (PAF) marks the revival of Shab-e She'r, A Night of (Persian) Poetry, at the Bowery Poetry Club (BPC) in New York City.

The program will continue every third Wednesday of the month through May 2008. PAFs first featured reader is well known Iranian-American novelist and memoirist, Nahid Rachlin.

An open mic follows Rachlin's reading, inviting everyone to read either his or her own poetry or works by other poets, in Persian or English, though we ask that the work connects to Iran or Iranian/Persian culture.

PAF Literary Arts Director, Richard Jeffrey Newman, hosts the December launch of Shab-e She'r. Mr Newman is a poet, essayist and translator.

The author of The Silence Of Men (CavanKerry Press, 2006), a book of his own poetry, and two books of translations from classical Persian literature, Selections from Saadi's Gulistan and Selections from Saadi's Bustan (both from Global Scholarly Publications, 2004 and 2006 respectively), he is currently translating selections from the Shahnameh, the Persian national epic.

He collaborated with Professor John Moyne on a forthcoming Rumi anthology, A Bird in the Garden of Angels (Mazda Publishers).

In addition to serving as PAF Literary Arts Director, Richard Jeffrey Newman sits on the advisory board of The Translation Project, is a speaker with the New York Council for the Humanities and Associate Professor at Nassau Community College, where he also leads its Creative Writing Project.

Persian Arts Festival, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to showcasing the magnificence and diversity of Persian art and culture through its voices, artists and visionaries.

PAF provides a truly unique opportunity for local and global communities to gather and explore one of the world's most ancient and rich civilizations.

Persian Arts Festival is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

BPC is located at 308 Bowery @ Bleecker in NYC
More information at http://www.persianartsfestival.org/

Iranian children’s institutions to commemorate Rumi

TT Culture Desk - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Saturday, December 8, 2007

Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi is scheduled to be commemorated by the Children’s Book Council and the Association of Children’s Books Illustrators in the Iranian Artists Forum during a weeklong program opening today [December 8th].

The forum’s Entezami Gallery will be hosting an exhibition displaying paintings and sculptures made by children based on stories to be found in Rumi’s works.

Other collections of illustrations depicting tales Rumi narrated in his poetry are also slated to be showcased at the Mirmiran and Nami galleries of the forum.

The organizers have planned to hold sessions to familiarize children with Rumi’s works and afterwards encourage them to create paintings based on their perceptions of the tales.

The program also comprises seminars during which children’s writers Nushafarin Ansari, Sudabeh Salem, Mostafa Rahmandust and Jafar Ebrahimi-Shahed will deliver speeches.

The Children of Iran band will perform a musical version of “The Merchant and his Clever Parrot”, a story from Rumi’s Masnavi, as part of the celebration.

In addition, “The Elephant in the Dark”, a film produced by the Children’s Book Council based on another tale from the Masnavi, will be screened during the week.

[Children's Book Council's website: http://www.schoolnet.ir/~cbc/]

"Aşkın Kanatları": [flying with the] Wings of Love

By Ali Pektas - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Friday, December 7, 2007

The year 2007, marked by UNESCO as the Year of Mevlana, has given birth to so many previously unthought-of projects and events to commemorate the great Sufi saint Mevlana Muhammad Jelaluddin Rumi on the 800th anniversary of his birth.

Only time can tell how many of these projects will be lasting and how many of them will be forgotten even before the year ends.

While the central Anatolian city of Konya, home to Mevlana's shrine, is preparing to crown the year's events with the usual annual commemoration ceremony held every year on his passing date, Dec. 17, a new album that brings out the universality of his message, and one that radiates rays from the sun of Mevlana, is out.

Mehmet Emin Ay's "Aşkın Kanatları" (Wings of Love), released under the Beyza Müzik label, is a multi-sided project and the product of fastidious work.

The album contains some original Persian lines from Mevlana's masterpiece, the "Mesnevi," as well as translations of his poems to various languages set to music composed by Mehmet Emin Ay, who also has a remarkably wide audience outside Turkey's borders.

In the album, prepared with academic rigor and support, Mevlana's poems are read in Turkish, Persian, Arabic and English in addition to Urdu, German, French and Japanese in a way befitting his universal personality.

Ay, also a theologian, says that their goal is to introduce the real Mevlana to the world, basing their project on his lines:

"I am a servant of the Quran as long as I have life in this body
and I am dust on the path of Mohammed, the Chosen One.
If anyone quotes anything other than this from my sayings,
I deplore that person, I deplore his words..."

How was 'Wings of Love' born? Did you plan it to be a work to be associated with the Year of Mevlana?
Actually, I'd composed some [music to] ... lines from the "Mesnevi" three years ago. That, too, was waiting for the right time like all the other projects.

However, when 2007 was declared the Year of Rumi we started shaping this project, earlier this year with my dear friend Mustafa Demirci.

Since love adopted wings and flew to sublime skies in Rumi's person we named the album "Wings of Love."

Before everything else, Mevlana Rumi was an extremely devoted Islamic scholar and a man of wisdom. Therefore we should acknowledge that calling him a humanist philosopher, a poet or a thinker would do great injustice to his vast knowledge and wisdom.

We should also acknowledge that what made him into the Venerable Mevlana from the scholar Muhammad Jelaluddin was first of all the Islamic knowledge and sciences and most importantly his great love for Allah and His Prophet Mohammed.

For this reason, his statement in the form of this quatrain is so important; he clearly states that he is a servant of the Quran and dust on the path of Mohammed.

Our main goal, therefore, is using the composed version of his original Persian words in this quatrain and its translated versions to let everybody know that he was a pious Muslim all his life and a very devoted follower of the prayerful daily life exemplified by the Prophet Mohammed.

You also present his words in very different languages, like Urdu and Japanese.
Not only those, but also some other Eastern and Western languages. Also, we sang the Turkish and Arabic translations of the Persian "Mesnevi" for the first time on this album.

We have also compiled his sayings on love and human education taken from his "Mesnevi," "Divan-i Kebir" and "Fîhi mâ fîh" and placed them under the title "Messages from Mevlana." This section turned out to be my favorite.

The academic structure and support in your album stand out. Have you received any support?
The fact that the institution I work in is a school of divinity helped me to receive academic support, naturally. I was particularly helped by some of my academic friends who teach Persian courses at the university to pronounce the Persian lines accurately.

In addition, thinking that it would help publicize the "Mesnevi" in the Arabic-speaking world, we had some of his poems translated into Arabic, which turned out rather nicely in terms of meter and rhyme. Also, with the translations to Western languages, my lecturer friends helped me and lent me invaluable support.

All of these elements are important with respect to making sure a project is shown the interest it deserves in time.

You are famous both as a theologian and a musician. How do you describe the space occupied by music in your life?
I accept that I'm a theologian and am proud of that. I have been at Uludağ University's School of Divinity for 23 years. I'm not a professional musician. Therefore I don't see myself as a musician and I don't think I can.

I just try to perform the music inspired to me by God's beneficence with the voice granted to me by God. However I try to perform them in the best way I can, as the Prophet once said, "God loves those who do their work in the best way."

A blessing from God
My being listened to on different continents is God's blessing to me, above all. You cannot make anybody listen to something unless they like it.

However, recalling that we produced our first work in 1988, there is a past of two decades in question.

In my opinion, people taking my Quran sets and my albums everywhere they went played a great role in the formation of an international audience.

We will, God willing, share the good deeds with those people who served my cause without knowing.

[Listen to Mehmet Emin Ay's voice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5lPbibKpqU]

To find refuge in Farid’s poetry

Staff Report - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Friday, December 7, 2007

Khwaja Ghulam Farid taught the lesson of ‘spiritual democracy’ to the people of Punjab, said caretaker Federal Law minister Justice Syed Afzal Haider on Friday.

He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC) in connection with the birthday celebrations of the Punjabi poet.

He said Ghulam Farid’s poetry gave a message of human liberty. He said the poet had spread the message of love to the whole of humanity.

“Ghulam Farid adhered to the Chishtia Nizamia creed of Sufism that urges its followers to love human beings,” he said.

Musarat Kalanchvi, a Saraiki scholar, said the woman’s image portrayed in Farid’s poetry was of a mentally strong woman. She said the woman was honoured in various relations in Farid’s poetry. “That woman is physically delicate but of powerful nerves,” she added.

Writer Bushra Rehman said Farid’s poetry had a universal appeal. She said Punjab’s culture was prevalent in his poetry through the characters he had created.

Asad Qadri, a dervish from Dhonkal, said he had been a devotee of the Sufi poet since long. “I have come here to pay my homage to the great saint and poet,” he added. He said Farid’s poetry had a magical effect on those who did not have hatred in their hearts.

Saifullah, a devotee from Muzaffargarh, said although Farid had taught Hadith for 32 years, he was not a rigid mullah. He said those rejected by the world could find refuge in Farid’s poetry.

Nasim Abbas, a visitor from Taunsa Sharif, said the poet had taught people to be optimistic.

Mohan Bhaghat, a folk singer, sang Kafis (short poems) written by Farid that were appreciated by the audience.

[You can also read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khwaja_Ghulam_Farid]

Forms and currents of Western Esotericism

[From the Italian language press]:

Così, anche in Italia l’esoterismo non è più qualcosa di “oscuro” e appannaggio di pochissimi studiosi, come Michael Fuss, Jean-Pierre Brach, Antoine Faivre, Francesco Zambon ed altri illustri ricercatori che alla Fondazione G. Cini (Venezia, 29 – 30 ottobre 2007), hanno animato il Convegno internazionale su: "Forme e correnti dell'esoterismo occidentale".

La Gazzetta di Sondrio, Italia - venerdì 30 novembre 2007 - di Maria de Falco Marotta

So now esotericism is no longer an "obscure" matter belonging to very few scholars like Michael Fuss, Jean-Pierre Brach, Antoine Faivre, Francesco Zambon and others illustrious researchers who animated the International Study Conference on "Forms and currents of Western Esotericism" at the Foundation Giorgio Cini (Venice, 29-30 October 2007).

Professor Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, B.A., D.Phil. (Oxon), a Professor of Western Esotericism at the University of Exeter and director of its Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO), presented the connections between Christian, Jewish and Islamic esotericism, outlining some fields of research that are open to further investigations.

The article is an exhaustive report from this International Study Conference. Interested not-Italian speaking readers can access a detailed introduction to the conference and informations about the panelists at the English section of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini's website: http://www.cini.it/english/attivita/eventi/evento.php?ideventi=1537

[Picture: Poliphilo at the three doors leading to the divine way to Virtue, the worldly way to Vice, and the central way to Love, from Hypnerotomachia Poliphili by Francesco Colonna, Venice, 1499.

The MIT press in collaboration with the Design Knowledge Systems Group at the Technical University of Delft, placed a complete electronic facsimile of the original Hypnerotomachia Poliphili online in 1997: http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-books/HP/hyp000.htm]

To reform the society with the message of love

Staff Report - The International News - Islamabad, Pakistan
Sunday, December 9, 2007

Lauding the role of Sufis, the speakers at a seminar here Saturday called for spreading the message of love and ending hatred from the society.

Department of Regional Languages of Allama Iqbal Open University organized the two-day national conference on ‘Sufi poets of Pakistani languages,’ in collaboration with Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion Caretaker Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Dr Mohammad Amjad, said that the process of Sufiism was started from Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and later after passing through companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) it reached to great Sufis.

Dr Mohammad Amjad said that the message of all Sufis like Mohammad Bakhsh, Sultan Bahu, Bullay Shah, Rehman Baba and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai was to remove hatred and reform the society with the message of love.

He said that Islam spread in the subcontinent due to the message of love of Sufia-e-Karam.

He said that Sufism is that aspect of Islam, which affected the entire world.

Dr Mohammad Amjad said that the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination would soon arrange a ‘National Integration’ conference to create an environment of confidence and national integrity in the country.

He lauded the role of Allama Iqbal Open University for arranging such conferences of Ulema and scholars and publish and propagate their work to create awareness in the society.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor AIOU, Dr Mahmood ul Hassan Butt said that Sufi movement was not only continuing in the sub continent but in the entire world.

He said that research was being carried out in the West, USA, about the work of great Sufi and their contribution in reforming the society. “They made the human beings to have a feelings of caress for each other instead of slaying throats,” he added.

He said they spread a message of universal tolerance in which views of the followers of other faiths were equally accommodated.

He stressed for interfaith dialogue among different civilizations to resolve the global problems.

Chairman Academy of Letters Iftikhar Arif in his speech said Sufis played vital role in every era marked by human despondency. He stressed for setting the vital ingredients of divine faith on the right path.

Citing Baha ud Din Zakriya, Mujadid Alf Sani, Hazrat Shah Inayat, he said they are the golden chapters of our history.

Chairman National Language Authority Professor Fateh Mohammad Malik said with the preachings of divine contemplation, we can eliminate terrorism and extremism from the world.

Professor Paraishan Khan Khattak, Dr Najib A Khan, Professor Dr Inamul Haq Javed and Abdullah Jan Abid also expressed their views.

[Picture: Professor Dr. Mahmood H. Butt, Vice Chancellor of Allam Iqbal Open University http://www.aiou.edu.pk/]

The Saint at issue

Press TV - Tehran, Iran
Sunday, December 9, 2007

Iran objects to UNESCO's recent decision, which introduced the great Iranian sufi, Haj Bektash Vali Neishabouri, as a Turkish saint.

ICHTO's Deputy Director Hamid Baghayi announced that Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization will take measures to reflect the reality about the Iranian sufi saint.

“Iran's representative in UNESCO will voice the country's objection to distorting the lineage of Iranian personalities,” he added.

UNESCO has announced that it will name 2008 and 2009 after two great Turks, Mahmud al-Kashgari and Haj Bektash Vali Neishabouri.

Seyyed Mohammad Razavi known as Haj Bektash Vali Neishabouri, was a sufi in the Iranian city of Neishabour, who went to Turkey during the Ottoman era.

His person and sufi order became popular with generations of the troops of the Ottoman sultans.

[Picture from: http://tinyurl.com/ypwqv2]

French Cultural Center in Istanbul to host Mevlana Commemoration Days

Turkish Press - Plymouth, MI, U.S.A.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007

French Cultural Center In Istanbul To Host Mevlana Commemoration Days

Istanbul`s French Cultural Center is set to host in December a series of events to commemorate Jalal ud-Din Muhammed Rumi or Mevlana, on the 800th anniversary of his birth.

The events will include exhibitions, a concert and a conference on Mevlana`s philosophy and his ethical and spiritual discourse.

Prominent Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli will deliver a speech on Sufi mysticism and the Mevlevi order at the conference which will be held on Thursday, December 13.

[Picture of Professor Ortayli from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0lber_Ortayl%C4%B1]

Climbing the Peak of Eloquence

By Raza Rumi - All Things Pakistan - Pakistan
Monday, December 3, 2007

Fahmida Riaz is Pakistan’s premier female poet. She became a sensation in the early 1970s when her bold, feminist poetry created a stir in the convention ridden world of Urdu poetry.

Riaz was expressive, sometimes explicit, and politically charged. She created a completely new genre in Urdu poetry with a post-modern sensibility.

Since the late 1990s, Fahmida Riaz has discovered Jalaluddin Rumi, the 12th century poet and jurist, and now an international celebrity.

Her recent publication – Yeh Khana-e aab-o-gil – is a unique translation of Rumi’s ghazals in the same rhyme and meter.

Since her navigation of the Rumi universe, she has explored another dimension of her individual and cultural consciousness, where the influence of Islamic scholars and Sufis is paramount.

Last winter, she read a letter by Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (AS), the fourth Caliph and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), while browsing a translation of Nahaj ul Balagha [The peak of eloquence (a collection of sermons, letters and sayings of the Caliph)].

Later, in an email, she related to her friends across the globe how angry she felt for not knowing about this letter all her life, and how the real jewels of Muslim history were concealed “generation after generation.”

At the time she was preparing for a Conference at Heidelberg, Germany. Lo and behold, she made a dramatic speech about Ali’s (AS) letter at the international moot.

Thereafter she showed the text of the letter to Dr Patricia Sharpe, a US-based writer who was impressed by it and immediately paraphrased and uploaded it to on her website under the title “Good Governance Early Muslim Style.”

Ali (AS) had written a comprehensive letter – articulating principles of public policy – for the guidance of the newly appointed Governor to Egypt, Maalik al Ashtar.

In this fascinating directive, Ali (AS) advises the new governor that his administration will succeed only if he governs with concern for justice, equity, probity and the prosperity of all. There is a timeless applicability of this famous letter. Selected passages from the text are reproduced below:

Religious tolerance
Amongst your subjects there are two kinds of people: those who have the same religion as you [and] are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than yours, [who] are human beings like you.

Men of either category suffer from the same weaknesses and disabilities that human beings are inclined to; they commit sins, indulge in vices either intentionally or foolishly and unintentionally without realising the enormity of their deeds.

Let your mercy and compassion come to their rescue and help in the same way and to the same extent that you expect Allah to show mercy and forgiveness to you.

(...)

Poverty
If a country is prosperous and if its people are well-to-do, then it will happily and willingly bear any burden.

The poverty of the people is the actual cause of the devastation and ruination of a country, and the main cause of the poverty of the people is the desire of its ruler and officers to amass wealth and possessions, whether by fair or foul means.

On communicating with people
You must take care not to cut yourself off from the public. Do not place a curtain of false prestige between you and those over whom you rule. Such pretension and shows of pomp and pride are in reality manifestations of an inferiority complex and of vanity.

The result of such an attitude is that you remain ignorant of the conditions of your subjects and of the actual cases of the events occurring in the State.

Peace leads to prosperity
If your enemy invites you to a peace treaty . . . never refuse to accept such an offer, because peace will bring rest and comfort to your armies, will relieve you of anxieties and worries, and will bring prosperity and affluence to your people . . .

Be very careful never to break your promise with your enemy; never forsake the protection or support that you have offered to him; never go back upon your word, and never violate the terms of the treaty.

Thanks to Fahmida, many of us have (re)discovered this gem.

Doubts on the authenticity of all ancient texts exist, and many a sceptical friend reminded me of this possibility. There are other ‘believers’ who contest such doubts.

My view is simple: one has to relish these little moments of pride and happiness in finding such wisdom from our heritage in an otherwise bleak world dogged by the constructs of Islamism and religious fundamentalism.

Translations of the letter are based on the versions in “The Peak of Eloquence,” published by Islamic Seminary, Karachi - An earlier version appeared in the Friday Times, Pakistan.

The Garden of Truth

By Jane Lampman - The Christian Science Monitor - Boston, MA, U.S.A. Wednesday, December 5, 2007


With its spiritual tradition, 'the Sufi way' is an age-old alternative for radicals and modernists alike

Images of Islam have pervaded the news media in recent years, but one aspect of the faith has gotten little attention – Islamic spirituality.

Yet thousands in America and millions in the Muslim world have embarked on the spiritual path called Sufism, or the Sufi way. Some see its appeal as the most promising hope for countering the rise of extremism in Islam.

In recent weeks, celebrations in cities on several continents have marked the "International Year of Rumi." Sept. 30 was the 800th anniversary of the birth of Muslim mystic Jelaluddin Rumi, who is a towering figure in Sufi literature and, paradoxically, the bestselling poet in the United States over the past decade.

In the West, Sufism has appealed to seekers attracted by its disciplined spiritual practices as well as its respect for all faiths and emphasis on universal love.

"I was searching, and the writings struck me – particularly the poetry," says Llew Smith, a TV producer in Boston who has joined a Sufi order. "It's direct and consistent about turning you away from the self, but also being connected deeply to the Divine and to other people."

Across the Muslim world, Sufism has been an influential force throughout Islamic history, though it has frequently come under attack by more orthodox Muslims.

Many Muslims today, however, see the spiritual tradition as the potential answer to the extremism that has hijacked the faith and misrepresented it to the world.

"In the Islamic world, Sufism is the most powerful antidote to the religious radicalism called fundamentalism as well as the most important source for responding to the challenges posed by modernism," says Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Nasr has written a new book, "The Garden of Truth," to present Sufi teaching in contemporary language.

"Its influence is immense," Nasr adds. "Sufism has kept alive the inner quality of ethics and spiritual virtues, rather than a rigid morality ... and it provides access to knowledge of the divine reality," which affects all other aspects of one's life.

But Sufi practice faces intense pressures in Islam's internal struggle.

"What the Western world is not seeing," says Akbar Ahmed, a renowned Pakistani anthropologist who teaches at American University in Washington, "is that there are three distinct models in play in the Muslim world: modernism, which reflects globalization, materialism, and a consumer society; the literalists, who are reacting, sometimes violently, against the West and globalization; and the Sufis, who reject the search for power and wealth" in favor of a more spiritual path.

Feeling under siege, the average Muslim today is in turmoil, Dr. Ahmed says. To which of these answers will he or she turn? He believes that the spiritual hunger is deep and resonates widely.

While Sufism has been persecuted in Saudi Arabia, it is thriving in such places as Iran, Pakistan, and India outside the modernist cities, says Ahmed, who traveled throughout the Muslim world in 2006. During a visit to the Sufi shrine at Ajmer, India, he encountered a throng of thousands worshiping there.

"Just last week, when former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan, where did he go? To the Sufi shrine in Lahore," he adds.

But can Sufism influence or counter the political rise of the radicals? Puritanical reformers call Sufis heretics. And modernizers have often denigrated them. Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern secular Turkey, for instance, closed down the Sufi orders, including Rumi's Mevlevi order.

Yet, according to a survey Ahmed took of some young people in Turkey last year, their top choice as a role model is a Sufi intellectual, Fetullah Gulen, who has built a large system of schools and is known for his promotion of interfaith dialogue.

Historically, Sufism has had greater impact in the Muslim world than have Jewish and Christian mysticism in their communities, says Marcia Hermansen, an expert on Sufism at Loyola University in Chicago.

Not only has it pervaded Islamic art, literature, music, and architecture, but in the realm of political life, several Sufi orders became ruling dynasties, reshaping the map of the Muslim world.

"Some of the greatest reform movements in the 19th century were carried out by Sufis," says Nasr. "Amir Abd al-Kader, the national hero of Algeria, was a Sufi master."

No reliable statistics exist for numbers of Sufis practicing today, as both Sunni and Shiite Muslims may also be Sufis. But many Sufi orders, in which serious students follow a master teacher, have become international in scope. (In the US, Sufi movements vary considerably, and a few have taken on New Age elements and are not directly related to Islam.)

Llew Smith joined the Nima­tul­lahi Order, which has 10 houses of Sufism in the US, but whose teacher – Dr. Javad Nubakhsh – resides in London.

Muhammad Nooraee, one of his students, came to the US from Iran 30 years ago and now acts as a spiritual counselor in the house in Boston's South End neighborhood. The local group gathers for meditation twice a week, which sometimes involves music or poetry.

The only requirement for an initiate is that he be a sincere seeker, to "feel thirsty for God," he says during an interview. "In Sufism, we call it 'pain of seeking.' "

The initiate makes the confession of faith to Islam, "submitting your heart to God," but no other rules are required.

"The seeker now becomes a disciple, and the teacher walks him or her through the path, what we call tariqah," Mr. Nooraee says. It is a path toward the truth through love, and involves techniques to get close to God.

"One technique involves how to meditate," he says, "focusing attentively on the names of God and negating your ego; the second is service, how to provide selfless service for others without any expectation of return. Once the disciple does both, then he or she starts to experience God. From then on, you see God with the inner eyes of the heart."

Mr. Smith came to this order because he was moved by one of Dr. Nubakhsh's books, and has stayed with it for 20 years.

Growing up in a very religious African-American family, he says he might have stayed with Christianity had he found such a deep contemplative dimension that enabled him to work with a teacher. He has visited and corresponds with the master. Meditating with the group in Boston, he finds "a lot of energy of support for the interior spiritual work we are striving to do."

Of course, the real work begins when you go out into the world and live it, and fail, and have to correct yourself, he says, with a laugh. But it has changed his life.

"It's made me recognize how much of a veil the ego is, and how important it is to set it aside," says the TV producer. "And when I get panicked about the world, it has helped me find greater faith in humanity as a manifestation of God."


A brief look at what Sufism teaches
In a new book, "The Garden of Truth," Seyyed Hossein Nasr presents the teachings of Sufism in contemporary language, drawing on his experience of more than 50 years of practice. The Sufi tradition, he says, contains "a vast metaphysical and cosmological set of doctrines elaborated over a long period...." Sufi metaphysics teach the Unity of God and the oneness of being.

Some excerpts:
"Not only were we created by God, but we have the root of our existence here and now in Him."

"In classical Sufism, the answer to the question what does it mean to be human is contained fully in the doctrine of what is usually translated as the Universal or Perfect Man ... [who] is like a mirror before God, reflecting all His Names and Qualities, and is able to contemplate ... God's creation through God's eyes."

Creation is renewed at every instant, according to Sufism's teaching, and "the whole of the material universe, no matter how extended its physical dimensions might be, is like a speck of dust before the grandeur of the world of the Spirit."

[Picture: Mr. Muhammad Nooraee (l.), a spiritual counselor from Iran, worships at the House of Sufism (Nimatullahi Order) in Boston. Photo by Nicole Hill]

Mystical tunes

Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Mystical tunes from 9 countries in Konya

The central Anatolian province of Konya, home to the tomb of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, is currently hosting mystical music ensembles from nine countries who will pay tribute to the 13th century Sufi saint with their performances at the ongoing International Mystical Music Festival.

The festival, held for the fourth time this year, is part of activities marking the 734th anniversary of the death of Mevlana, commemorated each year with ceremonies that draw thousands from around the world to Konya.

The festival kicked off on Sunday with a performance by Bangladeshi singer Farida Parveen and her ensemble.

After presenting concerts by ensembles from Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Pakistan, France and Mongolia, the festival will wrap up on Dec. 10 with a performance by the Nevşehir Hacıbek-taş Semah Ensemble.

Back in Britain

Metro - London, U.K.
Monday, December 3, 2007

Teddy row teacher Gillian Gibbons was arriving back in Britain early this morning after spending more than a week in custody in Sudan.

The 54-year-old, who was jailed for allowing her class of seven-year-olds to call a class teddy bear Muhammad, was freed yesterday after an official pardon from President Omar al-Bashir.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Mrs Gibbons was in 'remarkably good spirits'.

He welcomed President Bashir's decision to pardon the mother of two. She had been convicted of insulting Islam.

'If this week has taught me anything, it is that anything can happen.' Haras Rafiq, executive director of the Sufi Muslim Council, welcomed the news.

He said: 'It was ridiculous that she was charged and imprisoned in the first place.'

[Visit the Sufi Muslim Council : http://www.sufimuslimcouncil.org/welcome.htm]

Verse yourself in Rumi's words

By Sue Arnold - The Guardian - London, U.K.
Saturday, December 1st, 2007

The Spiritual Verses: Masnavi-ye Ma'navi, Book 1, by Jalaloddin Rumi, translated by Alan Williams, read by Anton Lesser (5hrs abridged, Naxos, £16.99)

This is the 800th anniversary of the birth of the great Sufi poet Rumi, whose 26,000-couplet mystical poem, The Spiritual Verses, is, apart from the Qur'an, the most influential work in Islam.

Rumi is claimed by many countries: he was born in Afghanistan in 1207, but fled from Ghengis Khan's Mongol hordes to settle in what is now Turkey, where he wrote in Persian.

But for insomnia and a fascinating programme about him on the World Service at 3am last Monday, I confess that both Rumi and his anniversary would have passed me by.

To label him a Muslim poet, said one Rumi disciple (and he has a fanatical following including, you may be a little dispirited to hear, Madonna), is like calling Beethoven a Christian composer: his greatness transcends confinement.

That may be pushing it a bit. But the poetry is breathtakingly beautiful, there's no arguing with that.

The garden of the heart is green and moist with buds and blooms of jasmine, rose and cypress. / The boughs are hidden by a mass of leaves, a mass of flowers conceals the plain and palace. /

These words that come from universal mind are scents of cypress, roses, hyacinths. Have you smelled roses where there were no roses? Have you seen foaming wine where there was none? /
The fragrance is your guide and your companion, it bears you up to Paradise."

The message is strictly Islamic. Aside from the unequivocally religious passages expounding on the virtues of the Prophet, the chapters have quasi-Aesop titles - "The Lion, the Hare and the Hunted Animals", "The Greengrocer and the Parrrot" - and cautionary moral endings.

(...)

The Poetry Archive (free downloads at poetryarchive.org or CDs (£12.99) from the Poetry Book Society, 2 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RA; 020 7833 9247)

If you know about downloading, this has to be the literary bargain of all time.

Besides a huge choice of live recordings by famous and not so well-known (to me at any rate) English-language poets, there are some wonderfully evocative, if slightly scratchy, historical archive performances from such luminaries as Tennyson reading "The Charge of the Light Brigade".

To judge from the background noises, he's in the middle of it. All this and much more: biographies, lit crit, special programmes for students and updates on live perfornances.

[More about *The Spiritual Verses* by Jalaloddin Rumi at Naxos' web site: http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/PAGES/446612.htm]

May the good be conquered, may the evil leave

Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Friday, November 30, 2007

The 734th anniversary of the death of great Muslim Sufi Mevlana Rumi has been commemorated with a whirling ceremony (sema) in Austria

The sema for Mevlana took place in the Votive Church of Vienna on Wednesday; it was held a few weeks before the Dec. 17 anniversary of his death owing to the extremely busy schedule of the Konya sema group of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The ceremony was attended by intellectuals of both the Austrian and Turkish community.

The whirling dervishes, known as semazens, entered the hall in the footsteps of their sheikh accompanied by special hymns selected particularly for the occasion.

Following their entry into the hall, the musicians (mutrıban) started playing a special piece called “Pashrav,” during which the dervishes started circling the hall, taking their steps slowly and in sync with the sheikh.

At the end of the first part of the rite, called “Devr-i Veledi,” the sheikh kissed each of the semazens on their tall, felt hats -- symbolizing the gravestone of the ego -- giving them permission to begin whirling.

Since it was a religious remembrance ceremony, the audience was cautioned against applauding.

About 300 people watched the rite with reverence and attentiveness. Following the 45-minute sema, a hafiz -- someone who knows the entire Quran by heart -- among the musicians recited a particular group of verses from the second chapter of the Quran in accordance with Mevlevi tradition.

The sheikh, also know as a postnişin (one who sits on the sheepskin) ended the rite by saying a special prayer.

We need Mevlana more than ever
Turkish Ambassador to Vienna Selim Yenel talked about the teachings of Mevlana in an address he made before the sema. He emphasized the importance of this great teacher, who based his teachings on unconditional tolerance, as instructed by the Prophet Mohammed.

“We need his unconditional tolerance, love and mutual understanding in this age more than ever,” he noted.

Ambassador Yenel said that Mevlana left behind such a great legacy that his messages should be repeated constantly. “I hope this whirling rite will help to break down walls of prejudice,” he noted.

Priest of the Catholic Church Martin Rupprecht, who spoke before the ceremony on behalf of the cardinal of Vienna, began his speech in Turkish. “I greet my whirling brothers with heartfelt feelings. Selam Aleyküm,” he said.

He stressed that such events contribute greatly to inter-religious and intercultural dialogue. Rupprecht recalled that Mevlana did not discriminate against anyone while calling everybody to the door of repentance by saying, “Come, Come, whoever you may be.”

He ended his speech with a Mevlevi expression, saying, “May the good be conquered, may the evil leave,” which drew applause from the Turks in the hall.

Following the sema, guests were given traditional Turkish sweets and pastries.

Strong and contented

By M. Hyderi - Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, India
Saturday, December 2, 2007

After battling with a life consuming disease, Muhammad Abdullah Dev (77) the educationist andSufi poet of standing, breathed his last around 1.50 am Sunday.

Dev Sahib, as he was fondly called, is survived by six sons, two daughters and several grandchildren.

As soon as the news of his death spread, people cutting across party affiliations and ideologies made a beeline to Dev's residence in the Hyderpora suburb.

He retired as Chief Education Officer, Varmul in early eighties. During his active service he was honoured with a Gold Medal in recognition to his meritorious services. After retirement, for some years he did social work by looking after the affairs of Tabligh-ul-Islam, a chain of schools.

During his last interview with Greater Kashmir, he had revealed that he started writing poetry at the tender age of 20. However, till his retirement from government service none of his poetic contributions was made public. Neither all his life he ever attended any traditional Mushaira*.

Dev Sahib who had chosen Nadeem, meaning companion as his pen name, mostly wrote poems in praise of Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Allama Iqbal (ra), many Kashmiri Sufi poets like Shamus Faqir, Ahmad Dar, Ghulam Qadir Bhat and his own uncle Abdul Kabir Dev influenced his poetic and spiritual pursuits.

His only published work is Soz-e-Dil (Fire of Heart) spread over two volumes.

Daughter Shamima, wife of Azad, sang some of his popular poetic compositions.

He was considered the pioneering poet who transpired his view on Kashmir turmoil in poetry. Some such lyrics became a big hit in Shamima's music albums sold in the state and abroad.

However, a lot of his poetic composition remained unpublished and now efforts are on to compile the same for publication.

His spiritual accomplishments had made him strong and contented. To his visitors in the SKIMS as also at home, he appeared waiting for the hour of union with his Creator.

Today a large number of people including politicians, ministers, bureaucrats, Police Officers, educationists, poets, Media persons and social activists attended the funeral.

The mortal remains of Dev Sahib were laid to rest at Magarmal Bagh graveyard.

* traditional gathering of poets http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushaira

An endless Ocean, a Guide for mankind

IRNA - New Delhi, India
Saturday, December 1st, 2007

Pondering on the poems of the great Iranian poet, Jalaleddin Mohammad Rumi, known as Molana, one realizes that Molana contained in himself all the characteristic of humanity, said Mehdi Nabizadeh.

Inaugurating the national seminar 'Influence of Iranian Sufism on Indian Mysticism' on Friday on the 800 birth anniversary of the great poet in Mumbai, business capital of India, Syed Mehdi Nabizadeh, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, New Delhi, said: "From the perfection point of view, Molana's way of thinking is the most attractive and popular one among the literati.

He guides mankind very well from the earthen world to the heaven'.

The personality of Molana is like a vast sea and the world is in the process of understanding of this sea, said Nabizadeh, adding that it is many years that the understanding of Molana is underway in the West and his books are among the most circulated literary books in the West.

Describing Molana Rumi an endless ocean, M R Mirzai, director, Culture House of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai said, "He is like an endless deep ocean, whosoever dives in it, will not reach its depth.

"Any person, making an effort to translate his verses must know Persian language, music, sweetness and pleasure, which are the characteristics of Molana's poetry."

The three-day (November 30-December 2) seminar, on the 800th birth anniversary of the great poet which has also been declared by UNESCO as the year of Rumi, was jointly organized by the Culture House of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai and Anjuman-i-Islam, Urdu Research Institute, Mumbai.

The seminar was attended by consuls general of Islamic Republic of Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Afghanistan in addition to known scholars and academicians.

Faith in action: Rumi Poetry Club

The Salt Lake Tribune - Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A.
Friday, November 30, 2007

The Rumi Poetry Club of Utah announces a reading and discussion on Rumi poetry and thought Tuesday December 4th (today) at 7 p.m.

The event will take place at the Anderson-Foothill Library, 1135 S. 2100 East, Salt Lake City.

Free; for details, call 801-582-3250.

"I don’t study Rumi, I am Rumi"

By Basim Usmani - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Friday, November 30, 2007

Salim Ghouse and his Phoenix Players theatre company performed Troubadour, a mystical monologue inspired by the writings of Mualana Rumi on Thursday at the Alhamra Performing Arts Festival.

With nothing but a wooden staff and shifting stage lighting for ambiance, Ghouse, in a clear Shakespearean cadence began his first story.

“The mad man asked his beloved, why do you always slight me with your words?”

With tears welling up in his eyes, he recited the beloved’s answer: “If you feel slighted by these words, then you are too much in love with yourself.”

With two PhDs in martial arts from China and Japan, Ghouse glided in circles around the stage with grace; a demonstration in despondence from a lover who will never get closer to his beloved.

He spoke of a disillusioned mystic who pleaded with an elder Sufi, “If there is a God, then why haven’t I received answers for all my questions to her?” The Sufi responded that it was the questions that proved the existence of God.

When asked how long he had been studying Rumi, Salim Ghouse replied, “I don’t study Rumi, I am Rumi.”

Ghouse is a multilingual Indian film star, who has starred in movies from 1983 to 1994.

“Theatre is my passion, and when I presented at a dramatics festival in Prague the audience members came up to me and told me the performance was ethereal, that Sufism was nothing like the Islam they’d heard about on the news.”

To audiences in Lahore, his performance seemed no less spellbinding.

[Phoenyx Players official website: http://www.thephoenixplayers.com/]

Shining eyes, ecstatic in Mecca, engrossed in prayer and zikr

By Tooba Masood - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Friday, November 30, 2007

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri enthralls a Karachi crowd with the simple answers

Karachi: First discover the truth within and then attempt the journey of life, said renowned Sufi Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri to a mesmerized crowd gathered at coffee house slash bookstore, The Second Floor, Thursday evening.

Haeri’s masterful voice completely entranced all those present and his beady little eyes shone like jewels as he talked about the concepts of the inner and outer self.

One of the most pressing spiritual problems faced by people today is the inability to separate the inner and outer self, he said. The inner and outer selves are co-existing phenomena of one being. To understand the cosmic effect on our daily lives we should learn to differentiate the identity from the self.

Giving his own example, he said that from the outside he maybe Fadhlalla, son of Naseer, but on the inside he is a man who is ecstatic at Mecca, engrossed in prayer and zikr.

On the inside, man is an animal waiting to be unleashed; faith is what helps you gain control. It is intangible, just like our souls.The soul is an expression of something much deeper; it can be described as a “spark of the cosmic bonfire”.

People today are lost in the pursuit of freedom, Haeri said. A child is born free, he runs around without any worldly restriction and as he grows up he has to face the harsh realities of life. Then, he is forever running after the illusion of freedom - an illusion, a fanciful illusion created by Allah to protect him.

“Hinduism created the concept of reincarnation that is nothing but an irrelevant illusion.”

Haeri argued that there is an eternal conflict between the “pursuit of freedom” and the “strait-jacket fanatic”. “Now people preach! There is no transmission of the love of God.”

For example shariah is almost always taken out of context, he said. In essence, shariah is flexible, it maybe a set of rules and regulations but can easily adapt to any situation. Many of the “half-witted mullahs” translate Holy Scriptures in their own context and promote something that could be labeled as tradition as ‘sunnah’, he said.

We are all part of Allah’s grand plan. As Muslims we can easily pretend to ignore Islamic values and faith and fool those around us, but what about Allah? Can we fool him?

“I was born a Muslim, must’ve done something to deserve it,” laughed Haeri.

Sufism is a way of expressing love for Allah. The Almighty created us to love and adore Him.

And then, the Sufi master concluded the session by saying that we are who we are although it is Allah who prescribes our destiny.

Religion is not a formal matter; rather it is values, behaviour and ethics

By Manal Lutfi - Asharq al-Awsat - London, U.K.
Friday, November 30, 2007

Istanbul: In every government office in Turkey, one will find the portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk often on a horse wearing his famous hat and with the Turkish flag draped behind him.

However, in the office of Dr. Mustafa Cagrici, the Mufti of Istanbul, there are two pictures of Atatürk, one with the Turkish leader wearing the western hat and another, in which he wears a suit and tie and is surrounded by a number of Turkish religious figures in their cloaks and turbans after the establishment of the secular Republic of Turkey.

Like many, Cagrici considers Atatürk a “secular Muslim” and does not see any contradiction in this description.

Dr. Mustafa Cagrici is a respected figure amongst the Turks. He hosted Pope Benedict XVI at the Blue Mosque following the controversy surrounding the Pope’s citation of a Byzantine emperor that depicted Islam in a negative light during a speech he delivered in Germany [September 2006]. In prayer, the Pope faced Mecca behind the Mufti of Istanbul. Many considered this a symbolic apology from the Pope.

Asharq Al Awsat interviewed the Mufti of Istanbul, Mustafa Cagrici in Istanbul. The interview proceeded as follows:

Q: In your opinion, what distinguishes Turkish Islam from Islam in other countries in the region?

A: During the modernization period, Turkey was one of the first countries that began to establish strong relations at an early stage with the West.

Turkey has established relations with Western countries based on the foundations of democracy and secularism. This makes Turkey different from the rest of the Islamic countries as it is still connected to its past and its values, but at the same time it is living based on modern values.

Turkish society has become more conservative over recent years. The results of the last elections prove that society has become more conservative. Nonetheless, there is another fact [to take into consideration] that Turkey lies between the Islamic and the Western worlds and that it has established relations between the two sides in a correct, meaningful and effective manner.

Although Turkey has some internal problems, it protects its culture and understanding of Islam. There is healthy democratic debate on Islam, modernization and culture.

Q: You mentioned that Turkish society has become more conservative over recent years, is this evident as a result of the elections or due to social indicators such as the increase in women wearing the veil, for example?

A: There are many indicators, including the victory of the Justice and Development Party [AKP] and the increase in the number of women wearing the veil.

In my capacity as the Mufti of Istanbul and professor at the faculty of religious sciences, I can say that the level of interest in religious education and the teaching of the Holy Quran in Turkey is on the rise.

If we look at those who finance and support these Quranic schools, we find that they are modern and educated businessmen who live a modern lifestyle and are active in today’s world.

Islam in Turkey took on Turkish characteristics when Turkey became a Muslim country. There are approximately 500 religious secondary schools that are called the “schools of imams and preachers”. These schools teach social and cultural subjects as well as religious subjects and are affiliated to the Turkish Ministry of Education.

In addition, there are 23 religious science faculties. In these schools and faculties, true knowledge about Islam is taught; consequently, it was easy for the Turks to adhere to modern values in a sound manner.

Q: What do you think of Sufism in Turkey?

A: Sufism has a special position for understanding Islam in Turkey, however in the 19th century the meaning of Sufism was distorted in Turkey and the Islamic world, where Sufi practices have a negative impact on Turkish society.

Although the Turkish state abolished Sufi schools under the law, Sufi schools, in fact, continued to exist. But the negative aspects of Sufism have been eliminated because we have a healthy religious education.

Q: What are the negative aspects of Sufism that you mentioned?

A: At one point, Sufism led to negligence on part of the Turkish people whereby they were no longer interested in anything, neither in their work nor their affairs. In other words, the common understanding of Sufism at that time stopped Turks from showing interest in public affairs.

However, Turkey today is home to religious institutions that adopt modern concepts including the Sufi schools. Many Sufi schools have modern institutions and a huge capital.

Sufi orders such as Naqshbandi, Mawlawi and Qadirya exist at present and have political, social and cultural interests without ignoring the Sufi Islamic values. Furthermore, they are powerful and influential in Turkish society and provide people with various services.

Sufi schools include many businessmen, who financially support them.

Q: What are the rules of the body that is responsible for issuing fatwas [religious rulings] in Turkey?

A: The Religious Affairs Directorate is the responsible body for issuing fatwas; however, qualified imams also can issue fatwas.

At the end of the day, the fatwa is a civil rather than a legal or official matter. Generally speaking, because of this, it is issued by an authorized body, namely, the Religious Affairs Directorate, but qualified imams can also issue fatwas.

For example, someone can ask an Imam that he/she knows for a religious ruling if the Imam is knowledgeable enough and there are also religious centres with male and female preachers who issue fatwas. People go and ask them and if they cannot provide an answer, they can contact Dar al Ifta in Istanbul.

Q: Do you have female muftis?

A: Of course, and not only do they issue fatwas regarding women’s affairs, they issue fatwas about all religious affairs. There are 40 female muftis in Istanbul and there are over 400 Quranic schools with over 1,000 teachers.

Q: What is your reaction towards fatwas that encourage jihad for example issued by some clerics?

A: Firstly, such fatwas cannot be issued in Turkey. There have only been a small number of cases [in Turkey] such as in Britain and the US, for instance.

The Turks as a whole were amongst the biggest number of people who opposed the war against Iraq. They have peacefully expressed their opposition to this unlawful war as bloodshed only causes more bloodshed.

Moreover, ending Western hegemony and bringing peace to the Islamic world should be achieved via peaceful means. I always ask our visitors from Western countries about what they expect from the Islamic world that is surrounded by Western countries in the military, political and economic senses.

They are powerless and are oppressed by the West. What can you expect other than war and violence? The condemning of violence is one thing and the analysis of violence is another. What the entire West is doing is condemning violence rather than analyzing it. Consequently, it cannot find a remedy for this disease.

Q: What is your opinion on martyrdom and jihad in Iraq in your capacity as the Mufti of Istanbul?

A: It is prohibited.

Q: Why is it prohibited?

A: It is difficult to answer this question. The person who carries out such act faces Allah alone and he is the one to decide whether [he believes] it is right or wrong.

Q: But in your view is it prohibited?

A: I do not think that it is halal [religiously lawful].

Q: Why?

A: Because the Iraqis and Islam are paying the price for these acts, which are an offence perpetrated by some against Islam, therefore I do not think it is halal.

Today, the Islamic world is rich; is this wealth being used for the sake of the future or to build culture? There is no university that is on the same level as Harvard in the entire Islamic world.

The Islamic world has failed to contribute to modern inventions. The Islamic world always blames others and sees itself as an innocent victim. This is part of our problem.

Q: How many mosques are in Turkey?

A: There are over 80, 000 mosques in Turkey.

Q: What are the most frequent questions raised by Turks in mosques?

A: When are you going to pray for rain [laughs]? The most popular questions are related to marriage and divorce and everyday issues.

The number of Turks going to mosques is on the rise. In Istanbul, for example, there are 3000 mosques and we are about to build 350 new mosques in line with the increasing numbers.

Q: In your opinion, why are religious inclinations increasing in Turkey?

A: I think the reason behind this is the method with which religion is taught in Turkey. It is a modern and enlightened method, making people feel that one can be religious and part of the modern age at the same time.

In that sense, Turkey is like the United States. When crises take place in America, people think that the solution is religion. It is also the case in Turkey; when internal and regional crises intensify, people turn to religious values and believe that the solution lies therein.

Most unveiled women perform their five daily prayers according to the religious teachings that we follow.

Religion is not a formal matter; rather it is values, behaviour and ethics. This is how the Turks understand Islam.

There is a conflict in Turkey with respect to religion; nonetheless, it is not between those who want religion and those who do not want it. The truth is that those who do not want religion in Turkey are a very small minority.

The conflict is between those who believe that religion must be reflected in the individual practices, behaviour and values and those who argue that religion is about outward appearances such as the veil, beard etc.

Intellectual lunch launches researches on Anatolian Sufism

Today's Zaman - Ankara, Turkey
Thursday, November 29, 2007

At the first of his new series of “intellectual lunches,” President Abdullah Gül yesterday dined with two acclaimed professors, one of whom suggested establishing a department to improve relations with the Turkic states of Central Asia, while the other drew the president’s attention to the importance of founding cultural centers to conduct research on Anatolian Sufism.

The lunch lasted one-and-a-half hours and took place at Çankaya Palace, the presidential residence in Ankara. Following the meal historian Halil İnalcık said the president would attempt to establish a Mediterranean research institute.

“Greece is more active than Turkey in that regard. They founded a research institute on Crete. Falling behind Greece disappointed the president,” said İnalcık, who also suggested establishing institutes to improve relations with the Central Asian states.

Professor of literature and former Culture Minister Talat Halman said he told Gül Turkish history, literature and music should be promoted abroad. One important figure in that regard is Yunus Emre, a great mystical folk poet who died in 1320 but who left immortal works of poetry behind, he said.

President Gül’s secretary, Mustafa İsen, said Gül will continue to have such lunches with intellectuals to exchange views and to gain inspiration for new projects.

Meetings with intellectuals in İstanbul will take place in one of the presidential mansions, located in the Tarabya district.

Two Bollywood films with Sufi Flavour

The Hindu - Chennai, India
Wednesday, November 28, 2007

After stamping their mark in the music industry with two successful albums, the composer trio of popular band 'Kailasa' are now expanding their domain into Bollywood and are in talks with the Mozart of Madras, A. R. Rahman, who may sing for them.

Band leader Kailash Kher, together with Mumbai-based Kamath brothers, Paresh and Naresh, are set to compose music for two Bollywood films.

"Yes, me and my colleagues of my band 'Kailasa', Paresh Kamath and Naresh Kamath, will be composing music for upcoming films 'Made In China' and 'Allah Ke Bande,'" said Kher during a telephonic conversation.

"Together we will be known as Kailash-Paresh-Naresh" he added. The trio who joined hands together in 2006 had brought a whiff of fresh music and regaled audiences with sufi elements in their first album 'Kailasa' followed by 'Kailasa Jhoomore' a few months ago.

(...)

'Made in China' directed by Nikhil Advani and produced by Ramesh Sippy stars Akshay Kumar and model-turned-actor Deepika Padukone. This multicomposer film will also have musicians Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as well as veteran Bappi Lahiri. The title track will be done by Kailash-Paresh-Naresh.

Kailash, who rose to popularity with 'Allah ke Bande' in the film 'Aise bhi hota he', is excited about the possibility of getting A. R. Rahman to sing for his composition in the upcoming 'Allah Ke Bande,' by debut filmmaker Farooqe Kabir.

"I share a special bond with Rahman and I never miss a chance to work with him. He is blessed by God. His spirituality and simplicity attracts everyone," says Kailash.

The trio is working on a sufi song and have already discussed it with Rahman.

A stream of pure sound

By Gisele Turner - Tonight - Johannesburg, South Africa
Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Dhafer Youssef opens his arms, lifts his chest to the heavens, slowly lets his head roll back and allows a stream of pure sound to emerge from his heart. There are no words, we need none.

The sound that he produces is an expression of divine love and it is transcendental and transportive.

It is no surprise to read that he subscribes to Sufism, the esoteric aspect of Islam that concentrates on personal spiritual development through devotion.

This kind of pure sound has a resonance that touches the deepest yearning within to merge in mystic universality and Youssef performs his extraordinary compositions as an act of love.

Needless to say I counted myself fortunate to be a member of the intimate audience that attended his gig at the Alliance Française on Friday evening.

The restless weather calmed, against the odds.

Youssef played with three Norwegians who brought their own kind of pristine energy: an out-of-the-body bass player in Auden Erlien, an incredible drummer in Rune Arnesen, who wielded his fat brushes with a startling combination of contained energy and wild power.

Eivend Aarset, on guitar and electronics, is a genius with a mind full of open spaces and meticulously chosen sound details decorating it.

I am still recovering from that gig, and when I feel the world is too much with me I play Youssef's first album, Malak, especially the tracks The Sand Child [L'Enfant du Sable] and The Blind Angel [L'Ange Aveugle] .

[Visit Dhafer Youssef at http://www.dhaferyoussef.com/ and listen to samples,

i.e. http://www.dhaferyoussef.com/music/music.htm#]

A bigger high

By Mangala Ramamoorthy - The Hindu - Chennai, India
Monday, November 26, 2007

“Sufi is like meditation. It gives me a bigger high than wearing the biggest diamond or travelling abroad. It’s absolute bliss.” This is how singer Anita Singhvi describes Sufi music. The talented artiste with over 100 concerts has come out with her second album, “Sada-E-Sufi.”

The album has live recordings of her concert organised by Sufi Foundation of India. Anita says, “I have tried to retain the essence of Sufism. Out of the nine songs in the album, the kalam in three is in Persian because by translating these lyrics they would have lost their meaning.”

She confesses she developed interest in Sufism only recently. “It’s only two-three years back that I got into it. Till then, I was happy singing ghazals. I started reading a lot of sufi poetry by poets like Amir Khusrau and listening to more such music. The more I heard, the more I got drowned into it. So far I was singing about love between human beings but now I sing about the love between man and God,” she explains.

According to Anita though Sufism is the current flavour in the music industry in India, it has nothing to do with the release of the album. “Shouting and screaming is not Sufism. What musicians like Abida Parveen and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sing is real Sufism.” Seconds Sanjiv, “For us, it is just another step in taking good music to the audience.”

Anita insists that her kind of music is important in this world, where there is conflict everywhere. “Sufism is all over the world. It is true world music. It is such a unifying factor that speaks about love for human beings.”

Though her next venture is a ghazal album, which will release in February, she promises to do more of Sufi henceforth.

Getting high on spirituality!

By Shridevi Keshavan - Daily News & Analysis - Mumbai, India
Monday, November 26, 2007

Folktales, mysticism, transcendental tunes and an out-of-the-world experiences vibes in the air at Horniman gardens, the venue of the Seventh All India Sufi & Mystic Festival.

With the catchy rhythm of what the musicians call khadtal, the Manganiar community’s performance was filled with an infectious verve. They spun their songs around stories of the Manganiar community who are supposedly decendants of the Rajputs and follow music as a profession; singing at weddings, child births and other significant occasions.

They sang about their rich inheritance of music; of a princesses’ love for her husband’s younger brother who eventually commits a ‘Sati’. While her soul lives on in Rajasthan’s desert land, she as a parting gift, confers musical knowledge to her community. The community has been following the profession ever since.

Parvathy Baul, who is a permanent member of the festival, was high on demand and performed both the days. Just her duggi and ektara for accompaniment, Parvathy’s performance as every year was beyond appreciation. There was a certain light on her face and when her powerful vocals hit the audience, there was no denying the vibrations being rubbed off on them.

The international flavour came from Arash Asady and group from Iran who strummed their Sehtar (stringed instrument) and warmed up the audience for the upcoming performances.

The true highlight was the Whirling Dervishes from Turkey who performed Sema, a spiritual ceremony. During the course of their performance the audience was asked not to clap at all. They whirled blissfully and the vocal accompaniment was haunting. It was a trance and the extraordinary performance stayed on after the festival ended.

Hats off to Mahesh Babu, Nandini and Vinod Raghavan (the organisers) for an experience of such magnitude, a truly eclectic Sufi experience.

[Picture: Art from Parvathi Baul website: http://www.parvathybaul.mimemo.net/]

‘Yeh duniya raen basera’

By Abida Parveen - The Times of India - India
Monday, November 26, 2007

She believes in purity of the soul, which is what Sufism is all about. Do good deeds and you’ll get closer to Him, vouches Abida Parveen.

My relationship with God has been beautiful all along. It's a unique mohabbat that I have for Him. And my music is symbolic of my utmost devotion for Him.

The acknowledgement of God is an awakening. For me, it came through my music. Singing Sufi songs got me closer to Allah.

The word ‘Sufi’ comes from the word ‘Saf’, which in Persian means pure. Sufism is simple and pure as true love. Love teaches selflessness.

I believe when you go through bad times in life, it strengthens you and in turn purifies your soul. When you think of God with all sincerity, with a pure heart, you glow. There's an energy chakra that surrounds you. When you do good to others, good things come your way.

Always remember, God fulfils all good wishes. He brings to you all material pleasures, gains and riches. If you praise Him, He shows you His miracles. That's why I believe, you can be materialistic and also spiritual. Faith is universal.

When people listen to my songs, I know they are trying to find God through my music.

Sometimes, as I sing, I am overwhelmed. I am lost in it and it feels like I’m in a trance. It is my way of reaching out to Him.

Where is God? He is everywhere. He is in my music, in my heart, in my soul. You don't need to live many lives to find Him.

Sufi teaches you ‘selfless spirituality’. Spirituality is about purity of thoughts, feelings, emotions and relationships. You have to give yourself completely and truly. I believe God is within each one of us. All our lives we keep visiting places of worship, from one religious dargah to the other in pursuit of God, while all along, He resides inside us. So why not search within?

We sing Baba Bulleh Shah in joy; we praise Baba Farid for his simplicity and spirituality. Everyone should try to reach within to discover their real being.

Life is devotion, the rest is unseen. ‘Yeh duniya raen basera.’ Use it to find the God within you.

My name is Abida which means the one who prays. My entire life is like a prayer through music. Sur is a medium to reach Him. But it necessarily may not be Sufi music. One can find a link with God even through a film song.

Everything which one does with the thought of the Almighty is a prayer. Any noble gesture is like praying to Him. Even something like looking after your mother is ibadat.

Everything in this universe is meant for peace. All we need is patience. And God brings everything to us.

I seek God in everything around me. He is the complete truth.

I find people are so restless. They try to find peace everywhere, but within. My music soothes, heals and brings you in touch with your inner self as Sufi music isn't pretentious.

The songs come from the soul. It teaches you selfless spirituality. There's no space for selfishness.

Through my music, I have rediscovered the innocence of soul.

Whirling into Heaven

By Ginny Wang - New University Online - CA, U.S.A.
Monday, November 26, 2007

Every country has an ethnic tradition that makes it unique from every other culture in the world. While the United States tends to emphasize its difference through food and holidays, others choose to outwardly perform their individuality in the form of singing and dancing.

On the night of Nov. 20, UC Irvine’s Barclay Theatre experienced a taste from the Middle East as the world-renowned Whirling Dervish troupe twirled onto the American stage.

As part an age-old Sufi heritage, this performance, called Sema, features dancers and musicians who follow traditional, ritualistic practices of the Sufi people. It is a style of dancing and singing that pays homage to the ancient poet and mystic Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi.

The Sema dance is a sacred Sufi practice of whirling or meditative turning that collaborates with Zikr, a form of sacred chanting, music and poetry.

Believing in the concept of a revolving existence, it takes on the notion that life is all about living within a continuous circle that comprises of revolving neurons, electrons and protons within an atom.

Dancers twirl in counterclockwise motions on stage in order to harmonize their bodies with the environment.

The term Dervish comes from the Persian word “Darwish” and is used as a means to spiritually and consciously participate in the continuum of life.

There are seven parts to a Sema ceremony, each with its own connection to nature and the unconscious.

The ceremony begins with different musical instruments representing particular expressions. The flute represents the Divine breath, while the opening eulogy praises love for the Prophet. Four musical movements, or Selams, follow, each catering to a specific rhythm.

From beginning to end, each Selam testifies to God’s unity.

Dancers are dressed in traditional white Sufi outfits that are attached to a large cloth folded around the waist. As each dancer spins, the edges of the fold puff up to encapsulate each dancer in a circular sphere.

Like their movements, each part of the outfit is planned according to the progression of the ceremony.

They enter the stage with black cloaks and traditional Sema headdresses that represent the ego and the tomb. Once the chanting begins, each dancer removes his outer garment to reveal long white skirts symbolizing a religious shroud. The floor is sprinkled with sand that spreads around the stage as each performer moves in unison.

With each turn the ceremony represents the human’s spiritual journey to perfection (kemal) and every movement brings that person closer to their transcendence over the ego.

For the Dervishes, twirling has a whole different meaning than a typical performance by the American Ballet Company. Twirling represents the human ascent to heaven and serves as a kind of pilgrimage to a holier sense of truth and love.

True to their custom, Sema ceremonies are simple, but without prior knowledge, viewers can easily be confused to the purpose of the practice.

For centuries the Sufi people have carried out their traditions with a cyclone-like force that keeps the words of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi from being carried away with the wind.