Today’s World Needs Rumi’s Message More than Ever
The conference “Maulana: Cultural Interaction between Iran and Malaysia” was recently held at the UM University in Kuala Lumpur, according to Habib Reza Arzani, the Iranian Cultural Attaché in Malaysia.
In an interview, he spoke about the features of this event, the words of Malaysian thinkers, and Rumi’s universal message about love, empathy, and connection between nations.
Arzani stressed the successful holding of the scientific conference and said this program was held with the efforts of the Iranian Cultural Center, the UM University, and the Academy of Malay Studies.
He said it was very well received by professors and students of Malaysian universities, artists, Iranians living in the country, and representatives of the embassies of Iran, Iraq, and Tajikistan.
Arzani explained about the speakers and the scientific process of the program. “In this meeting, a group of prominent scholars from Malaysia and Iran addressed (the poetry of) Rumi from various mystical and civilizational angles. They included Mr. Sabzali Musa Khan, Professor Ahmad Murad Merikan, Mehdi Sultanzadeh and Ms. Shafaat Al-Sara Salahuddin. They explained the role of Rumi in the intellectual and cultural developments of the Islamic world in their specialized fields.”
He added that Professor Merikan even mentioned that he has named his son ‘Rumi’ in honor of the Persian poet and requested the publication of a small and inexpensive version of the Masnavi in Malay.
Arzani said the title of his speech at this conference was “Rumi: The Eternal Bridge of Civilizations, Love and Empathy as an International Language”.
“In today’s world, where political and economic boundaries sometimes make relations between nations difficult, it is culture and spirituality that builds bridges between people. One of the greatest builders of this spiritual bridge is Rumi; a poet whose message of love and unity has penetrated the hearts of civilizations for centuries.”
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Arzani continued, “Rumi considers civilization to be the product of the awakening of the soul, and from his perspective, divine love is the foundation of every civilization and brings man from spiritual death to rebirth.”
He said Rumi believes that the human heart knows only one language: the language of love. “This language is beyond all geographical and linguistic boundaries and brings nations closer together.”
The cultural envoy noted that Rumi says that empathy is better than common language. “That is, true unity is not achieved from common words, but from common feelings and inner understanding. Two people may speak the same language but be far from each other; and two nations may live with different languages but with close hearts.”
Arzani listed the ways of civilizational bonding from Rumi’s perspective as follows: There are four important paths for the unity of nations: translation and cultural exchange, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, art and music, especially poetry, and cultural and scientific diplomacy. “These are paths that touch hearts and remain steadfast.”
He said about Rumi’s message for today’s world, “In a world that is damaged by misunderstanding and division, Rumi invites us to see with our hearts and speak with love. He warns that people often speak from their suspicions, not from the truth.
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“The message of the ney (reed) at the beginning of the Masnavi is also a cry for man’s separation from his essence, and the cure for that is love; a love that can transform separations into unity.”
He continued by referring to the artistic part of the program and said: “This conference was a valuable starting point in the path of cultural cooperation between Iran and Malaysia. God willing, these interactions will continue and pave the way for broader and deeper connections between the two nations.”
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