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The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi

Read more on the show's main page.
Unheard Cuts
Behind the Scenes Audio
Producing an hour of radio often results in parts of an interview not being included. Listen to unheard audio segments of Krista's conversation with Fatemeh Keshavarz that shed light on Rumi and his world.



Here, Keshavarz explains the process of whirling, its universality, and its compatibility with Sufi theology. She tells us that even though the whirling dance is grounded in Islam, it transcends all religions in the end — even progenitor.
 
Pregnant with God
(mp3, 6:21)


Rumi lived in a patriarchal world, and so, Keshavarz doesn't see him as a feminist but a person who has surpassed issues of gender. Because Rumi can place himself in the shoes of another, she says, he could transcend the mundane and live with the ambiguity of smallness and godliness that exists in each human.
 


Rumi's relationship with the older Shams of Tabriz is a commonly debated subject. But, Keshavarz says, the nature of their love isn't the point but Rumi's ability to move forward and learn from the Sufi master.