President Rouhani sends message to Rumi conference in Khoy

TEHRAN.(Iranart) – President Hassan Rouhani has sent a message to the 3rd International Conference on Rumi and Shams-i Tabrizi, which opened at the mausoleum of Shams-i Tabrizi in the northwestern Iranian town of Khoy on Saturday.

In the message, which was published on Persian news websites, Rouhani praised works of the Persian mystic and poet Rumi.

“Fihi ma fihi [‘There Is in It What Is in It’], Majalis-i Saba [‘Seven Sessions’] and his articles on Shams-i Tabrizi, which have their roots in profound mysticism and represent Shams-i Tabrizi’s spiritual influence on Rumi, have caused a resurrection in the world,” he wrote.

“The books have a wide circulation in the East and West, and the various translations of the books have encouraged many of the lovers of these works – particularly among the younger generation who are seeking to escape from the modern materialistic world – to start learning the magnificent Persian language in order to gain a deep understanding of the miraculous literary, cultural and artistic capacity of the language,” he added.

Rouhani also said, “Now, this is Rumi who speaks to the literati at this divine meeting. He has no feeling of intimacy with those people who are the prisoners of the earthly world and satanic temptations.”

“Every nation has its due to enjoy the heavenly fertile source of this culture in all its fields. Rumi scholar [Reynold Alleyne] Nicholson with all his passion [about Persian literature] dedicated his entire wonderful life to praise the teachings of this book [the Masnavi-ye Manavi]. Professor [Henry] Corbin’s profound studies on Islamic mysticism and Iranian cultural thought, and the endeavors of Turkish experts on Rumi and Shams in Konya, and the efforts that people have made in Russia, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Armenia to promote the Persian language and cultural luminaries such as Rudaki, Ferdowsi, Nasser Khosrow, Khaqani and Nezami are appreciated.”

At the end of his message, Rouhani said that Iran is ready to help other countries promote the Persian language.The two-day meeting has been co-organized by the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies in Khoy and the custodians of the Mausoleum of Shams.