I happened upon these gorgeous photos from a current art exhibit at Harvard on Sufism around the world, called Sufism: Mystical Ecumenism. Many of the photos are from Iran. They are taken by photographer/journalist Iason Athanasiadis, who lived several years there. The top photo doesn't specify the location of the Sufi order but I'm sure it is Iranian Kordestan.
The reason I know where the photo comes from is because it is so similar to many frames in a documentary called Beyond Words on the Qaderi order of Darwishes in Kordestan near Saaghez. The film was made by an old friend Jahanshah Ardalan in 2003. It is not easy to gain access to these Sufi circles, much less for extended periods of time to film them, as many of them zealously guard their privacy
This privacy, secrecy really, is very important in Iran because these groups are repressed by IRI. Although the darwishes of Kordestan consider themselves devout (Sunni) Muslims, Sufism is an autonomous Islam which believes that God lies within and is reachable through profound individual inner experience. This is threatening to a regime whose rationale for being and claim to fame is that a rigid hierarchical theocratic structure from without is necessary to safeguard the people's spirituality.
Remembering Beyond Words makes me think of another, glossier film I saw at about the same time called Mystic Iran The Unseen World. The director, Aryana Farshad, an "Iranican", traveled extensively through Iran documenting unusual or rarely documented religious practices, including those of the Sufis, and the Mazdaists at their sacred fire temple at Yazd. This scene on the youtube video, while magnificent, is not about them, but there are truly amazing scenes in the film on Kurdish Sufis, particularly on a small group of village women. (By the way the narrator is your friend Shohreh Aghdashioot of House of Sand and Fog fame).
I truly recommend both Beyond Words and Mystic Iran.
* * *
The image at the top of this blog is an illustraton from the great Sufi lyric epic poem Conference of the Birds by Attar, Rumi's first teacher. It is about the Sufi's ultimate journey of the soul to God, represented by the flight of all the birds of the world to find their King. The thirty birds remaining after the difficult journey reach the top of the mountain and see in a mirror that they are their own King, the Simorgh, One's own essence is God. God is oneself.
Probably you already knew the story but I thought I should say it just in case..
* * *
"Ecumenism" means when a "church"within one religion embraces all the other sects, or when a religion reaches beyond its borders to other religions. The Sufi spirit is ecumenical in the first sense, as it transcends the boundaries of the various beliefs within Islam. However, many orders, like the Qaderi do not transcend the boundaries of Islam itself. But the universal ecumenical spirit has been present in Sufism since its onset and is beautifully conveyed in the poetry of Hafez and Rumi. And of course today more Sufi orders than ever are truly ecumenical in our ever smaller yet ever greater world.
As a darwish once told me, "Darwish is not Muslim. Darwish is darwish."
Recently by rosie is roxy is roshan | Comments | Date |
---|---|---|
Dangerous People, Dangerous Games | 3 | Aug 19, 2009 |
What Yeggia Once Told Me About Iran | 11 | Aug 16, 2009 |
Sedaa am | 17 | Aug 15, 2009 |
Person | About | Day |
---|---|---|
نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
ecumenical... or as jesus put it...
by anonymous fish on Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:01 AM PST"That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us..."
incredible pictures. i never fail to be spellbound.
look up professor Seyyed Hussien Nasr's works
by not a Sufi (not verified) on Tue Feb 24, 2009 09:08 PM PSTAs a literacy corps officer stationed in Kurdistan one night 40 years ago I watched one of these sceances performed in Sanandadj.
These rituals are only that: Ritual.
If you are interested in Islamic mysticism refer to serious works such as those by Dr. Nasr. Many prominent Iranians were/are mystics, but they do not advertise it.
This video stuff is good for holywood. These theatricals have no content.
Walt Whitman LOVED sufis!
by I Have a Crush on Alex Trebek on Tue Feb 24, 2009 06:22 PM PSTHe wrote about one. Maybe you have read ze poem A PERSIAN LESSON
For his o'erarching and last lesson the greybeard sufi,In the fresh scent of the morning in the open air,On the slope of a teeming Persian rose-garden,Under an ancient chestnut-tree wide spreading its branches,Spoke to the young priests and students."Finally my children, to envelop each word, each part of the rest,Allah is all, all, all—immanent in every life and object,May-be at many and many-a-more removes—yet Allah, Allah, Allah is there."Has the estray wander'd far? Is the reason-why strangely hidden?Would you sound below the restless ocean of the entire world?Would you know the dissatisfaction? the urge and spur of every life;The something never still'd—never entirely gone? the invisible needof every seed?"It is the central urge in every atom,(Often unconscious, often evil, downfallen,)To return to its divine source and origin, however distant,
Latent the same in subject and in object, without one exception."
Thank you, I just posted the RFE article as a newsfeed...
by rosie is roxy is roshan on Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:20 AM PSTit is an extraordinary coincidence isn't it, because how often do you see things onsite about modern Sufism in Iran? Maybe it is time to speak out.
Thanks again.
Sufis came under assault
by news (not verified) on Tue Feb 24, 2009 09:17 AM PSTSufis came under assault when one of their holy sites was destroyed in central city of Isfahan late a few days ago.
//www.rferl.org/Content/Iranian_Authorities_D...
In February 2006 in the city of Qom, security forces also reportedly resorted to the use of force and tear gas to detain hundreds of Sufi followers who had gathered in front of their house of worship to prevent its destruction by the ...... used excessive force and that 10 protestors were injured as a result. ...
//www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/doc...
del
by rosie is roxy is roshan on Tue Feb 24, 2009 07:54 AM PSTor should i just take the opportunity to say fanaa...