HOLLYWOOD BOWL

Khejalat bekesh

What a stupid and childish article. Khejalat bekesh. I think this was the absolutely stupidest part:

Sheik Hamza Shakour, lead vocalist with the Ensemble Al-Kindi, and backing the Whirling Dervishes of Damascus, starts his Koranic recitation by cursing “the cruel Great Satan” (“Al Sheitan al rajeem”). With the current tensions between the US and Islamic Extremists, that felt like a rather aggressive and ungracious opening from a group invited to Hollywood from an Islamic country known to be hostile towards Western values, and the US in particular.

If you knew anything, you would know that ANY recital of the Qur'an begins with "I seek refuge in God from Satan, the Accursed." I am not a Muslim and even I know this. It has nothing to do with politics, and he would say the same thing whether reciting in Syria, the US, or anywhere else. The article overall is a profound refusal to understand Rumi or Islam. It is the petulant cry of a fussy baby who screams "I don't like it!" before eating something he has never tried. You're just another spoiled soosool in the diaspora who instantly equates anything Islamic with "mourning." Why don't you just stay home next time and not ruin great art for the rest of us?

kerad

[islam]Moslem's thieves of iranian callcher and nathing moor - the one how is {iranian} is awere of that. {ram iran}

kerad

//www.jamali.info/index.php {abut molavi}

Anonymous observer: You're

Anonymous observer: You're right. Attacking Khodadad was childish. I'm familiar with Khodadad's work.

My apologies to Mr. Khodadad.

The distinct smell of "Islamaphobia"

Molana's poetry as any Iranian knows is revered by Iranians (among others, but I can only speak as someone born in Iran) almost on the same scale as Qur'an, and just as is the case with holy books is open to interpretation. But regardless of how you interpret Molana' work, one can't deny that it is steeped in Islam, you can't get away from that. Yes, his work is most emphatically in contrast with the orthdox Islam, almost all Sofis were, but it is within Islamic tradtition. It also carries the tradition of pre-Islamic culture of Iran as well as influence of Platonic philosophy. I wasn't at the show and can't really dispute Sayyad's take but it seems to me he may be overreacting. His annoyance with "Al Sheitan al rajeem" is the telltale sign. Any half baked Muslem knows how standard of an opening and closing this verse is. To interpret this as provocation is a tad too rich. It seems to me Sayyad's annoyance has to do more with the same old thing it has alwys been with secular bourgeoiuse
intelelctuals in Iran. That the Molana presented wasn't hip enough for his taste, too much roze-khooni. Sayyad's ideal "Rumi" is a sort of defanged version, presentable to middle-classes, a sort of New Age poet, preferrably de-Islamasized. Well, I'm not a huge fan of Islamism either but there is no need to get hysterical. Interesting that he talks about Gorgin with such sense of nostalgia. The real voice he should have mentioned, the one missing from this event, would've been that of Shamloo whose readings of Molana is the one I associate with my childhood.

Sickoflies

I agree with everything that you said about systematic Islamization of Iran and the related revisionist history.  I have said that for a long time myself.  But, please do not attack Khodadad.  He is a great student of Persian history (specially the Sassanid era) and is an important contributer to the current efforts at understanding the Sassanid social structure.  He is the farthest thing from being an Iran history denier.  In fact, you should visit his website, which has a wealth of objective information about Iran.  Here's a link:

 //www.iranologie.com/history/history.html

Additionally, Khodadad is a collaborator with Prof. Touraj Daryaee, who is a great scholar of Persian history.

Persia is Eternal.

Irandokht, Thank you

for quoting the actual Rumi verses. I can see that he is describing the nature of God, for He is neither of one side nor of the other BUT the sum of all that and then some more.

When a human being elevates him/herself to that level they too become God-like, as we are each a face or representation of God. Only through coming out of that individuality we are able to see the total sum. Like they say: The summit is clearer to the mountineer from the plain.

In essesnce God is the creator of both Heaven and Hell, East and West, light and darkness, good and bad, etc. Nothing is outside of God. Whilst we are a part of that, we have within us the seed to be the total.

That seed when planted it has a beatutiful fruit. It is called love which becomes the wing with which we can soar higher than Creation and when we see that in ourselves, it becomes very hard to put us back in the box.

As a 16 year old I used to say religion is meant to free us, not chain us. At 60 I now know that for sure. I enjoy everything and reject nothing. Surprisingly, I find myself surrounded by people I truly love. Any music is good for the soul and a glass or two of red happens to be good for the heart, not to mention other parts.

Salamati

Ahmed from Bahrain

Let's face it, the Islamists

Let's face it, the Islamists have owned the discourse for 30 years now and those who were born after the revolution or very young during the revolution cannot possibly delineate between being Iranian and Islamist. The lines have been blurred by the systematic Islamization and revisionist history.

WE HAD ALLOWED THE partisan/oghdehis like "bag it", GET AWAY WITH THE PREMISE THAT OBJECTIVE REALITY DOES NOT EXIST. In a few years, they will argue that Iran did not really exist before Islam and will have their Iranian studies experts to re-write the entire history.

The issues that underscore Islamists incuriousity and the distortion of truth are philosophical and thus the battleground must also be on a philosophical level. And it's important to remember that philosophical battles cannot be won unless we go back to fundmental philosophical premises of how as Iranians we want the future of Iran to look like; backdward under Sharia, or progressive under Rumi's philosophy.

The Islamic fundamentalist exploitation of Rumi is despicable as isthe IRI's brutal treatment of the sufis in Iran.

Sufis attacked in Iran:
//www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboa...

Oh, bag it!

The problem is not that the music was mournful Mr. Sayyad, the problem is that you and many people like you somehow imagine that everything has to fit within a limited set of standards. The piece by Nour-Mohammad was not mournful, it was just on a north Khorasani musical scale. You could say that you hate North Khorasani music and that it should be wiped off the face of the earth, but don't call it "Islamic Fundamentalis"! Qaderi Dervishes started their session with "Baaz Havaaye Vatanam Aarezoost", unless you have problems with the whole homeland, I think that was a pretty cheerful piece! Some people, actually embarrassingly, started clapping with their music!!!! The Syrian Dervishes started with reciting the Quran, and "Down with the Humiliated Satan" is a standard for starting the recitation of the Quran and your "translation" of the "Great Satan", was not only misleading, but meaningless. It is a formula repeated long before any Islamic Republic existed. The issue is that you think everything shouold be "chic" and presentable to the audiences in whose presence you feel an inferiority complex. Well, sorry, these guys were not immigrants, they lived in their own countries and they were just here to actually show you how it is done. After all, Dervishes cannot pretend not to be Muslims just because you guys feel that any presentation of one's Muslim belief means that you are a fundamental Islamist. They are, after all, Dervishes! It is like asking a Church chorus not to make any mention of Jesus when singing!!!! I was among the many people there, and I noticed that everyone around me enjoyed the programme. The only thing we were complaining about was the people coming in late and not letting us see the programme in peace. We, by the way, were sitting back on the cement seats, enjoying, while you were in special boxes, apparently squirming. Leave Mowlana to his own, and next time around, find a more chic mowlana to showcase...

You're right

Boy, I had my sword drawn ready to cut this to pieces, but unlike most commentors, I read the whole thing and decided you're right Mr. Sayad. 

I didn't know how you could understand Kurdish and Arabic, while figuring out what Rumi means in most of his sayings.  But you either know both languages or had someone translate.  Never the less,  you are right, the Islamic tone was felt througout the program. Now "fanaticism", I'm not so sure about.  It all seemed quite harmless, especially since most of us in the audience had no idea what they were saying pass "Allah".

I got lost in the midst of the choleography, which took me back to my childhood and how my father used to love to cut and sharpen his pens.  He so passionately loved the art that I attended to the hand writings more than anything else.

I do hope, however, that someone like you, an acomplished actor, a director, and perhaps a producer, could do much better.  For the sake of what Rumi stands for, the Iranian and now the non-Iranian thirst for Rumi, you could do so much better.

I will volunteer for this project and will be one of the first people to buy tickets for your project.  I know it can be done a lot better.

I am in tears

I concur with every point you made Mr. Sayyad. The event was a total disaster. I invited several of our non Persian speaking children along hoping that some beautiful Persian music and poetry would bring them closer to our culture. Although, with their typical polite American attitude they did not say anything negative, I felt their disappointments. The evening was an expensive proposition. Frankly, we all should demand a refund.

زیرِعبا

Dear Irandoxt,

I take my Persian literary cue from Yadollah Royaei who correctly says,

فراموش نکنیم که مثنوی معنوی ِ مولوی کتابی است که هنوزدارد وعظ و منبر را
تغذیه می‌کند، در خانقاه و درمسجد. اگر نه به تظاهر، لااقل همیشه با
واعظان ما (نخبه‌هاشان) زیرِعبا می‌رود.

Rumi in tears

I don't think the program was that bad and most of the people and the American who were sitting around us were really enjoying it. The last part with yo yo ma and Mr Kalhor worth the first tiring part.The problem was that each section of the program was so long and I think the most suffering for me was the time that Shohreh Aghdoshloo was on the stage and reciting the poetry with the very heavy accent that even the Iranian could not understand. I hope next time they bring one of the young Iranian American with no accent so the American also enjoy the meaning of fhe poetry of this grear poet.

THE ACTOR , THE GENIUS, THE ARTIST

Mr.Sayyad once again proves his genius and shows off his deep roots buried deep down in the tradition of TRUE and PURE Persian culture and Iranian tradition without ANY traces of ANY religion mixed in... and that was what EXACTLY Rumi was all about.. this deep ocean is where he has for ever been quenching his thirst on...no wonder his whole artistic career has proved to be more fruitful than Iran's past century of arts put together...he is the FACE of our country...he IS art in motion.He IS ART in LIFE. He is IRAN. Sayyad is someone who is by no means any LESS than Ferdowsi, in measures of what he has done single handedly for Iran and Iranian culture...to beat him up like some did on this page in the name of the lowest of lows of all human thought processes, albeit in the name of ANY religion tells me enough about the depth of the vast abyss we are stuck in as a nation and how hard it is to get out…

uhmmm

I am waching the lady here and some times every where tell irooni people what they said or kind of sokhanrani and bazkhast . are you kind of judge of of spania exquistion . are you the owner of irani.com ?. why always try scare other readers , khanandeha about their opinions . i don;t think its nice what you do .gholdori is bad. always me me me. sorry my english. i come here late from akhoond iran. this is bad for peeple freadom she make me think of akhoonds . i dont want you mad again sory.

Iranian Poets and Islam

By Unknown:

"These poets had to plant love back to hearts of victimized and despairing people.

It is widely accepted for your information among academic circle that the brutality of Islam is not something new. In our famous poets’ times, Islam was more vicious and indeed crueler with no human rights watch group over them and no international laws. These poets had to plant love back to hearts of victimized and despairing people against the most barbaric ideology, the Islamic cult ruling their daily lives and poetry was the best instrument. These poets could not jeopardize their own lives; they were not revolutionaries. Instead, they offered love to people and tried to humanize and reform this backward and brutal Islam cult through their poetries. However, Islam has not and can not be reformed. We have been witnessing all atrocities of Islamic Republic of Iran against Iranians. The backwardness of Islam and Islam being an obstacle to our freedom and democracy in Iran is well recognized to suffering Iranians and if you become an apologist here after 1400 years of nothing but misery you would very well position yourself with this dark force."

Jaleho

I am not going to discuss Molana or anyone's interpretations of his work and philosophy here.  People are already telling me I am clueless about Rumi, about the war, about the politics, about spying and about pigeons etc...

You made it sound as if those words were not Rumi's and I copy/pasted the actual piece that they were quoting and translating. it was just an FYIof what that passage in Mr Sayyad's article referred to.

IRANdokht

Mr Pishroo aziz

For someone who is always quoting all the western philosophers and thinkers, you are pretty down on Rumi who has been an inspiration to a lot of people through centuries...

what's with all the bitterness? 

IRANdokht

Dilution of Eastern Sufism and Erfan

and one of its most beautiful manifestation in the form of Molana's poetry, has become "universal manifisto" of Rumi by the "neither Christian, nor jew or Moslem" crowd!

Irandokht, how about this interpretation from Zarrinkoob instead

تمام عالم عرصه جنگ و نزاع بین خیر و شر و دین با کافریست. تضادی که در فعل و طبع بین عناصر و ذرات  کاینات هست، در احوال و افکار و معنی‌ هم جلوه دارد و اینهمه به عالم حس تعلق دارد که عالم اضداد است و محکوم به فنا است. از هیمین جا، مولانا وجود عالمی را که خالی‌ از اضداد و ورای تضاد بین خیر و شر است نشان میدهد و آن عالم  را منشا این عالم که دنیای اضداد و به همین سبب دنیای محنت و اندوه هاست میداند. در عین حال، در دنیأی که قلمرو اضداد است، مولانا نجات انسان را در تسلیم وی به جاذبه لطف حق و در نفی اختیار و قدرت از خویش میابد که به عقیده او، بدون آن  نمیتوان در بارگاه کبریا راه یافت.

You could leave the concert

You could leave the concert and go for a walk. That is how other cultures know Rumi and that is the beauty of him. I haven't seen anything after Samad from you except anger, expectation and dissatisfied attitude. What happend to the creation of an artist?

A dilapidated house of being

What more did you think you were going to get out of celebrating Rumi?

Did you think that Rumi simply showing us the way out of a dusty fly-bottle?

Think again.

hm

this just shows that you actually do not understand Rumi at all. I guess he is right every time he refrains from continuing because as he says people won't understand. It would be good if some of you actually studied the sufi culture and for that matter some poetry.
Rumi and his love are not political for you to mold him into something you want to see as your culture.

FYI: That was not Aghdashloo's or Mr Sayyad's own words

IRANdokht

PS: Azarin jan remind me to check it, I have two more of the same Bordeaux left ;-)

Actually Sima,

Mr. Sayyad's interpretation of Molana IS that of the new western obsession with "International Rumi" of Chopra and Madonna. That is, Molana supposedly is not the fervent Muslim Sufi, student of Attar, who has started the Sufi Madresahs and had all those Muslim "morids," rather he was just Muslim when he was young and didn't know any better!

Later, according to this crowd, he is "neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Zoroastrian, nor a Moslem," god knows who has written the story of "three travelers" for him then?

Here, read his article again:

"Rumi’s “universal manifesto” as Ginell labels it, is “I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Zoroastrian, nor a Moslem.” From time to time, the moderators Gorgin and Aghdashloo reminded us of this important part of Rumi’s philosophy. But, in the rest of the program, the universal Rumi was sorely missing and missed. Instead, Rumi was represented as the most devoted of Muslims, and even as a fundamentalist.

In his early life, Rumi can be mistaken as being an Islamic cleric, which was the dominant interpretation at the Bowl on the night of September 27th. "

Mr. Saayad: Don't get mad,

Mr. Saayad: Don't get mad, get even. Why don't you organize an event to counter this distorted version of Rumi.

It appears that the IRI after reaching out to academic lobbyists in the US is now on a crusade to reach out to musicians and artists to do its bidding. The propaganda budget of the IRI seems to be infinitely larger than we thought.

Thank you Mr. Sayyad

A very informed and intelligent piece of criticism. This recent western obsession with "Rumi" is such a hoax and so illiterate that I feel tongue-tied trying to describe it -- where do you even begin... It is a know-nothing's version of orientalist cultural imperialism: you take whatever you want from the east and do whatever you want with it without needing to know anything about it or even speak the damn language. At least the old orientalists put in some effort learning to read Pesian! 

When you have this level of ignorance and illiteracy it is only a matter of time before all kinds of demogogues with political agendas will hop on board. We will forgive Yo Yo Ma and ignore Madonna but Mr. Gorgin and Ms. Aghdashlou should have known better.

Nice Narrative

Thank you Mr. Sayyad for the nice description of the event.  BTW, your 1980's movie Frestadeh is one of my all time favorites.  It was a magnificently made movie.   

Persia is Eternal.

True Portrayal !!!

It goes to show You That You practicaly proved my point, that except in the case of Ferdowsi, Daghighi & a few ,  the rest of kharabati , contemporary poets of Post-Sassanid Iran were nothing but willing, passive cultural agents of Omatism & shaikhism. No amount of cosmetic & make up is gone change the fact . How many times the term Iran was used in Divan-Hafiz-al-Koran vs great Ferdowsi? ...none..The portrayal in the show , was correct . Let,s not fool ourselves about Rumi , Hafiz & the like . 

Regards !!! 

Art is open for interpretation

Since Rumi is universal you have to accept that he is universally translated to different forms. I would think that Christians, Jews and Hindus appreciate him in their own way. As well as Madonna and Chopra and their friends have their own way of appreciating him.

If you like the way of Madonna and her friends then go to their program, but do not bash someone just because he is calling on Allah or reciting Quran verses. Those are actually things that is done in the Sufi schools that Rumi started.

/Bidar bash ke ma bekhabim

The past 30 years

Read "Parviz Sayyad's Theater of Diaspora" by Hamid Dabashi. Also visit: //www.thestoning.com/sayyad.html

PARVIZ SAYYAD
by Peter Chelkowski
New York University

In a chapter entitled “Popular Entertainment, Media and Social Change in Twentieth Century Iran,” which I wrote several years ago for the Cambridge History of Iran, vol. VII, I devoted two pages out of fifty to Parviz Sayyad, subtitling the piece “Parviz Sayyad-the Bridge between the Past and the Present.”

Parviz Sayyad made his entrance onto the Iranian stage and into Iran’s film and television arena at a time when something significant of traditional Iranian entertainment and performing arts had ceased to exist. He very nearly single-handedly rescued these traditional Iranian forms of performance from oblivion, by gathering and presenting them on television and on stage, as well as at various Art Festivals. His work with traditional Iranian performing arts such as Naggalli (storytelling), ta’Taziyeh (Shií passion play) and Ruhowzi (improvised comedies)is similar to that of Carlo Gozzi’s in Italy at the end of the Eighteenth Century, when Gozzi tried to prolong the life of the Commedia dell Arte as a meaningful cultural institution for the general public.

At the same time that Sayyad is a traditionalist, he is a modern director, actor, playwright, and visionary, almost bordering on avante-garde theater and film. Between the years 1960 and 1977 Sayyad produced, staged, directed, filmed, played a role in, or wrote screenplays for some 900 programs for Iranian television, movies and theater.

For Iranian television, Sayyad created a whole cast of stock characters, who reflected Iranian society in all walks of life. One of the best examples of the cross-breeding of tradition with modernity is the character Samad, whom Sayyad created and developed for countless television programs and 9 full-length feature films. Samad, the simple good-hearted peasant, became the beloved hero for Iranian television and cinema audiences in the 1970’s.

Particularly outstanding were 21 feature films for which Sayyad either wrote the screenplays, directed, acted or produced. He achieved international recognition through the showing of his movies at film festivals in Berlin, Paris, London, and Moscow. The commercial success of his films made it possible for him to be a financial force behind the production of more meaningful and artistic films from eminent Iranian author-directors like Ebrahim Golestan, Farrokh Ghaffarif and Sohrab Shahid Saless.

The chapter in the Cambridge History of Iran, in which I dubbed Sayyad the “Bridge between the Past and the Present,” was written before Sayyad’s artistic creativity started to have an impact on a new audience: the Iranians now living in the Diaspora. Through his films and theatrical productions, Sayyad now becomes a “bridge” between Iran proper and the Diaspora. He becomes a vital link between the immigrants and the soil of Iran, with its deep and flourishing Zoroastrian, Muslim and modern roots. And, though that connection helps many in the audience to recharge their patriotic batteries, for others it is like the Zoroastrian bridge of conscious good and evil which hangs between heaven and the place of damnation.