A Q&A conversation about language and other topics with the owner of Persian Poetics, author of a forthcoming book on Jalaluddin Rumi, and "Sharghzadeh" on Twitter
Interesting interview. I was also struck while reading that, it’s funny how so many critiques of Islam, or even pro-Palestine protests, focus on arguments like “well you don’t hear people criticising or protesting about conditions in Muslim countries.” If they bothered paying attention to conversations like this one, they’d know that most Muslims regularly criticise politics and practices in Muslim countries.
The practices are more or less the same, you just do some extracurricular meditating to become more conscious of your inner state and there is also a philosophical component. “Sufism: An Introduction” by William Chittick is good primer.
Interesting interview. I was also struck while reading that, it’s funny how so many critiques of Islam, or even pro-Palestine protests, focus on arguments like “well you don’t hear people criticising or protesting about conditions in Muslim countries.” If they bothered paying attention to conversations like this one, they’d know that most Muslims regularly criticise politics and practices in Muslim countries.
That’s true; we just had a whole Arab Spring
I look forward to your book of translations
Too bad I missed him by 2 days when I got to Kuwait and he had to leave.. I was planning on meeting him for months!
Anyways, inshallah some other time. He said he might be in NYC in the future, so that gives me hope.
We can all hang then
Great interview! Curious if he (or you) has a recommendation on a good book on what distinguishes Sufi practice from other forms of Islam?
The practices are more or less the same, you just do some extracurricular meditating to become more conscious of your inner state and there is also a philosophical component. “Sufism: An Introduction” by William Chittick is good primer.