Cheers to Rumi

Before I start my post, check out the picture of Rumi. Wouldn't you just want to pinch his cheeks?

Last night I attended an event at a bar/restaurant/lounge that went like this:

Cocktails
Video on Rumi and his teachings
Spiritual Sufi music performance
Live band

As someone who was raised Muslim, I cannot tell you how diametrically opposed to the standard Muslim rituals this program was. Though it felt strange, I kinda dug it too. If anyone doesn't know who Rumi is, he was a Persian from the 1200s who fled his homeland to escape the oncoming invasions of Genghis Khan and settled in Konya, of modern-day Turkey. He founded the sect and practice of the whirling dervishes. He was a spiritual man and beautiful poet who taught about divine, unconditional love that knows no religion and no barrier. Whether at a church, synagogue or mosque, he saw only one altar at which to pray. He was a unifier, not a divider. And so it happens that some 800 years later, his poetry and teachings have been resurrected and the year 2007 was deemed the international year of Rumi by UNESCO.

So back to last night. I arrived at the venue, ordered a glass of wine and began my mingling. About 1/2 hour later some girl got on the stage and told us all to find a seat, because she couldn't start the film until we were all seated. Why? "Because you need to focus when watching this." Okayyyy... this seemed rather pretentious to me. Like what, I'm going to be open for a deeper state of meditation and trance while sitting and holding my glass of wine than while standing and holding my glass of wine? Whatever. Anyway, the film was short and sweet. The performance by the Sufi musicians, wasn't so. Because I grew up with this music, I have it associated with the ignorant teachings of some people in the religion that I was raised with rather than with the unifying, heart-filled teachings of Sufism. I associate it with restrictions and limitations, rather than freedom and love. It would be like someone who was raised Catholic but who couldn't stand the notion of guilt, sin and repentance, listening to Gregorian chant and feeling cold and clammy while I, the detached observer, feel admiration and serenity. There were others there who did not feel what I felt, judging by the applause. Also, I just find the singing awfully whiney.

Anyway, the program ended and then there was a live band.

It just all seemed like such a STRANGE mix of activities.

Picture taken from Wikipedia.com.