‘Many Americans Love Rumi…But They Prefer He Not Be Muslim’

Interview: ‘Many Americans Love Rumi…But They Prefer He Not Be Muslim’ – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2010.

Many Americans love Rumi for his ecstatic spirituality about divine love, but they prefer that he not be a Muslim, or at least no more than minimally. Therefore, most Rumi books are marketed to satisfy the wish for maximum mysticism and minimal Islam. Americans have little interest or sympathy for political Islam, but by reading even the most popularized Rumi books, Americans are learning about many traditional Muslim values and wisdom teachings.

h/t Bibi