From American Pastor to Whirling Dervish

From American Pastor to Whirling Dervish

Former Christian minister Craig Fenter was in the midst of a deep spiritual void when he first picked up a book of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi’s poetry in his local LA bookshop. The writings of Rumi, a 13th-Century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic have long inspired people across faiths. And Rumi’s poetry on divine love and the soul’s journey toward God would captivate Craig, inspiring him to leave behind his Californian home, to begin a new life as a whirling dervish in Turkey. The BBC’s Emily Wither travelled to meet Craig Fenter, now known as Ismail, in the central Anatolian city of Konya, Rumi’s resting place and an important pilgrimage site for his followers. It is here where Ismail joined the Mevlevi order, became a disciple of Rumi and converted to Islam. Ismail is now working on a new English translation of Rumi’s most famous work, the Masnavi-yi Maʿnavi, 25,000 verses of rhymed couplets in Persian.

Episoder(2000)

Game of clones

Game of clones

In Argentina, cloning polo horses is transforming the sport. There are big companies, big profits and big ambitions. Against the backdrop of the Argentine Open, (the crown jewel of the Polo season,) p...

5 Feb 26min

India's sportswomen playing to be seen

India's sportswomen playing to be seen

How sport is giving some young women in India a way out of child marriage and allowing them to be seen.Officially, the practice of child marriage is illegal in the country. But UNICEF estimates that o...

3 Feb 26min

Liberation Radio

Liberation Radio

Matthew Sweet reports from an exhibition in Sweden about American conscripts who sought refuge there during the war in Vietnam. He hears from sound artist Nhung Nguyen and film-maker Esther Johnson ab...

2 Feb 25min

Ukraine: Whose peace?

Ukraine: Whose peace?

Can diplomacy alone end the war in Ukraine in the absence of a compromise? After nearly four years of fighting and countless deaths, top diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, the US and Europe have been har...

1 Feb 42min

Archaeology and war

Archaeology and war

A top Russian archaeologist is currently under arrest in Poland. Alexander Butyagin is waiting for courts to decide on a request from Ukraine for him to be extradited. He is a scholar at the Hermitage...

31 Jan 26min

ICE in Minnesota

ICE in Minnesota

Over the past year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have become a visible force on American streets. Accused of using aggressive tactics, they often cover their faces and have cast a ...

31 Jan 23min

Jesus in a shop doorway

Jesus in a shop doorway

*** This episode contains distressing content, including references to suicide, drug use, and sexual and violent material *** Mick Fleming turned to drugs to numb the trauma of a childhood shaped by v...

30 Jan 26min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
alt-fortalt
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
popradet
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
fladseth
synnve-og-vanessa
frokostshowet-pa-p5
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
rss-dannet-uten-piano
den-politiske-situasjonen
krisemoter