Molana is universal: Persian scholar

“Molana’s last name is Rumi, and Rumi means Anatolian,” Gunay said in response to Iranian Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) Director Hamidreza Baqaii, who emphasized the Persian nationality of Molana (1207-1273) during the Iranian cultural week recently held in Istanbul.

Persian scholar Sadeq Maleki felt it necessary to respond to the incorrect claims, reminding the minister of Molana’s Persian nationality. Following is an excerpt of the text he has submitted to the Persian service of the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA).

“Yes, it is true that Molana was born in Balkh (now in Afghanistan) and was buried in Konya. The cultural official has referred to the birth and death place of the poet, and then has concluded that Molana is Turk.”

“It seems he is entangled in the geography of today, but if he broadens his horizons, he will find that both Balkh and Konya were under the culture and civilization of Persia in those years.”

“In olden times, the large areas of land and geography of a country were the best motives for other countries to plunder. Today, it seems the form of invasion has changed, and instead, it is the characters that are being arrogated.”

""Of course, we also are to blame; ignorance to own cultural heritage and blatant opportunism of other nations has provided the ground for cultural invasion.”

“Works by every author and scholar introduce his own character, and the translation of the works by Molana into Turkish seems to be the only way Turkey’s culture minister can understand the poet.”

“In order to understand Molana, we need to cross over the history and geography and leave any property. Molana is the common point connecting the culture of Iran and Turkey and we should acknowledge that there is enough space for everyone to live beside him, whose home was a haunt of dervishes.”