Maliha Masood writes in Muslim WakeUp! Why America Needs Rumi
"The 13th century Rumi was no stranger to cultural animosity. He had witnessed the Mongol pillage and plunder of Muslim dynasties of Central and West Asia. Influenced by Islamic Sufism and the Christian mysticism of St. John of the Cross, he longed for a world exuding immense affection for humankind. This alone could turn the world into a paradise. His verses spread the message of love - love for its own sake, not in consideration of a good turn – that resonated with Western/Christian teachings of selfless love. The twentieth century German poet Hans Meinke considered Rumi’s work as "the only hope for the dark times we are living in."
"In his masterpiece, the Mathnawi, (a Persian word for God), Rumi bleeds the sacred and the profane, countering the notion that Islam is antithetical to secular thought. He likens the world to a tavern, where people drunk with desire and longing, mingle around until they realize their calling to return to a God whose sweeping love supersedes all earthly love from the most mundane to the deepest of passions. "
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