Iranian cultural consulate celebrates 6thanniversary of MusanviKhwani
By Naveed Ahmed Khan Photo by Raja Farid
Islamabad —A prestigious event was organized on the occasion of the 6thanniversary of MusanviKhwani with the mutual cooperation of the Cultural Consulate Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Islamabad and the Association of Persian Language Graduates. Persian teachers, researchers, and students of Persian besides other cultural personalities of Pakistan presented articles on MusanviKhwani.
Mr. Ehsan Khazai, Cultural Consular, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Islamabad, delivered the welcome speech and thanked the audience for participation. Ambassador Designated of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan H.E.Dr. Raza AmiriMoghadam was the chief guest at the event. Prof. Dr. Muzaffar Ali Kashmiri, President of AnjumanIftikhar and Dr. RabiaKayani, Dr. Anbar Yasmin, President of the Department of Persian Namal University, and Dr. Abdul AzizSahir, Dean Faculty of Humanities at Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad were also present at the event and spokeon MusanviKhwani.
Historically, Maulana Rumi holds the same position as Allama Iqbal in Urdu poetry. Maulana Rumi’s poems are full of spiritual themes. Under the shadow of the Cultural Consulate Embassy of the Republic of Islamic Iran, Maulana Rumi’s MasnaviManawi is taught in the form of a regular lesson. Maulana Rumi is considered to be an “ARIF” and one of the great Sufi poets of Persian.
This program will lead to the consolidation of cultural ties between the two countries and the strengthening and promotion of the Persian Language. In his address, the ambassador of Iran said, “The efforts of the Cultural Consulate for the promotion of Masnavi-Khwaani are commendable and I congratulate them on the completion of six years in this regard.” Pakistan and Iran are two brotherly Islamic countries and they will try to strengthen the relations further as ambassadors. Because Maulana Rumi’s poems are the source of Quranic verses and hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ, they have the sweetness and pleasure of Maulana’s thoughts and the Persian language.
The Iranian ambassador said that I am proud to have Iranian diplomatic responsibilities in Pakistan. He congratulated Persian teacher Muzaffar Ali Kashmiri on completing six years of teaching MasnaviManawi. Prof. Muzaffar Ali Kashmiri in his address said that the meeting of MasnaviKhwani provides an opportunity that the literary lovers of Pakistan can get more familiar with the thoughts and mystical ideas of Maulana Rumi. Ehsan Khazai Cultural Consular Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran said that Maulana Rumi’s poems are interpretations of the Qur’an and the Iranian Cultural Consulate is working to promote other sciences and arts, including the spirituality and meaningful poetry of this famous Persian poet Maulana Rumi in Pakistan. He said that today’s event is the best result of these efforts for which Ustad Muzaffar Ali Kashmiri and his assistants deserve congratulations.
At the end of the event, Paraquds Hashmi presented Persian poems selected from Masnavi Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi in his unique style, which was greatly appreciated by the audience.