Afghanistan, Oct. 4 -- An international conference titled "Rumi: A Global Voice for Peace" was held Friday at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, marking the 819th anniversary of the birth of Mawlana Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi, widely known as Rumi.
Organized by Rumi House and George Washington University, the event brought together American admirers of Rumi, scholars, university professors, diplomats, former Afghanistan government officials, and Afghan cultural and artistic figures.
The conference opened with a rubab performance and a rendition of Besh naw az Ney ("Listen to the Reed") by Basir Ahmad Wajuhat, followed by a short film using music, images and verses attributed to Rumi to explore the...