There are some significant personalities who with the help of their voice and breath, their love and excitement, and their promise for humanity always remain fresh and alive over the course of centuries.
Time evidently fails to make these characters obsolete. Their thoughts analyses, explanations, and spiritual messages, represent ever anew, alternative solutions and prescriptions for today’s social problems, in great variety and diversity. Despite the vast amount of time that separates his life from the present, Rumi continues to shape the thoughts and practices of many and presents solutions to present day problems in a unique way.
The goal of the proposed conference is to investigate patterns and dynamics of the essentials of Rumi’s thoughts and to investigate how, even seven hundred years after his time, Rumi still attracts many people from various backgrounds. Proceedings of this conference will be published by the Institute of Interfaith Dialog.
Papers are expected to be submitted (using WORD), electronically no later than February 29, 2008. All submitted papers will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Each paper should have a length of about no more than 6,000 words. The manuscript should be double-spaced throughout, including indented quotes and endnotes. The article should be preceded by a brief abstract of no more than 300 words.
Possible Themes
1. Rumi in the 21th Century
2. Rumi’s influence in the West
3. Rumi’s influence on Muslim philosophers
4. Rumi and Islamic Law
5. Rumi and Poetry
6. Rumi’s life
Date
26-27 April 2008
Address
Thompson Conference Center, The University of Texas at Austin
http://www.utexas.edu/cee/tcc/
Sponsors
Gulen Institute
The Institute of Interfaith Dialog
University of Texas at Austin
Liberal Arts Humanities Program
Liberal Arts Honors Program
Center for Middle Eastern Studies and Islamic Studies
Atlas Interfaith Foundation
Contact
rumiconference@interfaithdialog.org
Ismailimail 
The essence of Rumi’s thought is not a dissertation on his technique or his spiritual dimension. No, none of these are essential to the intimacy Rumi espouses! Look not to the words but the vision. In the gaze held with Shams is the heart of this integration. Look into your vision in Rumi’s and find that profundity of another. Shams glanced into Rumi’s life and the soul responded. Our response, every one of us, takes Shams into account. One glimpse of Shams and we are smitten with Rumi’s obsession. If you doubt this for one moment then let yourself rise to the challenge and feel more deeply. Open your soul to the intense scrutiny of Sham’s gaze in Rumi’s words:
“Say I am You”
If there is any of Shams in you the chatspeak response of the reflective name “ru~mi? rings true to only one response: “Im”
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