Whispers of Love; Whirling Dervishes

Sat, 02 Oct 2004 00:00 in Community Engagement

Where: Wembley Arena, London

The Dialogue Society organised its first 'Sema' programme Whispers of Love-Whirling Dervishes event on the 2nd October 2004 at the prestigious Wembley Grand Hall.

The Whispers of Love event emphasised the renowned Rumi way of love, understanding and universal peace; values which stem from the very heart of Islam but which have sadly been eclipsed in recent times. The overall objective of the event was to advance inter-communal and inter-religious dialogue by bringing members and believers of different communities and religions, respectively, together around the common values of love, mutual respect and understanding.

The event comprised of an exhibition on Rumi and the Anatolian Sufi tradition, a video clip, a magical performance by the Whirling Dervishes from Turkey and concluded with a commonly performed prayer by the leading religious figures of Britain for the peace and safety of London.

The VIP guest list for the event included Members of both Houses of Parliament; Secretaries of State and Ministers of State for Education, Culture and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; the Mayor of London and Mayor’s of the London Boroughs; Turkish-Speaking Councillors; Ambassador of Turkey and the Turkish Education, Tourism and Religious Counsellor’s in England and the leading religious figures of Britain.

A variety of stalls ranging from books, jewellery, Islamic art, and traditional Mevlevi artefacts from Konya were on display in the exhibition area in the Foyer. Exclusive Gift Packs, prepared solely for this event, were presented to ticket-holders as they departed the venue.

Description

An annual event since 2004 which comprises an exhibition on Rumi and the Anatolian Sufi tradition, a magical performance by the Whirling Dervishes from Turkey and a commonly performed prayer by leading religious figures of Britain for the peace and safety of London. The event emphasises the renowned Rumi way of love, understanding and universal peace; values which stem from the very heart of Islam but which have been eclipsed in recent times.

Objective

To promote Rumi’s way of love, understanding and universal peace and remind Muslim and non-Muslim alike of such Islamic values. To draw inspiration of Rumi’s ‘compass analogy’, namely that as believers secure in their faith Muslims must be involved in the community as proactive citizens.