Appropriation of Sufi poet Rumi sparks outrage in Afghanistan
Where is Jalilauddin Rumi from? Should his character be played by Leonardo di Caprio? These are the questions currently preoccupying Afghans and Iranians alike. Now even the Afghan government has waged into the debate.
Everyone knows him. Everyone has heard his poems and it is very likely that they know a few by heart. Jalal al-Din Mohammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi, is one of the most famous poets and Sufi mystics in Persian-speaking countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan.
But the 13th-century poet is currently a source of heated debates.
Oscar-winning screenwriter David Franzoni recently agreed to write the script for a biopic of Rumi. Although he said it was too early to begin casting, he would like Leonardo DiCaprio to play Rumi, and Robert Downey Jr. to star as Shams of Tabriz, the spiritual instructor of Rumi.
The news was not taken well by users on social media. Using the hashtag #RumiWasn'tWhite many criticized the preference of casting a white actor. Iranian artist Shahab Jafarnejad drew a cartoon depicting Leonardo DiCaprio as Rumi which quickly became popular.
To which country does Rumi belong?
This comes at a time when the Afghan government has expressed criticism over another issue concerning the famous poet. Turkey and Iran have shown joint interest over filing the Masnavi Ma'navi, Rumi's most important work, as their heritage in the UNESCO heritage list.
Rumi spent most of his life in Turkey and died in the city of Konya, which is popular amongst tourists. Iran claims Rumi was Persian since most of his work was in the Persian language. Afghans oppose this view, because Rumi was born in what is today Afghanistan.
That's why the Afghan government reacted swiftly and met up with Patricia McPhillips, the UNESCO representative for Afghanistan. "As soon as we heard about this matter, we contacted the representative of the UNESCO for Afghanistan and expressed our concern," Hakimi told DW. "Jalal al-Din Balkhi is our pride and we won't let any other country take this honor away from us."
McPhillips said she would report the Afghan government's views on this issue to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
Meanwhile, there are plans to hold demonstrations in Afghanistan's Balkh province, Rumi's birthplace, on Friday, protesting Turkey's and Iran's alleged moves to appropriate Rumi.
Hundreds of people are expected to take part in the protests.
Sadeq Osyani, professor of literature at the University of Balkh, says the Sufi poet "actually has three homes."
"One is the whole world as his home, the second one is his home of language and the third is his birthplace in Balkh," he told DW.
Protests planned
Users on social media were outraged, too, with many venting their anger on the UNESCO Facebook page, while others used Twitter to share their frustration.
Many users have commented on Rumi's background and supported the stance of the Afghan government. Journalist Frud Bezhan posted a picture of what is known as the birthplace of Rumi in northern Afghanistan.
