Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio might star in a forthcoming film based on the life of Jalal Al-Din Rumi, the 13th century mystic. Yuriko Nakao / Getty Images
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio might star in a forthcoming film based on the life of Jalal Al-Din Rumi, the 13th century mystic. Yuriko Nakao / Getty Images

Rumi’s influence requires an exact study on film



Earlier this week, the idea was floated that the actor Leonardo DiCaprio might star in a forthcoming film based on the life of Jalal Al-Din Rumi, the 13th century mystic, poet and scholar. Much controversy ensued, with many pointing out that Rumi could never be mistaken for a white European as he was from what is now Iran. It’s unclear if DiCaprio is being seriously considered for the role or even if the project is likely to be produced – but it did bring up the issues of “whitewashing” Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, if not Rumi himself.

It wouldn’t be the first time that a Hollywood film took people of colour from Asia or Africa and presented them as white. In most western films about ancient Egypt, for example, Egyptians are portrayed as white Europeans. Films depicting Jesus of Nazareth regularly show him in the same fashion, even though, as a Palestinian Jew he would have been far more similar to contemporary Palestinians in skin tone and features. But the issue of Sufism in particular is striking – because it has received its own specific type of misrepresentation.

When Muhammad Ali passed away this month, a number of obituaries noted that he had “embraced Sufi Islam”, with the implication that Ali had moved on from the more normative Sunni Islam he had integrated into following his departure from the heterodox “Nation of Islam”.

A number of books have already established Rumi as somehow being a part of Sufi Islam, which appears to be distinct and separate from a more regular and orthodox Sunnism. In this regard, Ali and Rumi, it seems, are somewhat different from regular Muslims.

Of course, Ali and Rumi are different but they were still Sunnis, and rather extraordinary human beings.

Imam Zaid Shakir, the imam who presided over funeral prayers for the boxing legend this week, is a Sunni teacher in the United States who also upholds Sufism as an integral part of Sunnism. When one looks at the life of Rumi himself, one finds not a new age transcendent preacher, but a Sunni judge of Islamic law, while at the same time being one of the most recognised Sufi saints of Muslim history.

The same might be said of most Sufi figures in Muslim history past or present.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, for example, the Spanish mystic, Ibn Arabi (1165-1240), has often been cited as a Sufi who transcended Islam, and regarded all religions as essentially the same. Yet, Ibn Arabi was a highly orthodox Sunni Muslim, who also held strictly to a traditional school of canon jurisprudence, while also writing deeply moving spiritual poetry.

Sufism may have inspired a lot of new age spirituality in the last 60 years in the West – but its history is very much integral to standard expressions of Islam in its classical forms, both Sunni and Shia.

But public assessments of Sufism have often missed the mark – and not simply in the West. Often times, Sufism is described in different quarters as the pacifist form of Islam – a form that will be the antidote to ISIL.

In many ways, Sufism is just that, in that it is deeply rooted in mainstream Islamic expressions, while extremists have distanced themselves from the mainstream precisely because it isn’t radical enough for them.

Yet, to mistake Sufism as somehow akin to pacifism might make for uncomfortable readings of history. In the Free Syrian Army today, there are many who describe themselves as Sufis who are nonetheless fighting what they deem to be a just cause.

During the Italian fascist occupation of Libya, the Libyan resistance movement was led by a Libyan Sufi of the Sanusi order, Omar Al Mukhtar. The most renowned Sufis of their era, such as Abul Hasan Al Shadhili, fought against the Crusader forces of King Louis when his armies invaded Egypt at Mansurah in the 13th century. The examples are plentiful, in other words. That shouldn’t be surprising – because at least historically Sufism has never been uniquely pacifist, even while it has been the repository of the deeper spiritual sciences of Islam. But when Sufis fought, it wasn’t an indulging in wanton violence – they always saw them as “just wars”.

It’s unclear what might become of that proposed film about Rumi, and who might eventually portray him. One hopes that whatever does come of it, that it will portray the man and his beliefs accurately, rather than whitewash him – whether in his race or in his thoughts.

Dr HA Hellyer is an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London and a non-resident senior fellow at the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East in Washington, DC

On Twitter: @hahellyer

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1

MATCH STATS

Wolves 0

Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)

Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)

Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)

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THE SPECS

Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre

Transmission: Seven-speed auto

Power: 165hp

Torque: 241Nm

Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000

On sale: now

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Dubai World Cup factbox

Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

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The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

ENGLAND SQUAD

Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds

Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell

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%3Cp%3EAn%20FTA%20with%20the%20GCC%20would%20be%20very%20significant%20for%20the%20UK.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20My%20Department%20has%20forecast%20that%20it%20could%20generate%20an%20additional%20%C2%A31.6%20billion%20a%20year%20for%20our%20economy.%3Cbr%3EWith%20consumer%20demand%20across%20the%20GCC%20predicted%20to%20increase%20to%20%C2%A3800%20billion%20by%202035%20this%20deal%20could%20act%20as%20a%20launchpad%20from%20which%20our%20firms%20can%20boost%20their%20market%20share.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now