An Evening In the Ebassy of Afghanistan

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September 30Th, coincides with the 800 anniversary of the Poet Rumi's birth, and on the way to the East made a brief stop at Maryland for attending a conference on Rumi's poetry life and achievement, but unexpectedly ended up at the Embassy of Afghanistan in DC.

As you would imaging the conference was very dense attended by many of what the chief organizer Professor Karimi in more than one occasion described as the "cream of the top" on Rumi literature. Attendees arrived from world over including a playwright and a well-known actress from Dushanbe Tajikistan. Severely jet lagged she joined conference at mid-day and presented a DVD of a play she had wrote directed and acted based the the Masnavi theme of the "Lost Joseph." She is quite an energetic and vibrant personality with lots of fire; she spoke only in Persian, the national language there. At one time parts of central Asia and what is now Afghanistan used be a part of what is called the "Greater Khorasan" province of Persia. In fact Rumi was born in Balkh, which is now in western Afghanistan.

On the first night of the conference the the the Afghan Ambassador invites the "cream of the top" to the embassy in Washington, DC for an evening reception. Along with the other two musicians who had jsut arrived, we were the only ones in the party with casual street clothes, travel outfit and hiking boots.

The embassy is located near the DuPont Circle. It is located in large brick mansion with a beautiful yard and deck in the back. Expected armed guards and body checks before entry, but saw nothing of the kind; all were welcomed by warm smile a a of young Afghan (probably the cultural attache) dressed in a blue suite and a tie at the side door of the mansion.

Dinner is served right on entry with very Delicious and large variety of food, alcohol is not served. It is the Ramadan after all. Pictures of George w. and Laura B. with the ambassador and his wife and other "cream of the top" are seen on display on the counter tops. As we were having dinner we are first greeted warmly by the Ambassador's wife, a very friendly and pretty women who is dressed quite fashionably, and then by the ambassador himself. He appears very young with a GQ like look dressed in a blue suite, and nicely combed parted hair in the center. He makes a point to meet all and well come them personally, with very short and appropriate words and then moves on the next group, all done with a skill of a genuine diplomat. Later he address of the audience after dinner.

The topic essentially revolves on Rumi's message of unity. Rumi was born in what is now western Afghanistan, but moves moves eastward after the attack of the Mongols, and finally settles and dies in Anatolia now(Turkey) where he spends most of his adult life. The literary language of the region at the time was Persian (Farsi) as it is now fashionable to call it. So, a variety of people and ethnic groups found a point of unity in language and through the work of then poets who wrote in Persian.
Then appeared on stage the play-wright actress from Dushanbe, Tajikistan, who recited a few verses from the Masnavi, and the Professor Omoumie, ended the reception with ney and voice duo with his student. The two did a sensational performance of masanvi's first few lines in the manner the Jewish Iranians sang in Isfahan in bygone times.

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Photos

Reception Room, Embassy of Afghanistan
The ambasador to the right Dr. Oumumie and Jessika to the left