Calgary Hosts Cultural Gathering “An Evening with Rumi”

Calgary, Canada — The Sayed Kayan Association (SKA), one of the most active Afghan cultural and social organizations in Canada, held a literary and cultural gathering titled “An Evening with Rumi” at its Calgary branch on June 28, 2025. The event drew a warm and enthusiastic response from Afghan residents of Calgary and highlighted the Association’s growing role in preserving and promoting Afghan heritage in Canada.

In addition to celebrating Rumi’s universal message of love, tolerance, and spirituality, the event also marked the launch of the second issue of the SKA Quarterly Journal, a platform dedicated to cultural, literary, and social thought.

Program Highlights

The evening was hosted by Rahmatullah Ashrafi and Yalda Bakhtiar, and opened with a Qur’an recitation by Hakim Maqsudi. Mr. Abdul Khaliq Khezrzada, Head of SKA Calgary Branch, welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of preserving mother tongue and culture within the Afghan diaspora.

Several distinguished speakers offered reflections on Rumi’s life and teachings:

• Mr. Dadullah Hassas, former Director of Information and Culture of Baghlan Province, explained Rumi’s life in three stages — before meeting Shams, during his companionship with Shams, and after their separation.
• Mr. Sediqullah Tawhidi, former President of the Afghan Free Journalists’ Union, spoke about Rumi’s universal teachings and recalled UNESCO’s 2007 recognition of Rumi as a global cultural figure.
• General Zahir Azimi, former Spokesperson of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense, reflected on the centrality of love in Rumi’s philosophy, describing it as the path to both humanity and God.
• Ms. Rizwan Adil, Deputy Head of SKA Calgary Branch, focused on love, peace, and knowledge as key elements of Rumi’s thought.
• Mr. Bashir Ahmad Adeel, Communications Officer of SKA Calgary, discussed Rumi’s rejection of religious extremism and his embrace of spiritual values shared across faiths.

Cultural Performances

The program featured poetry recitations and musical performances inspired by Rumi’s works:

• Poems were read by several community members, including Haji Baz Mohammad Ronaq and Abdul Karim Darwish.
• A girls’ performance group sang Rumi’s “Pir-e Man o Morad-e Man.”
• Giti Maqsudi performed Rumi’s “Ney-Nameh” in song, while Wakil Juma Khan sang Rumi’s poetry accompanied by the traditional tanbur, delighting the audience.
• Attendees also enjoyed poetry recitations by Engineer Hamidi, Akram Khan Masoom, Ehsan Ahadi, Elaheh Khezrzada, and Amruddin Bakhtiar.

Strengthening Afghan Cultural Identity

The gathering was another example of SKA’s mission to bring together Afghans of all backgrounds — beyond linguistic, ethnic, or religious divides — in a shared space of culture, literature, and community.

The evening concluded with a reception for guests, leaving participants with renewed inspiration from Rumi’s timeless call for peace, love, and spiritual wisdom.