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Home - U.S. Consulate Chennai, India Consulate NewsU.S. Citizen ServicesVisas to the U.S.U.S. Policy & IssuesResources Consulate Highlights Photo of the Day Mr. Christopher Merrill, Director, International Writing Program, University of Iowa, listens to Dr. Nisar Ahmed, Professor and Head, Department of Arabic, Persian and Urdu, University of Madras, during DVC on Rumi’s Work and Its Contemporary Relevance. Rumi, the great Sufi poet/philosopher, brings Indians and Americans together On April 10, about 60 readers and admirers of 13th Century Sufi poet/philosopher Jalaluddin Rumi discussed his writings via video digital conference (DVC) between Chennai and the University of Iowa in the United States. Rumi’s works are read by millions of Indians and Americans of all religions because of the beauty of his poetry, the universality and timelessness of his themes, and the wisdom of his teachings. Dr. Nisar Ahmed, Professor and Head, Department of Arabic, Persian and Urdu, University of Madras, spoke on the “The Relevance of Sufi Philosophy and Rumi Today.” Mr. Abdul Rahiman, Lecturer, JBAS Centre for Islamic Studies of the same university, focused on Rumi’s interfaith themes. On the U.S. side, Mr. Christopher Merrill, Director of the International Writing Program, University of Iowa, noted Rumi’s popularity in the United States. Reflecting on Rumi’s revelations on the nature of existence, Mr. Merrill said: “It is no secret that pain can lock up our emotions. This is an enduring poetic theme. And no one understood that better than Rumi, who is still forging links between the East and West, particularly in the United States, preparing us to walk purposefully through the same gate.” Ms. Fathima Vasanth, Principal, Madras School of Social Work asks Prof. Crocco a question. American and Indian Educators Exchange Successful Teaching Strategies On April 9, U.S. Consulate and the Tamil Nadu Principal’s Association conducted a D...