Shems Friedlander

Shems Friedlander

Birth : 1940-01-08, New York

Death : 2022-11-22

History

Shems Friedlander (born Ira Friedlander into a Jewish family in New York January 8th, 1940 - Istanbul, 22 November, 2022, buried in Konya in the shadow of Mawlana Jalal udin al-Rumi) Shems Friedlander was an American Muslim visual artist, filmmaker, scholar and author on Tassawuf and Professor Emeritus, American University in Cairo, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. He produced many works on Tassawuf, especially the Mevlevi Tariqah, as well as the Halveti-Jerrahi Tariqa which he was a member of. After graduating from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1963 he embarked on a life seeking answers to spiritual questions, that led him through many explorations and many places across the world, as described in his own biography entitled Winter Harvest. He finally embraced Islam when he met sheikh Muzaffer Ozak Efendi of the Halveti-Jerrahi Tariqa. He is also the author of 8 other books, a published journal of Occasional Sufi Papers named Zawiyah and his art work has been exhibited worldwide. In 2005 he was awarded Teacher of Excellence by the School of Business, Economics and Communications, at AUC for a three year period. After living and teaching for many years in Cairo, Egypt, Shems Friedlander took residence in Istanbul where he continued to work and research to further the cause of Islam and its universal message for the good of humanity at large. He journeyed on to his Lord on the 22nd of November, 2022 in Istanbul and was buried very close to his beloved master Mawlana Jalal udin al-Rumi in Konya, Turkey. His service, valuable work and dedication remain an inspiration to the world of humanity. The world is deeply saddened by the loss of the very special Shems Friedlander, an American Muslim visual artist, filmmaker, scholar, author on Tassawuf and Professor at the Emeritus and American University in Cairo.

Profile

Shems Friedlander

Movies

The Circles of Remembrance
Producer
The Circles of Remembrance is an 82 minute journey into what is usually a hidden world of Sufism. This documentary explores "zikr" ceremonies in Cairo, Istanbul, Morocco, and the U.S., along with interviews with some of the most prominent Sufi scholars and musicians, on the outer and secret meaning of the remembrance of God. Martin Lings, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Gai Eaton, Sheikh Ali Gomma, T.J. Winter,and Tosun Bayrak are among those interviewed.
The Circles of Remembrance
Director
The Circles of Remembrance is an 82 minute journey into what is usually a hidden world of Sufism. This documentary explores "zikr" ceremonies in Cairo, Istanbul, Morocco, and the U.S., along with interviews with some of the most prominent Sufi scholars and musicians, on the outer and secret meaning of the remembrance of God. Martin Lings, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Gai Eaton, Sheikh Ali Gomma, T.J. Winter,and Tosun Bayrak are among those interviewed.
Rumi: The Wings of Love
Producer
Creened in several international film festivals, as well as the Musée de L’Homme in Paris, this film takes viewers into a secret world rarely seen by outsiders. Nearly eight centuries after his death, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Sufi master and mystical poet, is ever-present in the whirling ceremony of today’s Mevlevi dervishes. The Halveti zikr, Mevlevi semas, and the Gharib, or secret, sema-not seen for over 100 years-were filmed in Cairo, Istanbul, and the Garden of Rumi in Konya. This unique footage set to Mevlevi music is enhanced by interviews with Sheikh Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Din (Martin Lings), Islamic philosopher and author Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Sheikh Omer Tugrel Inancer, who reveals the hidden meaning of the reed flute.
Rumi: The Wings of Love
Director
Creened in several international film festivals, as well as the Musée de L’Homme in Paris, this film takes viewers into a secret world rarely seen by outsiders. Nearly eight centuries after his death, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Sufi master and mystical poet, is ever-present in the whirling ceremony of today’s Mevlevi dervishes. The Halveti zikr, Mevlevi semas, and the Gharib, or secret, sema-not seen for over 100 years-were filmed in Cairo, Istanbul, and the Garden of Rumi in Konya. This unique footage set to Mevlevi music is enhanced by interviews with Sheikh Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Din (Martin Lings), Islamic philosopher and author Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Sheikh Omer Tugrel Inancer, who reveals the hidden meaning of the reed flute.