From American Pastor to Whirling Dervish

Former Christian Minister Craig Fenter was in the midst of a deep spiritual void when he first picked up a book of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi’s poetry in his local LA bookshop. The writings of Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic have long inspired people across faiths. And Rumi’s poetry on divine love and the soul’s journey toward God would captivate Craig, inspiring him to leave behind his Californian home, to begin a new life as a whirling dervish in Turkey.

The BBC’s Emily Wither travelled to meet Craig Fenter - now known as Ismail - in the Central Anatolian city of Konya. Konya is known as Rumi’s resting place and is now an important pilgrimage site for his followers. It is here where Ismail joined the Mevlevi order, became a disciple of Rumi and converted to Islam.

Ismail is now working on a new English translation of Rumi’s most famous work, the Masnavi-yi Maʿnavi, 25,000 verses of rhymed couplets in Persian. Ismail believes it is his calling to work on a modern translation of Rumi’s greatest work, for which he has the blessing of Rumi’s 22nd generation direct descendants.

[Photo Description: Whirling dervish Ismail Fenter stands in front of the Mevlana Museum and tomb site of 13th century Persian poet and Islamic scholar, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi in Konya, Turkey. Photo Credit: Emily Wither]

Producer/presenter: Emily Wither
Series Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
Music: Ismail C Fenter