Abstract

Cultural conflicts constitute a major challenge in contemporary multicultural societies, intensified by globalization, migration, and digital connectivity. Yet, scholarship has not systematically examined how Rumi’s mystical concepts may inform modern frameworks of intercultural dialogue and conflict transformation. This study employs a qualitative comparative textual analysis of the Mathnawi-ye Maʿnawi and Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, using thematic coding and conceptual synthesis in dialogue with theories of intercultural dialogue, intercultural empathy, ethical cosmopolitanism, and intercultural conflict. The findings show that motifs such as empathic listening, ego-decentring, inner transformation—including fana fi’l-ʿishq—and ethical recognition of the Other offer affective and normative resources that resonate with, and can modestly extend, contemporary approaches to managing cultural diversity. Moreover,
the analysis demonstrates that Rumi’s spiritual anthropology provides a deeper ethical grounding for empathy-based engagement, enriching current discourses on coexistence and peace. Integrating these insights fosters interdisciplinary exchanges between mysticism and the social sciences and opens new possibilities for developing holistic models of intercultural understanding, education, cultural diplomacy, and mediation. These conceptual affinities also point to context-sensitive pathways for applying mystical-ethical resources in real-world settings, while underscoring the need for empirical assessment and careful attention to historical and cultural specificity, thereby encouraging more nuanced, inclusive, and human-centred strategies for addressing today’s complex intercultural challenges.

Keywords

Cultural Conflict ResolutionInner PeaceIntercultural DialogueIntercultural EmpathyRumi

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How to Cite

Zahra Ahmadi, Mohammadreza Dehshiri. Rumi and Intercultural Dialogue: The Role of Rumi's Teachings in Resolving Cultural Conflicts. Cultural Conflict and Integration. 29 October 2025. https://doi.org/10.55121/cci.v2i2.836
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