Conversation
Attar and The Conference of the Birds: A Journey from Society to the Simurgh
This conversation explores the life, thought, and social influence of Attar of Nishapur, examining The Conference of the Birds through mysticism, narrative, and social critique. Reza Mohaqeq and Hossein Mahmoudi discuss the birds’ journey toward the Simurgh and its human and collective meaning.
About this video
In this video, Reza Mohaqeq speaks with Dr. Hossein Mahmoudi, a scholar of philosophy of religion and a philosophical counselor, about one of the major figures of Persian mysticism and literature: Farid al-Din Attar of Nishapur.
The discussion centers on The Conference of the Birds, an allegorical poem about birds who, at the hoopoe’s invitation, set out on a difficult journey to find the Simurgh. This journey is not only a mystical tale; it is also an occasion to think about leadership, community, suffering, hope, and self-knowledge.
The conversation seeks to show why Attar’s works, centuries later, still matter for understanding the relation between human beings, society, spirituality, and existential crises. It addresses both Attar’s literary and mystical stature and the possibility of a critical, contemporary reading of The Conference of the Birds.
