A Woman's Path to the Heart of Islam

Overview

The renowned scholar Eva de Vitray Meyerovitch (1909-1999) was educated by nuns and went on to study Christian theology at the Sorbonne, taking degrees in law and ancient Greek philosophy. Yet a chance reading of Rumi inspired her to learn Persian in order to translate and make his works available for the French-speaking world. This dedication became her life's work. Her profound understanding of Rumi—which only a translator can truly attain—made it possible for her to bridge the two cultures in which she comfortably lived—modern day France and the 13th century Turkey of Rumi, as well as the Islamic world today. These interviews take us on a breathtaking journey of faith, introducing us along the way to a wide range of thinkers—such as her extraordinary mentor Louis Massignon and the rector of Cairo's Azhar University where she taught, as well as anecdotes involving her numerous personal friendships and professional encounters. Her moving, challenging, noble, and often humorous story highlights the beauty that comes from a life of faith lived through the lens of her spiritual master Rumi.

Reviews

"Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch was a person absorbed by the inner quest for reality, and what is noteworthy in her itinerary is that her personal life and commitment were strongly linked with her intellectual investigations. They were directly inscribed into their logic. Of course, Rumi became her spiritual mentor, just as if he took her hand and led her to the Muslim path. ... Moved by tenacious enthusiasm for the beauty of Rumi's work, Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch studied and translated into French his major books. Sufism has found its widest introduction in contemporary western society via Rumi's spontaneous teachings. ... In Toward the Heart of Islam, A Woman's Approach, Eva de Vitray makes us feel the internal connections which appear in spiritual life, through many anecdotes from her pilgrimage to Mecca, teaching at al-Azhar in Cairo, praying with a group of men in Algeria who fought to win their independence from her country, and through some relevant verses of Rumi. She also tells us how she devoted most of her life to explaining Rumi's thought and translating his works. For her, the transmission of his universal message was truly urgent. ... Her path, a woman's journey to the heart, reflects the epic hero's travel to distant lands, facing challenges from within and from without. 'From her struggles, she brought back to us gifts of insight, treasures from the East, for a world in sore need of mutual respect and understanding. Her life of surrender to a higher purpose is a testimony of determination to transcend the fear of that which is different, in order to discover the encompassing love that connects us in all our rich diversity' (Preface of Toward the Heart of Islam)." — Eric Geoffroy, French philosopher, scholar of Sufi studies, and professor at the University of Strasbourg

"Unique in the way it offers insights into how a woman schooled in the Western intellectual tradition could be transformed by her encounter with the profoundest ideas of the Islamic Sufi tradition." —Kabir Helminski, translator of Rumi, Sufi Shaikh, and author

"Highly recommended for all spiritual seekers and lovers of Rumi." —Omid Safi, Professor and Director of Duke Islamic Studies Center

"[Rumi's message] was so universal and so urgently needed, a message of love that brings together the most essential values of Christianity and Islam, giving them a totally fraternal and ecumenical dimension." —Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch, Author

"Eva de-Vitray Meyerovitch [was] a remarkable French woman who accomplished the incredible task of translating all six volumes of the Mathnawi." —Shems Friedlander, poet, photographer and author of Rumi a Hidden Treasure, a Mevleri Shaykh, living in Istanbul, Professor Emeritus, The American University in Cairo

Author Biography

Jean-Pierre (b. 1929) was a journalist and then a leading reporter for the magazine Paris Match. He left journalism to dedicate his work to writing novels, historical books, and essays. He has published some 25 books, many in collaboration with his wife Rachel. They have created an interfaith retreat in Parnac in the Berry region of France. The renowned scholar Eva de Vitray Meyerovitch (1909-1999) was educated by nuns and went on to study Christian theology at the Sorbonne, with degrees in law and ancient Greek philosophy. She was head of the social sciences division of the CNRS in Paris, France for many years. Translator, researcher, and writer, she published a total of 40 books and numerous articles on Sufism, Rumi, and Islam. Dr. Goddard, economist and author, currently resides in Washington, DC, with regular visits to Cairo, Istanbul, and Paris, and has worked in 65 countries, with special emphasis on the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Over her career, her clients included USAID, the World Bank, the UN, the Asian and African Development Banks, as well as the international firms that serve these organizations. Her PhD is from the Sorbonne, the University of Paris, (dissertation: OPEC's Economic Strategy), with postgraduate work at the University of Chicago. She is fluent in French, Turkish, Arabic, and English. Katharine Branning is the former Vice-President of Education of the French Institute Alliance Française in New York City and graduate of the Ecole du Louvre in Paris, where she specialized in Islamic arts. She has taught and lectured internationally on cross-cultural issues and her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines. Her biographical novel of Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch, Ink of Light, was published in spring, 2018.