ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the depth and breadth of popularization of Rumi in the West, which includes film, music, and social media networks that are devoted to Sufism. It presents criticism that the popularization of Sufism, especially through material culture, commodification, and an active presence online, dilutes Sufism and thus robs Islam of its true nature. The chapter also explores the diverse perspectives, practices, and products that the "universal" interpretation of Sufism has fostered in the modern period, through the case study of Rumi. Rumi is astounding, fertile, abundant, almost more an excitable library of poetry than a person. Rumi's proliferation throughout American popular culture is not limited to music, but includes Hollywood films, such as the 2010 star-studded film Valentine's Day. Rumi's popularity among Hollywood superstars has also made him a spokesperson for new forms of commodities. In an era in which dervish culture, cave-dwelling hermits, and mendicancy, especially in Muslim-majority nations, are disappearing.
