Ismail Fenter (formerly Craig Fenter)
Former Christian minister and Los Angeles music professional who converted to Islam, joined the Mevlevi order in Konya as a whirling dervish, and is working on a modern English translation of Rumi's Masnavi.
Best podcasts with Ismail Fenter (formerly Craig Fenter)
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Feb 4, 2026 • 27min
From American Pastor to Whirling Dervish
Ismail Fenter, a former Christian minister turned Mevlevi whirling dervish and translator of Rumi, tells how Rumi’s poetry pulled him from Los Angeles to Konya. He discusses the semah ritual as prayer, the symbolism of the sikke and fana, daily life as a modern dervish, and his work translating the Masnavi into contemporary English.
