Love and Religion in The Conference of the Birds Kennedy Flynn College

The Conference of the Birds is a love story about a man who chooses to change his lifestyle and religion in order to obtain the love of a woman. Sam'an, a Muslim sheikh, is in love with a Christian woman. During this time period, it was very uncommon for a man and a woman to come from such different cultures and be together. Sam'an and the Christian woman chose to be together, even though their religion and their cultures are pressuring them to stay apart. He and the Christian woman’s choice to stay together causes many conflicts and puts a strain on their forbidden love. Sa'man, a religious scholar, falls in love with a woman who requires him to forsake his religion in order for his love to be reciprocated. The story focuses on his inner struggle to do what he knows and believes to be true and right, versus his longing and passion for this woman. Although Sam’an wanted to stay true to his religion, his love for the Christian woman consumed him.

Sheikh Sam’an’s faith played a very important role throughout the story, and is the root of almost all conflicts throughout the story. Sheikh Sam’an felt compelled to follow his dream, which he interpreted as a vision. He is a man of strong faith, even though he goes through...