ɪn dʒˈuːn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd twˈɛnti, pɹəfˈɛsɚɹ oʊmˈɪd sˈæfi kˈɑːmɛntᵻd, "pˈɑːɹt ʌv wʌt ɪz ɡˌoʊɪŋ ˌɔn hˈɪɹ ɪz wʌt wiː ˈɔːlsoʊ sˈiː, tʊ ɐ lˈɛsɚɹ ɛkstˈɛnt, wɪð ɹˈuːmi: ðə vˈɔɪs ænd dʒˈiːnɪəs ʌvðə pˈɜːʒən spˈiːkɪŋ, mˈʊzlɪm, mˈɪstɪkəl, sˈɛnʃuːəl sˈeɪdʒ ʌv ʃˈɜːɹæz ɑːɹ juːzˈɜːpt ænd ᵻɹˈeɪst, ænd tˈeɪkən ˌoʊvɚ baɪ ɐ wˈaɪt ɐmˈɛɹɪkən wɪð nˈoʊ kənˈɛkʃən tə hˈeɪfɛzᵻz ɪslˈɑːm ɔːɹ pˈɜːʒən tɹɐdˈɪʃən.
In June 2020, Professor Omid Safi commented, "Part of what is going on here is what we also see, to a lesser extent, with Rumi: the voice and genius of the Persian speaking, Muslim, mystical, sensual sage of Shiraz are usurped and erased, and taken over by a white American with no connection to Hafez's Islam or Persian tradition.