The Secretary General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO happily announced the approval of Sheikh Kharghani’s birthday and the meeting of Shams and Rumi in UNESCO’s list of commemorations and anniversaries in both 2022 and 2023.
According to public relations of the Commission, Secretary General Hojjatullah Ayoubi had this to say about the meeting that took place on Thursday, November 9th, 2021: “The event went well; the case that the Islamic Republic of Iran had prepared was discussed in the meeting and approved by the consensus of all UNESCO member countries. It was very fortunate for us to have the one thousand and fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Sheikh Hassan Kharghani—a unique figure in Iranian Islamic literature, culture, and mysticism—and the meeting between Shams Tabrizi and Rumi included in UNESCO’s List.”
According to Dr. Ayoubi, it was a smart decision for them to present a historical event—Shams and Rumi’s meeting—as opposed to either one’s birth or death. He expressed his congratulations to the Iranian people, especially those residing in Tabriz and Khoy which are important locations for the identity of Shams.
He briefly mentioned how these two figures can be discussed in foreign countries for two years now, and special attention can be given to their characteristics that “the world took notice of.”
