In January 2005, the Turkish Permanent Delegation to UNESCO requested the Director-General of the UNESCO to assiciate UNESCO in 2007 with the 800th anniversary of the birth of Mevlânâ.

This request was supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, as Mevlânâ was born there.
The Director-General noted that this Eminent philosopher and mystical poet of Islam advocated tolerance, reason and access to knowledge through love. His mystical relationship with Islam produced masterpieces that have marked Islamic culture and religious beliefs, well beyond the borders of Turkey. His work and thought remain universally relevant today.and that Mevlana met the criteria 'adopted by the Executive Board at its 159th session'. The Director-General mentioned that Rumi was born ten years after the founding of the city of Moscow and proposed UNESCO to be associated with the celebration of his 800th anniversary in 2007. Turkey, Afghanistan and Egypt are the countries that official by gouvernment promote the UNESCO celebrations. But a great part of these celebrations will take place in the Netherlands. Result of the fact that both authors Mohamed el-Fers and Dr. Veyis Güngör, rirst to propose to celebrate the birth of the Master of the Free Spirit are from Holland.

Mr Veyis Güngör of Türkevi Amsterdam was very happy with the UNESCO support, as 'it is a guaranty that the whole world will have access to the mystical knowledge of the masterpieces Mevlânâ produced. '
Mr. Mohamed el-Fers said that 'the work of Mevlânâ and his thoughts continue to have universal relevance today, well beyond the borders of Turkey or Europe.