The Saint at Issue

Press TV - Tehran, Iran
Sunday, December 9, 2007

Iran objects to UNESCO's recent decision, which introduced the great Iranian sufi, Haj Bektash Vali Neishabouri, as a Turkish saint.

ICHTO's Deputy Director Hamid Baghayi announced that Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization will take measures to reflect the reality about the Iranian sufi saint.

“Iran's representative in UNESCO will voice the country's objection to distorting the lineage of Iranian personalities,” he added.

UNESCO has announced that it will name 2008 and 2009 after two great Turks, Mahmud al-Kashgari and Haj Bektash Vali Neishabouri.

Seyyed Mohammad Razavi known as Haj Bektash Vali Neishabouri, was a sufi in the Iranian city of Neishabour, who went to Turkey during the Ottoman era.

His person and sufi order became popular with generations of the troops of the Ottoman sultans.

[Picture from: http://tinyurl.com/ypwqv2].