Paul Maskey MP, Sinn Fein hosted the Kurdish New Year reception at the Portcullis House of Westminster in London, on the 20th of March.
The Roj Women, working in association with the Kurdistan National Congress, the Kurdish Community Centre, Halkevi, and the United Communities for Labour had organised the event to celebrate the festival.
Members of other communities also joined the event to express their support to the Kurdish’s struggle and to congratulate them on their New Year’s celebrations.
Activists from the Tamil and Baluch community and a representative of a Campaign against Criminalizing Communities also joined the event and read out loud their messages of solidarity to Kurdish people.
The actual day of Newroz was held on the 23rd of March in Finsbury Park in presence of thousands of members of the Kurdish community and their supporters.
According to Roj Women webpage: “Newroz is an ancient annual festival celebrated during the spring equinox on March 21st. The festival symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, the celebration of new life and freedom from oppression. The origins of Newroz date back 5,000 years.”
After the division of Kurdistan , the Kurdish people,who are believed to being oppressed, could not celebrate Newroz until recently. However, since a few years ago, the Kurds throughout world have been celebrating the New Year.
Kurdistan is divided between Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria and it is seen as facing repression and oppression under several occupying regimes.
The Roj Women said: “In London, the traditions of Newroz are kept alive by the large Kurdish community who organize a variety of events across London. Each year, these events provide a wonderful opportunity for Kurdish families and others to come together and celebrate the rich culture and heritage of the Kurds, in the city that has offered many people a refuge from the political and cultural repression they faced in Turkey.”
This year, the New Year was celebrated at a time when Kurdish leader Mr Abdullah Ocalan initiated the peace process on the 21st of March, 2013.
The Kurds of Iran however, believe peace is Kurdistan is only a dream, as Iran and Turkey both continue their repressive measure against Kurdish people.
Bezhan Ghanbari a Kurdish activist from the Iranian part of Kurdistan said: “Only the Kurdish territory under Iraq’s control has gain autonomy and they are relatively in peace.”
He added: “There is no peace for Kurdish people in Iran. Our youth are being executed by the regime on daily basis and even right now there are Kurdish people waiting to be executed.”
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