Members of Congress and friends of Kurdistan celebrate Newroz at U.S. Capitol
KRG Representative to the US Qubad Talabani stands with the co-chairs of the Kurdish American Congressional Caucus, Congressman Rothman (D-NJ) (center), and Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) (Right), as Congressman Rothman addresses attendees of a Newroz celebration hosted by the KRG inside the U.S. Capitol Building
WASHINGTON – Members of Congress and friends of Kurdistan celebrated Newroz, the traditional start of the New Year embraced by Kurds and others throughout the countries of the Middle East and Central Asia, at a celebration in the U.S. Capitol Building hosted by the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Representation to the United States.
“We welcome you all with rose petals to our office,” Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, the Republican co-chair of the Kurdish American Congressional Caucus, told the crowd. He praised the Kurdistan region for its economic and political stability and touted it as “a great place for persons to invest.”
One of Rep. Wilson’s sons served in Iraq as a member of the National Guard and he said his son was deeply impressed during time spent in Kurdistan. “He said how extraordinary it was to visit the Kurdistan region and I know first hand that success,” Congressman Wilson said.
The Democratic co-chair of the caucus, Rep. Steven Rothman of New Jersey, said “all who are lovers of freedom and justice support the Kurdish people.” Congressman Rothman said that he and other members of Congress “want to ensure we continue to support to goals of equal opportunity and a just and civil society in Iraq, including the Kurdish people.”
Almost 200 guests attended the fete, including House Democrat Loretta Sanchez of California and Republican Allen West of Florida, along with congressional staff; administration officials; representatives of the business community; members of the Diplomatic Corps, and the Iraqi and Kurdish Diaspora in the United States.
On display were photos of Kurdistan taken from more than 150 taken by Sue Thompson, a Florida-based photo chronicler who specializes in capturing the faces of people around the world. “This was the trip of my lifetime” Thompson told the gathering of her visit to Kurdistan. “There is nothing equal to the warmth of its beauty and the kindness and the heart of the Kurdish people.”
Newroz is considered the most important festival in Kurdish culture, and is a time for entertainment, picnics and family gatherings. Not only does it signify the end of winter and the beginning of spring, Kurdish legend has March 20 as the day that the Kurdish blacksmith Kawa defeated the tyrant Zuhak to free his people from domination. Upon defeating Zuhak, Kawa is said to have set fire to the hillsides to celebrate the victory and mark the freedom of the Kurdish people as spring returned to Kurdistan the next day. For this reason, as well as trhseason of light, the tradition of lighting bonfires in Kurdistan on Newroz continues to this day.
Qubad Talabani, KRG representative to the United States, welcomed the guests and said the combination of the photos of his homeland and the warmth of the friends gathered ensured that the start of this new spring would mark more progress and good news in Kurdistan’s strong and unique relationship with the United States. “Continued political and economic development will only serve to ensure the sacrifices made by Americans in Iraq will lead to a stable and federal Iraq, with a democratic and economically progressive Kurdistan Region,” Talabani said.
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Tagged in: Allen West, Joe Wilson, KRG, Kurdish culture, Kurdistan, Kurdistan Regional Government, Loretta Sanchez, Newroz, Qubad Talabani, Steve Rothman
