Message on the International Day of Nowruz

 

Canberra, 21 March 2022

 

In the Name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful

 

At the outset, I express my profound congratulations on the joyful occasion of the International Day of Nowruz to my fellow Afghans in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. I also convey my best wishes to all people from other countries who celebrate this historic, traditional, and cultural festivity. I sincerely thank Australian friends, foreign diplomatic corps and all other guests who joined us in today’s momentous event.

 

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Canberra is very pleased to organize and host this festivity with the generous support of the Afghan community members in Australia, notably the Afghan diaspora based in Sydney.

 

Celebration of Nowruz is rooted more than three thousand years in the history of different nations, mainly in Central Asia, the middle east, the Balkans, the black sea basin, the caucuses, and other regions.

 

Nowruz celebration promotes human values of peace, solidarity, harmony, cultural diversity and strengthening friendship among different communities.

Nowruz is the first day of new year in solar calendar and this new year will be the inception of the new century in the same calendar as well.

 

Recognized as an international day as a United Nations resolution in 2010, the exact day of Nowruz celebration, which is 21 of March every year coincides with the harmony day too. What a meaningful match and value-added coincidence!

 

But unfortunately, among other nonsense bans, Nowruz celebration is also totally banned under the Taliban extremists in Afghanistan who don’t believe in peace, don’t believe in harmony, don’t value cultural diversity, and don’t respect human dignity at all. The Taliban, IS-K and other terrorist groups are sticking in their totalitarian theocratic and harsh ideological belief based on misinterpretation of sharia law to promote clash of civilizations.

 

In Nowruz celebration, we are here today to convey this clear message that violent extremism and promoting deviation and hate cannot overcome the conventional human values of peace, freedom, harmony, respect for diversity and friendship.

 

Happy International Day of Nowruz!

 

Ambassador Wahidullah Waissi