Iranian Kurdistan, Iraqi Kurdistan: Norouz Celebrations Display Unity
On March 20 more than 30 million Kurds celebrated Norouz, which has become a symbol for unity and political freedom.
Below is an article published by Radio Free Europe:
For the more than 30 million Kurds scattered across several countries including Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, Norouz has long been a symbol of their struggle for national identity and unity.
In Turkey, both the legal representatives of the Kurdish minority, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) called for large demonstrations for Newroz, as they spell the holiday, on March 21.
The celebration of Norouz was only legalized in Turkey in 2000 under pressure from the European Union. Turkish authorities also use a different spelling -- Nevruz -- and reclaimed it as a Turkish holiday.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government has also given some cultural rights to Kurds -- who form at least 20 percent of the population and will celebrate the holiday according to their own traditions.
The tensions surrounding the holiday in Turkey descended into violence on March 20 when Kurdish protesters clashed with police trying to prevent Norouz festivities in two southeastern towns. At least nine people were hurt when people in the Turkish capital, Istanbul, and another city tried to mark the holiday.
But many Kurds will be looking toward the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan, where President Massoud Barzani will be making his annual Nowruz address on March 21.
Iraqi Kurds suffered decades of murderous repression under Saddam Hussein, but even the Iraqi dictator stopped short of banning Norouz. He instead declared an official "Day of the Tree" on March 21.
Kurdistan ya Iran na Kurdistan ya Iraq: Sherehe za Norouz zinaonyesha umoja Machi 20, zaidi ya Wakurdi milioni 30 waliadhimisha Norouz, ambayo imekuwa ishara ya umoja na uhuru wa kisiasa. "Kulingana na taarifa ya Radio Free Europe, ""Kwa Wakurdi zaidi ya milioni 30 waliotawanyika katika nchi kadhaa, ikiwa ni pamoja na Uturuki, Iraq, Iran na Syria, Norouz kwa muda mrefu imekuwa ishara ya mapambano yao kwa utambulisho wa kitaifa na umoja.""" Wawakilishi wa wachache wa Kikurdi nchini Uturuki, chama cha BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) na chama cha wapiganaji cha PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) wamepiga wito wa maandamano makubwa kwa ajili ya sikukuu ya Newruz, ambayo huadhimishwa tarehe 21 Machi. Sherehe ya Norouz ilifanywa rasmi nchini Uturuki mwaka 2000 chini ya shinikizo kutoka Umoja wa Ulaya. Mamlaka za Uturuki pia hutumia herufi tofauti - Nevruz - na kuitambua tena kama sikukuu ya Uturuki. Serikali ya Waziri Mkuu Tayyip Erdogan pia imetoa haki za kitamaduni kwa Wakurdi ambao wanawakilisha angalau asilimia 20 ya idadi ya watu na watasherehekea sikukuu hiyo kulingana na mila zao. Mvutano wa siku ya Norouz nchini Uturuki ulibadilika kuwa ghasia mnamo Machi 20 wakati waandamanaji wa Kikurdi walipokutana na polisi wakijaribu kuzuia sherehe za Norouz katika miji miwili ya kusini mashariki mwa Uturuki. Watu watano wamejeruhiwa wakati watu katika mji mkuu wa Uturuki, Istanbul, na mji mwingine walipojaribu kuadhimisha sikukuu hiyo. Miongoni mwao ni waasi wa Kurdistan, eneo lenye uhuru wa kisiasa nchini Iraq, ambapo Rais Masoud Barzani ameweka tamko lake la kila mwaka la Nowruz. Wakurdi wa Iraq wamekuwa wakikabiliwa na ukandamizaji kwa miaka mingi chini ya utawala wa Saddam Hussein, lakini hata dikteta huyo wa Iraq hakukataa kupiga marufuku Norouz. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Siku ya Mti"" ni tarehe 21 Machi."