Shahrzadnews:This year, for the first time in its history, members of the European Parliament joined Iranian cultural associations to celebrate Norouz, the Persian New Year.
The event was organised by European Green Parties, in keeping with their policy of respect for the culture and traditions of other nations, with the aim of promoting world peace and fighting racial discrimination.
European Parliament Vice-President Isabelle Duran opened the event with a message from Europe to all those celebrating Norouz around the world. She wished peace and prosperity to the people of the Middle East and the world in general, and thanked Iranian cultural centres in Europe for organising the event every year. She ended with “Eide Shoma Mobarak,” which means Happy Norouz in Persian.
Anvar Mir Sattari of the EuroPers Federation, a body devoted to preserving Iranian cultural heritage, also spoke at the event. He thanked European MPs and Green Parties for supporting it, and said he hoped it would lead to more opportunities for his organisation to defend the culture and human rights of the other nations that belong to it. He also announced that they would be holding their annual congress in Brussels.
