The Kurdish umbrella organization KON-MED (Confederation of Kurdistan Communities in Germany) invited everyone to participate in the Kurdish New Year's festival Newroz in Frankfurt am Main. The event will take place on Saturday, 25 March 2023, in Rebstockpark (Am Römerhof 9, 60486 Frankfurt am Main).

The co-chairs of KON-MED, Zübeyde Zümrüt and Engin Sever, said in a statement: “Newroz is the celebration of the beginning of spring and the New Year for many peoples in the Near and Middle East. But Newroz symbolizes more than the beginning of a new year. It also stands for resistance against oppression and tyranny. Like the first rays of the spring sun that replace winter and awake nature, Newroz represents hope for a freer and fairer world.”

Political character of Newroz for the Kurdish people

The statement continued: “For the Kurdish population, the Newroz festival also has a highly political character. Because their national holiday was banned in the past by states like Turkey. Thousands of people who wanted to greet the new year with dancing and singing were arrested or murdered by the authorities. But the people never stopped celebrating their resistance festival Newroz and continued to fight for a more just world.”

We are on the side of the resistant peoples

This year's Newroz Festival, said the statement, “will once again be characterized by the struggle between authoritarian regimes in the Middle East such as Turkey or Iran and the resistant peoples. There is no question on which side we position ourselves. With our Newroz festival we want to send out a signal to Kurdistan and the Middle East. We want to show the women and men who fight for their freedom and ours every day on the streets and in the mountains that we are on their side. We want to oppose the war in northern and eastern Syria and in South Kurdistan! We want to stand by the brave people of Iran and Rojhilat who are taking to the streets against the brutal mullahs' regime! We want to reiterate our demand for an end to Abdullah Öcalan's isolation in the prison island of Imrali and advocate a peaceful political solution to the Kurdish question. Together with you, we want to convey the message that this year's Newroz not only marks the dawn of a new day and a new year, but also a new era in which there is no longer any room for authoritarian regimes!”

In memory of the earthquake victims

The statement continued: “We are also celebrating this year's Newroz festival in memory of the victims of the devastating earthquake in Kurdistan, Turkey and Syria. Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in this terrible disaster. The earthquake was unavoidable, but the region's authoritarian and corrupt political leaders are undoubtedly responsible for the extent of the suffering. They must pay for their crimes. We will ask for them to be brought to account and we will send a strong sign of solidarity towards the victims of the earthquake.”