[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 41 (Thursday, March 17, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           CELEBRATING NOWRUZ

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                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2011

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Nowruz, the 
traditional Iranian New Year, and take the opportunity to celebrate 
Iranian Americans' contributions to America. I wish Iranian Americans 
and the people of Iran a prosperous new year.
  Nowruz originated in ancient Persia, and dates back more than 3,000 
years. Nowruz means a ``New Day'' which occurs on the vernal equinox 
and celebrates the arrival of spring. It symbolizes a time of renewal 
and community, and it harkens the departure from the trials and 
tribulations of the previous year and brings hope for the New Year.
  Nowruz is celebrated by nearly 300 million Iranians and other peoples 
all over the world, including in the United States, Iran, and other 
countries in Central Asia, South Asia, Caucasus, Crimea, and Balkan 
Regions. It is also celebrated by more than 1 million Iranian Americans 
of all backgrounds, including those with Muslim, Jewish, Christian, 
Baha'i, Zoroastrian, and non-religious backgrounds.
  Nowruz embodies the tradition that each individual's thinking, 
speaking, and conduct should always be virtuous, and the ideal of 
compassion for our fellow human beings regardless of ethnicity or 
religion, and symbolizes a time of renewal and community.
  In 539 B.C., Cyrus the Great established one of the earliest charters 
on human rights, which abolished slavery and allowed for freedom of 
religion, and this marker in Iranian history has had significant impact 
on the respect for human rights that Iranian Americans carry today.
  Iranian Americans continue to make contributions in all sectors of 
American public life, including government, military, and law 
enforcement officials, who proudly serve to uphold the Constitution of 
the United States and to protect all people in the United States.
  The United States is a melting pot of ethnicities and religion and 
Nowruz contributes to the richness of American culture and is 
consistent with our founding principles of peace and prosperity for 
all.

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