Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to wish a happy Newroz or Nowruz to all who celebrate it in Australia and around the world. Newroz is a Persian celebration of the new year and coincides with the March equinox and the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It has been celebrated all around the world for over 3,000 years by 300 million people and it's celebrated right here in Australia every year. It's a time for new beginnings. One tradition that I'm particularly fond of and that I'm getting into this year is 'shaking the house', when people do a major spring clean and purchase new clothes and flowers to start the new year.

Although I was lucky to be invited to celebrate with the Kurdish community this year, I was unfortunately unable to take part as I had other events to attend and I was coming back to Canberra. Thank you to Necla Dag, Carolin Axtjarn and all of those at the Democratic Kurdish Community Centre of New South Wales. I hope your event in Blacktown on Sunday was a huge success. Thank you to Sam Baban and the Sydney Kurdish Youth Society for the invitation to celebrate on 17 March in Edensor Park.

When I met up with the Democratic Kurdish Community Centre of New South Wales a few week ago, they spoke to me of the suffering that Kurds have faced around the world and are still suffering. Newroz is supposed to be about new beginnings, and I know I share with them their hope for the Kurdish community around the world that Newroz this year brings new hope and new beginnings.