Meanings of Nowruz between mythology and reality
March 22, 2022, 2:37 pm

Meanings of Nowruz between mythology and reality

Zara saleh

Nowruz, known as a new year for more than 300 million people across the world, has been celebrated for nearly 3,000 years [ 2722 years according to the Kurdish calendar or 612 B.C.]. The festival of Nowruz is the traditional celebration of the new year that marks the beginning of spring for a diverse range of nations, ethnic and religious communities. However, Nowruz or the new day in Kurdish has been associated with the Kurdish national identity and freedom and has become a symbol of Kurdish national identity and symbolises the end of tyranny.

Arguably, Newroz has become the most important national, cultural festival and celebration of the Kurdish calendar in Kurdistan and diaspora as well which began on the twentieth and twenty-first of March. By going back to the Kurdish myths, Nowruz has not only marked the first of spring, but it was an embodiment of revolution against oppression and the end of tyranny. According to the legend and the Zoroastrian myth, the Kurds with the other ethnic groups that been oppressed by the Assyrian tyranny of Zuhak (Dehak) began to rebel against him with the leadership of the blacksmith Kawa. When the king became ill, two serpents grew on his shoulders and started to feed them by the brain of two Kurdish youths each day in purpose to prevent eating him until Kawa led a revolution against him. Simultaneously with the killing and defeating of king Zuhak, the fire in the hills and mountains announced the victory and the end of the Zuhak kingdom. 612 B.C. was the end of the Assyrian kingdom and the beginning rule of the Kurdish kingdom of Medes.

For Kurdish people, Nowruz is a symbol of freedom, revolution and identity and has always connected to the politics of the day in all parts of Kurdistan under the oppressive regimes of Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq. For example, in Syria and under Assad's regime, the celebration of the Kurdish new year was forbidden, and the Kurds were subject of arrest, killing and oppression by the Syrian security forces. In 1986 the Syrian intelligences and mukhabarat had opened fire against the Kurdish demonstration in Damascus to prevent people from celebrating Nowruz outdoors and banning the celebration. As a result, the first victim of the Syrian regime was Suleiman Addy who was killed by the Syrian police. Due to the political oppression of Kurds by Assad's regime and its discrimination policies, the Kurds led an uprising against the regime in March 2004 and they continued the struggles until today's day.

In 2019, just after two days of Nowruz, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces declared the defeat of the so-called ISIS in 23 of March, northeast Syria. Remembering the first Kurdish victory before 2722 years, were Kurds joint together under the rule of the Medes Kingdom and has successfully defeated the tyranny. Today, such example and experience of unity can be the only way for Kurds as the world's largest ethnic group without state and they an estimated 50 million who live in between Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

BY: Zara Saleh

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”