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A Happy… 1383-Year!
Navruz has come to Minsk Since ancient times to this day on all the territory of Afghanistan Navruz (New Day) is simultaneously marked as the New Year and the Peasant's holiday. This national holiday marking the end of winter and the coming of spring dates back to ancient times. Navruz is widely celebrated in the Moslem world though it is associated not with the Koran but with the awakening of nature and the start of spring field work. By tradition the festivities last 12 days, starting from vernal equinox up to 2 April.
 About 650 representatives of the Afghan refugee community, numerous guests from the UNHCR Office in Belarus, the President's Administration, the Belarusian Red Cross Society, migration authorities, Social Assistance Fund, the Afghan Women's Club and other organizations gathered together to celebrate Navruz in Minsk on 21 March. Addressing the audience Safi Saifurahman, Chairman of the Council of the Afghan Refugees' Charity “The Afghan Community” said that the Supreme Council of Afghanistan — Loya Dzhirga — adopted a new constitution of the country at its session in 2003, which gives hopes for the solution of many problems currently facing the Afghan people. To this day millions of Afghan people are refugees (thus over 500 Afghan people have the refugee status in Belarus). Mr Saifurahman thanked the authorities of Belarus for their humanitarian policy. «For many of the Afghan refugees Belarus has become the second motherland. Though the country itself is facing transition problems, Belarus has established much better environment for the fruitful work and peaceful life of the refugees and asylum seekers compared to other CIS member–states. Many of us used to study in Belarus. I also graduated from the Belarusian Technical University. We are deeply grateful to the Belarusian authorities and the UNHCR Office in Belarus for their concern about the Afghan refugees and for giving us an opportunity to live and work in Belarus», — said Safi Saifurahman.
Ilija Todorovich, Head of the UNHCR Office in Belarus which had sponsored the festivities, congratulated all those present on the occasion of Navruz and stressed that the UNHCR Office pays constant attention to the Afghan refugee community which is the biggest refugee group in Belarus. To enhance a self–support and self–realization environment, the UNHCR Office contributed to the establishment of the organization of the Afghan refugees called «The Afghan Community» which was registered by the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. «The Afghan Community» provides support to the Afghan people forced to leave their country by addressing various issues such as accommodation, registration, job placement, getting access to social assistance, visiting the Afghan refugees staying in hospitals, provision of financial support, organization of amateur activities and preparation for the Fifth Belarusian Festival of National Cultures.
«Belarus is doing its best to establish enabling livelihoods for people of different nationalities and religions and to create favorable environment for the preservation of peace, concord and improvement of spiritual and moral health of the people, — said Nikolay Shevtov, Advisor to the President and Head of the Senior Department for Ideology of the President's Administration, in his welcoming address. — The Afghan people living in Belarus and observing its laws can be sure that they will always get protection, care and support from our government. I am confident that the Afghan community will continue its fruitful efforts contributing to consolidation and creative work». The participants of the festivities were congratulated by V.Tostyev, Chairman of the Belarusian Union of the Afghan War Veterans, E.Sapelkin, Dean of the Humanities and Management Faculty of the Belarusian National Technical University, Colonel V.Scheyokov, Teacher of the Military Academy where many of the Afghans studied, and representatives of other organizations.
Navruz is a holiday when children receive presents and adults forgive one another old offences and old wrongs. And on Belarusian land Navruz was celebrated in an exceptionally warm and friendly atmosphere, the festivities allowed all the Afghan community members to get together, discuss their problems and share the successes achieved. A warm homely atmosphere was created with the help of a variety of dishes of the national Afghan cuisine, dishes specially cooked for the celebration of the holiday, as well as the music and dances of the peoples of Afghanistan that could be heard on that day.
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