Dear Colleagues and Friends, Ref.

Newroz Reception in the MacMillan Room, Portcullis House 7 March 2013, 6-8pm On behalf of the Kurdistan National Congress UK and the Kurdish Federation UK, we would like to cordially invite you to a reception to celebrate Newroz, the Kurdish New Year festival. The reception will take place in the McMillan Room, Portcullis House, in Westminster on 7 March between 6.00pm and 8.00pm and will be hosted by Conor Murphy MP. Food and drinks will be provided and there will also be an opportunity to hear traditional Kurdish music and dance. Newroz is an ancient annual festival celebrated on 21 March in Kurdistan to usher in the spring. Throughout Kurdistan millions of people gather each year to enjoy music, food and dance, and to enjoy the opportunity to celebrate Kurdish cultural traditions. It is a family holiday but unfortunately, far too often in Turkey these occasions have been marred by violence as the authorities seek to repress Kurdish self-expression. In London, the traditions of Newroz are kept alive by the large Kurdish community who organise a variety of events across London. Each year, these events provide a wonderful opportunity for Kurdish families and others to come together and celebrate the rich culture and heritage of the Kurds, in a city that has offered them refuge from continuing political and cultural repression in Turkey. This year, the celebrations will take place in the aftermath of the still unexplained murders in January of three leading Kurdish women activists in the centre of Paris. These appalling murders shocked Kurds everywhere especially as the tragic incident coincided with the start of peace talks between the Turkish government and jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan; the killings transformed an atmosphere filled with hopeful expectation into one of tension and uncertainty. It has exposed the fragility of the talks which are still at a very early stage. Meanwhile, a crackdown on Kurdish political organisations continues with mass trials of lawyers, journalists, elected representatives of the BDP and other professionals inside Turkey is continuing as the authorities press ahead with attempts to criminalise Kurdish civil and political groups using the countrys draconian anti-terrorist laws. With this background in mind, the Kurdish community sees Newroz as an opportunity to renew the spirit of optimism about the future and we therefore hope that you will be able to join us for the reception which will mark the formal launch of this years celebrations.

Kind regards, Akif Rizgar Wan UK representative, Kurdistan National Congress knklondon@gn.apc.org Tel 07535 982 760 Kurdish Federation UK Fedbir <fedbir@gmail.com>