The first New Year Eve festivity with an international approach was held in the framework of 'Borderless Nowruz' program featuring the music performance and vocalization of Master Hesameddin Seraj in Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
Present at the event were Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri, ECI President, Ambassadors of Palestine, Georgia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, representatives of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance; Dr. Jebli, Vice-President of IRIB World Service, and dozens of other national and foreign guests, and artists at the venue of this international organization.
According to ECI public relations, speaking at a four-hour event, Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri elaborated upon the naming of the programs as 'Borderless Nowruz' and said: "Looking at the world from the perspective of the prominent figures and scholars and of Persian literature teaches us that we should look at the world with love so as to get passed of racial discrimination and cultural superiority.
Moreover, the ECI President also pointed to Nowruz as the tradition of peace and friendship and highlighted: Nowruz is a commonality of millions of people stretching from cultural boundaries of Iran to China and Caucasus, Central Asia, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, to Turkey, the Balkans and Spain. Concluding his speech, Dr. Mazaheri congratulated all the peoples of the Nowruz territory on the occasion of the arrival the happy event and expressed hope that the "Borderless Nowruz" paves the ground for the realization of peace and friendship, honesty and truth across the ECO region and other parts of the world. Other speakers of the event included ambassadors of Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan to Iran, as well as Ms. Katayoun Riahi, the founder of Komak Charity Foundation and the renowned Iranian actress.
Hesameddin Seraj, the master Iranian vocalist, along with outstanding musicians, were VIP guests of the Borderless Nowruz celebration who played pieces of their remarkable works, vocalizing the poem by the Afghan poet Najib Barvar, beginning with "Make a bridge, wherever borders are set" that was warmly welcomed by the guests. Moreover, Master Seraj recited the New Year prayer thus making memorable moments for the guests.
Elsewhere at the 1st Borderless Nowruz held at ECI, Mr. Abolfazl Varmazyar and a group of musicians performed pieces of Shahnameh as well as poems commemorating the birth of Imam Ali (a.s.).accompanied by the musicians of Pause Band music ensemble, Majid Shoja, the young Iranian vocalist performed pieces in English language to pay tribute to the foreign guests of the event which was welcomed by the ambassadors and diplomats present. At the initiative of Dr. Mohammad Mahdi Mazaheri, the 1st Borderless Nowruz was held for the first time at ECI when for years, the collective commemoration of this unifying tradition has been forgotten.