Harvard Iranian Student Association Hosts Celebration of Nowruz Dedicated to ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Movement

Students, faculty, and affiliates across Harvard’s campus came together on the first day of spring for Nowruz, a celebration of the beginning of Persian New Year, during an event hosted by Harvard Iranian Student Association March 25.

Nowruz, a Farsi word that translates to “new day” in English, is traditionally celebrated on the spring equinox by cultures in South and Central Asia and the Middle East.

Janan Iranbomy, president of the Harvard GSAS Iranian Students Association and chair of student advocacy and engagement of the Harvard Graduate Council, described this year’s Nowruz planning as “a reset” after the Covid-19 pandemic. This event, which was held in Lehman Hall, sold out at 150 attendees.

“It’s maybe time to set a new precedent and one that can hopefully be a good one to continue in future years,” Iranbomy said.

The event included an introductory address by Iranbomy and performances by a band from Berklee College of Music and pianist Helia Kamal, a fifth-year graduate student studying Physics.

Harvard Law School professor Sabrineh Ardalan wrote that Nowruz is the “main holiday” her family celebrates, adding that she brought her daughter to the celebration.

“The gathering on campus was a wonderful way to honor a tradition that is thousands of years old and bring together Harvard community members to celebrate,” Ardalan wrote in an email.

Ardalan wrote that it was “especially important” for her to attend the celebration because of its dedication to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran. Protesters around the globe began chanting the phrase last fall following the death of Jîna “Mahsa” Aminî, a Kurdish woman who died after being arrested by Iran’s “morality police” for wearing her hijab too loosely.

“The rallying cry of Women, Life, Freedom chanted by protesters following her death has reverberated around the world, and it is critical that events on campus continue to raise awareness about it,” Ardalan wrote in an email.

Understanding the movement’s impact on Iranian women living in the country and abroad, Kamal said it was important to include the campaign in Nowruz this year.

“We couldn’t possibly have this event without mentioning the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran,” Kamal said. “It has affected us to such a huge extent.”

Iranbomy said “one of the biggest takeaways” from the event was that many people wanted to take part in “promoting this cohesive cultural diversity.”

For Kamal, the Harvard Iranian Student Association provides a space that acts as a “second family away from home.”

“Being able to come together with other Iranians on this day and not be alone meant a lot,” she said.

According to Kamal, a goal of this year’s celebration was “to send that message of hope to all Iranians who are celebrating across the globe and hoping for a better future.”

“It’s very important for us to come together on this day, especially this year, with everything that has been going on, in the hopes of a new beginning and better days to come for our country,” she said.

Correction: April 27, 2023

A previous of this article incorrectly stated that Helia Kamal was a first-year graduate student. In fact, she is a fifth-year graduate student.

—Staff writer Ella L. Jones can be reached at ella.jones@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @ejones8100.

—Staff writer John N. Peña can be reached at john.pena@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @john_pena7.