Zoroastrians mark Mehregan festival with interfaith gathering
Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah
Zoroastrians in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) are organizing a small gathering to mark the Mehregan festival, with Muslim and Christian clerics among the participants, community representative Awat Hussam Al-Din told Shafaq News on Saturday.
According to Hussam Al-Din, Zoroastrians observe Mehregan on
September 21. The festival marks the transition from summer to autumn, with
traditions including preparing chickpeas, lentils, and beans for distribution
to people in need, exchanging greetings, and providing assistance to
disadvantaged families.
Mehregan is one of several traditional Kurdish festivals linked to seasonal changes, including Nowruz, Tirgan, and Yalda. Nowruz marks the arrival of spring, while Yalda is associated with the beginning of winter. Celebrations have expanded in recent years, with Mehregan and pomegranate festivals held in Duhok, Kirkuk, and other areas, although limited resources have restricted the current observance to a symbolic gathering.
Hussam Al-Din highlighted religious coexistence in the KRI,
noting that Zoroastrians maintain good relations with other faith communities.
Although they have representation at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious
Affairs through official arrangements, political and party considerations
sometimes affect the representation of religious communities.
She also called for preserving traditional festivals as part of the Kurdish people's historical and cultural heritage.
Zoroastrians follow one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions, founded in ancient Persia and based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster. The tradition centers on the struggle between light and darkness, the pursuit of truth, and moral responsibility. Today, roughly 100,000 to 200,000 Zoroastrians remain worldwide, with a small but active presence in Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan Region.
Read more: Iraqi Kurdistan’s pluralism: A living model of coexistence
