Kurdistan Region PM congratulates Muslims on Islamic New Year
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday congratulated Muslims on the occasion of the Islamic New Year, according to the lunar calendar used by the religion, known as the Hijri.
"With the dawning of the new Hijri year, I extend my warmest congratulations and blessings to the Muslims in Kurdistan, Iraq, and the world, asking God Almighty to bestow upon us more of his blessings."
Addressing the global pandemic, he expressed his hope that "everyone will comply with health guidelines and preventive measures to preserve the health and safety of society."
He added, "The migration of the Prophet of Mercy, Mohammed, is a blessed memory that requires us to draw lessons from it in consolidating the spirit of tolerance and solidarity and promoting the values of peaceful coexistence and harmony among the various components of the Kurdistan Region."
The Islamic New Year, Muharram, is considered the second holiest month after Ramadan.
In July, Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a mandatory duty for the faithful with either financial or other means to carry it out at least once in their lifetime.
The lunar Hijri calendar consists of 12 months and either 354 or 355 days, approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. While it commences with Muharram, it ends with the observance of Dhul al-Hijjah.
Editing by John J. Catherine