Minister urges provinces to ‘step up’ cultural efforts for Nowruz to foster national unity
Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi‑Amiri urged provinces to roll out Nowruz (Persian New Year) programs that tap into local artistic and cultural assets to ease social stress, raise public satisfaction and reinforce national unity, a message delivered against the backdrop of the United States and Israel’s military strike on Iran that began on February 28.
Speaking to senior officials, including Deputy Tourism Minister Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpey, Salehi‑Amiri outlined a strategic framework that positions the Persian New Year as a catalyst for social resilience.
“Nowruz can become a social container that absorbs psychological pressure and rebuilds our social capital,” the minister said, emphasizing that the holiday’s rituals should be leveraged to “step up” community well‑being.
The minister highlighted the need for provinces to lean on their unique cultural and artistic capacities, from traditional calligraphy and miniature painting to folk music ensembles, ceramic workshops and performing‑arts festivals, to create inclusive public spaces.
“When citizens take part in cultural, ritual and civic activities, they generate an inner sense of satisfaction that translates into collective contentment,” Salehi‑Amiri explained.
He stressed that tourism, when properly managed, can serve as a tool for “shaping the social landscape” and “fostering hope and calm.”
Provinces are therefore called upon to design and roll out Nowruz events that reflect local heritage while honoring the “First Martyrs’ Nowruz” of the nation’s revered heroes.
The minister urged officials to “bring forward” programs that blend artistic performances with commemorative ceremonies in city squares and public parks, thereby “draining” negative emotions and “strengthening” social empathy.
Salehi‑Amiri also stressed the centrality of the concept of “Iran” as a unifying identity. “Iran must be the core theme of all cultural and social initiatives during Nowruz; it is the common thread that binds every Iranian together,” he said.
By focusing on this shared identity, the minister believes the country can “tighten” national unity and “boost” social solidarity.
The remarks came as Iran grapples with the fallout from the joint US–Israeli offensive that began on February 28, an event that has heightened public anxiety and underscored the importance of domestic stability.
In this context, the minister thanked the members of the travel‑services task force for their dedication, noting that the ultimate goal is to “harness tourism, cultural and social capacities to raise public satisfaction, reinforce social hope and upgrade the nation’s social capital.”