Message on the Observance of the Iranian New Year

I am delighted to extend greetings to all Iranian Americans as you celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year.

This occasion provides a welcome opportunity to recognize the many outstanding contributions that Iranian immigrants and their descendants have made to the United States. Through your unique customs and traditions, you have greatly enriched American culture, while at the same time giving your fellow citizens a deeper understanding of your ancestral homeland. Through your myriad achievements in academia and in the workplace and through your increasing participation in government, you have also demonstrated your belief in freedom and in equal opportunity for all -- ideals that make this Nation's diversity a source of strength and pride.

On this occasion, as you gather with family and friends to forgive old grievances and to celebrate the arrival of spring, you fill your communities with a sense of reconciliation and renewal. What better way to begin a new year.

Barbara joins me in wishing you a memorable celebration.

George Bush