Proclamation Commemorating Nowruz by the Governor of Virginia - 2002-03-20

Proclamation Commemorating Nowruz by the Governor of Virginia - 2002-03-20 Issued by Mark Warner, Governor of Virginia. By the legal authority granted to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia by the Constitution of the United States of America, I hereby officially declare March 20, 2002, as 'Iran and America Day.' Considering that Iranians around the world celebrate Nowruz, the arrival of spring and the New Year of 1381 in Iran, coinciding with March 20, 2002, and considering that the Commonwealth of Virginia takes pride in its cultural diversity and that the Iranian community plays a significant role in this cultural diversity, and noting that Iranian-Americans residing in Virginia have always provided exceptional valuable services to the social, cultural, and economic aspects of this early American state with their rich spiritual and cultural heritage, and recognizing that Iranian-Americans in Virginia have embraced the values and principles of democracy and tirelessly support democratic reforms in Iran, and acknowledging that it is appropriate to honor the valuable contributions of Iranian citizens in our state through civic celebrations and the official recognition of their rights and benefits, therefore, I, Mark R. Warner, Governor of Virginia, hereby declare March 20, 2002 - the first day of Farvardin 1381 - as 'Iran and America Day' in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Signed: Mark R. Warner. It should be added that this official document, stamped with the official seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, will be permanently recorded and preserved in the state archives.