URFA -As 62 years have passed since the massacre of 283 Kurdish children who were taken to watch a movie in the Amudê cinema, Mihemmed Ali, who was injured, stated that the doors of the cinema were closed in the fire and said: "It was a dark day for Amudê."

 

When the date showed November 13, 1960, 283 Kurdish children were burned to death in Amude Cinema in Amudê district of Qamişlo city of Northern and Eastern Syria's Cizîre region. In order to support the Algerian resistance, 500 children, mostly Kurds, were filled in the only movie theater with a capacity of 120 people in Amude. The Egyptian film Cerîmet Nisif al-Leyl (Sûcê nîvê şevê-Midnight Crime) about the Algerian Revolution was screened to children. The fire, which started in the curtain part of the cinema after half an hour of the movie, spread to the whole hall in a short time. While the two narrow doors in the 130 square meter movie theater were kept closed during the fire, the wooden movie theater caught fire in a short time and collapsed. 283 children aged between 8 and 14 died in the fire.

 

THE REGIME DID NOT INVESTIGATE

 

It was stated that the fire was started by the Baath Regime, which aimed to end the existence of the Kurdish people in Syria with massacres, but the regime did not carry out an investigation into the fire that cost hundreds of children's lives.

 

AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT: MARTYRS OF THE REVOLUTION

 

While the memories of the massacre are kept with the Baxçê Pakrewan (Garden of Heroes) Park built on the site of the movie theater, the statue of Mihemedê Seîd Axayê Deqorî, who saved more than 10 children from the fire at the time of the massacre, was placed in the garden with the children. While there is a water well in the park where dozens of children throw themselves from the burning movie theater, there is a monument with the names and photographs of the children who lost their lives on the wall of the cinema. While there is still no movie theater in the district due to the suffering experienced in Amude, the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria recognised those who lost their lives in the cinema as "Martyrs of the Revolution".

 

'IT WAS A BLACK DAY'

 

Stating that the massacre of Amude Cinema inflicted great pain on them,  Mihemmed Ali  said: "When we talk about the cinema, we can't forget our friends and young people who died. 283 people lost their lives. Every time the anniversary of this massacre comes, our hearts hurt. It was a really dark day for Amude."

 

MA / Müjdat Can