TEHRAN- Marking National Girls’ Day, the nationwide theatrical event "In Memory of the Celebration of Angels,” as a part of the "To Which Sin?" initiative, was staged across Iran on Sunday to honor the memory of the martyred students of Minab.

Organized by the Soore-ye Omid Institute in collaboration with the Sooreh Center for Dramatic Arts, the grand event saw over 200 young female artists performing simultaneously on street stages throughout the country.

The performances served as a centerpiece for a large national gathering of Iranian girls, characterized by a spiritual atmosphere as student performers appeared in their prayer veils, symbolizing purity and devotion.
‌
The repertoire included several significant plays such as “Angels of Minab,” “Girls of Minab,” and the “To Which Sin.” These works aimed to unite the country’s children and adolescent theater community under a single message of empathy, hope, and the enduring sacrifice of the future generation.
‌
The artistic initiative is a continuation of the “Iran Hamdel” (Empathic Iran) national campaign. This campaign was launched to commemorate the young students martyred in the Minab tragedy and to offer solidarity to their grieving families.
‌
The movement began on April 3, marking the 40th day since the tragic passing of these little angels. Over the past ten days, the campaign has facilitated more than 25 theatrical performances by selected groups across 21 provinces, culminating in Sunday’s nationwide tribute.
‌
The synchronized performances have been praised for using the medium of street theater to bridge the gap between social tragedy and cultural resilience, fostering a sense of national unity and remembrance.

The theater event is part of the same broader artistic project designed by the Soore-ye Omid Institute, which earlier unveiled a multilingual collection under the same title in Persian, Arabic and English. Together, these initiatives aim to honor the memory of the Minab schoolchildren and other child victims of recent aggression against Iranian soil, while presenting their innocence and suffering through different artistic forms. 

While the first phase of the project used graphic posters and video productions to amplify the voices of the children killed in the attacks by the Zionist regime and the United States, the newer theater campaign has expanded that message into live performances across 21 provinces, turning remembrance into a nationwide cultural movement.

National Girls' Day in Iran is a significant occasion celebrated annually on the birth anniversary of Hazrat Fatemeh Masumeh (SA), the esteemed sister of Imam Reza (AS). This day serves as a tribute to the dignity, potential, and vibrant spirit of young women across the nation, emphasizing their vital role in the fabric of Iranian society. 

On February 28, the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, became the site of a devastating massacre as the United States and Israel initiated their strikes against Iran. 

While dozens of girls and boys aged between 7 and 12 were beginning their lessons, the school was targeted by a missile strike that caused the building to collapse, trapping children and teachers beneath the rubble. Iranian authorities confirmed a final death toll of 168 people, with at least 95 others wounded, marking one of the most harrowing incidents of the conflict's opening day.

Despite attempts by US and Israeli authorities to distance themselves from the carnage as images of the tragedy spread across social media, detailed forensic and digital investigations have painted a starkly different picture. 

An analysis by Al Jazeera’s digital investigations unit, utilizing over a decade of satellite imagery and recent video clips, revealed that the school was a clearly distinct civilian facility, separated from any adjacent military sites for at least ten years. Furthermore, witness accounts and satellite-based analyses confirmed that the school was triple tapped by three separate, deliberate strikes, leaving no doubt about the nature of the attack.

The international community has faced mounting evidence regarding the responsibility for this atrocity, with investigations from major global outlets including The New York Times, BBC Verify, CBC, and NPR all concluding that the United States was responsible for the strike. 

These findings have raised fundamental questions about the intelligence used to justify the bombing, as the patterns of the strike suggest a direct targeting of a civilian educational institution. The Minab school tragedy now stands as a somber testament to the immense human cost of the aggression and a focal point for those demanding international accountability.

SAB/