TEHRAN- The first English-language book documenting the tragic and inhumane attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, which resulted in the martyrdom of 168 students and teachers, was officially unveiled in the Malaysian capital.

The book titled "Minab 168: Children Bathed in Fire," authored by Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, President of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM), was launched with the support of the Cultural Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Malaysia, Mehr reported on Monday. 

The ceremony coincided with the anniversary of the passing of Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, the report added. 

The unveiling ceremony, held at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, was attended by a group of officials and intellectuals, including Malaysia’s former Foreign Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, MAPIM President Azmi Abdul Hamid, Iran’s Ambassador to Malaysia Valiollah Mohammadi, and Iran’s Cultural Attaché Habib Reza Arzani.

The work marks the first English publication by a non-Iranian author regarding the heart-wrenching massacre at the Shajareh Tayyebeh school. It aims to re-examine the humanitarian dimensions of the tragedy on an international scale and serve as a global call to keep the memory of the victims alive.

In the book's narrative, the author describes the martyrdom of students as a profound symbol of the suffering inflicted upon children by modern warfare and systemic violence. 

"On a day that should have belonged to children, education, and hope, the skies of Minab witnessed one of the darkest crimes of modern warfare," the author writes in the introduction. He further emphasizes that the killing of these children was not a mere "incident of war" but a "bitter consequence of militarism, the immunity of perpetrators, and the devaluation of innocent human lives."

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid stated that his primary goal was to record the truth and prevent this human tragedy from being consigned to oblivion. He asserts that the work is more than a historical report; it is an "indictment against a global system" that selectively determines the value of human life.

"Every child killed in Minab had dreams, joys, fears, and a future that was violently snatched away," the book reads.

The author also invokes Verse 42 of Surah Ibrahim from the Holy Quran: “And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do,” stressing the moral and divine responsibility to stand against oppression.

The book explores several critical themes, including the painful human aspects of the incident, the geopolitical factors fueling violence, the failure of international institutions to prevent such catastrophes, and the resilience of the victims' families.

Published by Casamas Resources Sdn. Bhd., the book calls upon intellectuals, policymakers, and religious leaders to strive for justice and human dignity to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities.

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, a prominent figure in humanitarian activism and a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, seeks through this work to bring the martyrdom of the Minab students to the forefront of global public opinion, advocating for the protection of children in conflict zones.

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/