TEHRAN- The first International Minab Awakening Lullabies Festival is scheduled to take place in the near future. 

Organized by the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO), under the secretariat of Maziar Rezakhani, the event aims to mobilize a global artistic response to the atrocities committed by the US and the Zionist regime in Minab.

The festival has recently issued a worldwide call to mothers across all nations to record and share lullabies dedicated to the children of Minab, transforming a universal symbol of maternal love into a cry for justice and remembrance.

The festival secretary Maziar Rezakhani stated that the American-Zionist crime perpetrated on the first day of Ramadan War in Minab sparked grief and indignation among free people globally, Honaronline reported on Tuesday.

“The enemy is currently engaged in a cognitive and narrative war, attempting to distort the facts and push this heinous crime into oblivion,” Rezakhani remarked. “Consequently, providing a truthful narrative of the Minab massacre is now a strategic necessity.”

He further explained that the event will be divided into international and domestic sections. He emphasized that maternal affection transcends geographical borders and that the lullaby is a shared language among all mothers worldwide.

Rezakhani noted that the official call for submissions will be released shortly, detailing the various categories and guidelines to allow artists and interested individuals from around the globe to participate through the creation and submission of their works.

Regarding the organizational framework, he confirmed that the festival is being organized in close cooperation with the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization. Following extensive consultations over the past two months, a final agreement has been reached, and the festival's secretariat will be formally established in the coming days.

“In a climate where the enemy seeks to conceal the horrific dimensions of the Minab school massacre, the necessity of such an artistic endeavor is paramount,” Rezakhani concluded. “It is an essential calling for artists, cultural officials, and all free people of the world.”

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/