Students in Aleppo remember children who died in the Amude cinema fire 61 years ago

Hundreds of children lost their lives in the fire that broke out on 13 November 1960, at the Shahrazad Cinema in the city of Amude. Martyr Qehreman Afrin Primary School, located in the neighbourhood of Şêxmeqsûd in Aleppo, made a statement on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the Amude Cinema fire. Many students participated in the event. The statement was read by the teachers.

The statement was read by teacher Ronahî Xelîl and student Ciwana Hesen. “61 years have passed since the fire of the Amude Cinema in the Qamishlo Canton. This is a painful memory that cannot be forgotten. It is on the mind of those in this city, but also of all the people of Northern and Eastern Syria. On Sunday, 13 November 1960, hundreds of children under the age of 12 lost their lives in the fire.

Pointing out that the fire was actually a planned massacre, the statement continued: “The ‘The Midnight Ghost’ movie that was shown at that time was not for children. About 500 children went to a cinema that could only accommodate 200 people. In addition, no teachers nor the principals attended the cinema. Sparks from an old appliance got bigger and burned the entire hall.

The cities of Amude, Qamishlo and Hesekê Canton all received the sad news, and the laughter of mothers baking tandoori bread in the morning turned into screams and bitter cries.”

The statement said that there are those who still carry the scares of the fire on their bodies, and added: “We condemn this incident and promise that we will follow the path of the martyrs until we achieve justice and freedom.”