NORSHAN ABDI

KOBANI_The leader in the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), aRIN Mirkan, is one of the most prominent figures whose name has been linked to the Kobani resistance in Rojava, which lasted 134 days and formed a pivotal station in the city's history.  On the fifth of October 2014, she carried out a sacrificial operation at the Mishte Nur hill, to become a symbol of resistance and sacrifice, and her memory is linked to one of the prominent moments in the Battle of Kobani.

Based on immortalizing her legacy and evoking the connotations her experience carries, the Culture and Art Movement in Kobani, in cooperation with the Culture Authority in the region, announced in 2021 the launch of a theater festival bearing the name "Arin...Braids of Peace," in loyalty to the memory of Arin Mirkan and in honor of her career, and tranforming her name into a space where art meets memory, and through which tales of resistance and peace are told on the stage.

Since its launch, the festival has not been limited to commemorating this figure, but has turned into a cultural platform that brings together theater artists from multiple national and cultural backgrounds_Kurds, Arabs,Armenians, Circassians,and Turkmens_allowing them to exchange experiences, present their works, and express theeirideas and feeelings toward the region's issues.

With the approach of its fourth edition this year, the festival continues to entrench its presence as a space for dialogue and cultural convergence, where memory intersects with creativity, and where the stag transcends the limits of artistic expression to become a bridge for communication between cultures and societies

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"The Legacy of the Martyr Arin Remains Alive Through the Theater Festival"

 

Regarding the details of the fourth edition of the festival, Mirkhan Ismail, a member of the festival's administration_ which will launch on 30 October under the slogan "From Every City a Story, and From Every Heart an Idea"_said that "The fighter Arin Mirkan left a mark with her resilience and her sacrificial act during the Kobani resistance, and entrenched her name as a symbol of female fighters and sacrificial women. We, as cultural movements in the region, have taken a decision to be loyal to the struggle and sacrifices of the martyr Arin by organizing this festival,which has been held since 2021."

She noted that the festival was supposed to be held on the fifth of October, but it was postponed due to some circumstances, artistic requirements, and the conditions in the region

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"Participation This Year Is Rich and Diverse"

Regarding the groups that will participate in the festival this year, she explained that participation will include, as always, many cities of Rojava and beyond. "The follow-up committee, which has been working on preparations for three months, will receive groups from Kobani, Afrin, Aleppo, Qamishli, Derik, Hasakah, and Raqqa. Our festival this year will also be richer and more diverse with the participation of a theater group from eastern Kurdistan."

She noted that the festival will witness the participation of 10 groups, meaning the presentation of ten different theatrical texts on the stage, each one presenting the story of a city. "What gives our festival more richness is the participation of people from different cities, cultures, and nationalities, which has become a distinctive feature of the Arin Braids of Peace Festival.  Therefore, we will share together through theatrical art our ideas, feelings, joys, and sorrows."

"The Stage of The Culture and Art Center is Open to Everyone"

Mirkhan Ismail, a member of the administration of the "Arin... Braids of Peace" Festival, concluded her interview with a broad invitation to participate.  "Art is a broad field, and theater is one of its most influential methods. Therefore, our invitation is directed to all Kurdish theater artists to present their art through these festivals, and achieve great developments in this field.  We also direct our invitation to the people of Kobani to participate in our festival, which will last six days, and contribute to its success and development. In this way we can preserve the legacy of the martyr Arin and her struggle, and keep her name high forever

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