They organized themselves again according to stage's requirements  

JAFAR JAFFO – ALI KEDRO / AL-SHAHBA

In January 20, 2018, the Turkish occupation launched an attack on Afrin canton. One of the main goals of the attack was exterminating Afrin residents' culture. Afrin people resisted in the first phase of the Resistance of the Age against the Turkish enemy for 58 days. On the 18th of March last year, the people forcibly displaced due to the intensification of the attacks of the barbaric and haphazard air raids, so Afrin residents habited in al-Shahba canton within the second phase of Resistance of the age.

The Culture and Art Movement in Afrin region which is considered the cornerstone for protecting the culture of the society protected and is still protecting the culture of Afrin people after moving to al-Shahba canton by organizing its work in various fields such as cinema, theater, singing, dancing in addition to the works of the Golden Crescent.

The administrative member in the Culture and Art Movement in Afrin region Hannan Seydo explained that Afrin is known for its culture, and its people adhere to their culture. Hannan Seydo also pointed out that they were organizing their work in Afrin against the occupation at the level of the seven districts; Rajo, Janders, Bulbul, Mobata, Shera, Sherawa and Shia in addition to Afrin city's center, and he made clear that each district was self-administrated in its work.

We wanted to be a response to those fascist goals

After Afrin was occupied, the Culture and Art Movement did not cease its activities, but organized itself according to the requirements of the stage. It established centers in al-Shahba canton and within the camps in which Afrin displaced people inhabit, formed Rojava film commune, distributed the work within themselves and appointed members for the training in addition to the participation in the activities that support the Resistance of the Age.

The administrator in Rojava film commune, Avrin Mohideen Arselan made clear, "There is no doubt that the attacks of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries on Afrin aimed at removing the culture and art of the people and the region because they say, "If you want to remove people, remove their culture at first," but they could not because the people preserved their culture after they forcibly displaced to al-Shahba canton. We, as members of the Culture and Art Movement, wanted to be a response to those fascist goals."

Mohideen Arselan explained that there is a weakness in the possibilities available to them, but they prepared five films about Afrin and the pain experienced by its people after the attacks of the Turkish occupation, and he said, "We participated in Kobani International Festival."

Arselan made clear that they stood beside the artists in the preparation of the songs and clips, including a clip named "BERXWEDANA EFRÎNÊ" by the artist Ahmed Khani, and they are preparing another clip entitled" LO LO WELATO." He also pointed to the work to produce a collective project with the Artists Union and Film Commune and it is a lyric film that includes seven songs entitled "The Will of the People."

The administrator in the Golden Crescent Berivan Dodag said, "As women in the Culture and Art Movement, we wanted to have a place in the second phase of the Resistance of the Age. In the beginning, we gathered the children of Afrin from all the villages and camps, and formed teams to train them to sing, dance, act in theater and draw, in addition to organizing women in all domains."

Berivan explained that they formed teams for children and young people to the age of 14 years, including the Martyr Haifa Band for singing, a singing band for women in the name of the Martyr Berjam, and the band of the Martyr Viyan Soran for dancing, in addition to the appointment of members to inform the Golden Crescent. Berivan noted that the teams are working and training regularly every week, participating in the activities that support the Resistance of the Age in addition to organizing the Crescent for a technical week throughout al-Shahba canton which ensures the culture and heritage of Afrin, especially the Afrinian women. The Crescent organizes festivals and art exhibitions.

D.H

ANHA