2015 Newroz eve bombing… still fresh in our memories, unextinguishable flame

With the arrival of March 21 each year, the Kurdish people renew the lighting of the “Newroz” flame, celebrating the arrival of spring and affirming their national and cultural existence. This occasion goes beyond being a seasonal holiday to become a symbol of freedom and adherence to identity in the face of attempts at erasure and intimidation that Kurds have faced over decades, according to their accounts.

During these celebrations, Kurds have faced ongoing efforts of repression and intimidation, among the most horrific of which occurred in 2015, when people celebrating the eve of Newroz in the Mufti neighborhood of al-Hasakah were targeted by two consecutive suicide attacks—one using a motorcycle and the other a car bomb. This resulted in the deaths of 53 civilians and injuries to more than 130 others, including women and children, in one of the most brutal massacres committed during Newroz occasions.

Following this massacre, the Autonomous Administration canceled all forms of celebration in mourning for the victims.

One of the survivors, Delfin Abdulaziz Othman, who was 14 years old at the time, recounts the moments before the explosion: “We were forming a circle around the Newroz flame, singing revolutionary songs with a large gathering of the people, and happiness filled our hearts. When news arrived about the possibility of a bombing, people began to move away. At that moment, the first explosion occurred from a motorcycle, and then I saw a white car driven by a young man approaching the celebration site and detonating himself among the people.”

Delfin describes those moments as: “like a dream, as if Judgment Day had come,” noting that “the remains of the celebrants were everywhere,” describing the scene as “terrifying and harsh.” She added: “This day was one of the most difficult moments of my life because of the scenes I witnessed at that age.”

Delfin still bears suffers of wounds and shrapnel in her leg, shoulder, armpit, and back. She also lost her maternal uncle and two of her cousins, while more than five of her relatives were injured, in addition to her sister undergoing surgery.

After 11 years, Delfin has transformed that traumatic experience into strength, affirming that she has begun preparing songs, flags, and the Nowruz flame for celebration, in addition to preparing traditional Kurdish clothing.

Over decades, the Kurdish people in Syria have suffered from systematic marginalization and denial of their national existence, with restrictions imposed on language, culture, and political participation. They have been subjected to various forms of repression and cultural erasure by successive regimes, which adopted chauvinistic and racist policies, and were keen to prevent Kurds from celebrating their national holiday through strict security measures, according to Kurdish activists and politicians.

After the Qamishlo uprising on March 12, 2004, the Ba'ath Party authorities intensified repression of any Newroz celebrations, with recorded cases of live fire and the arrest of hundreds of celebrants. In 2008, three young man were killed in Qamishlo while lighting fires in front of their homes during the celebration; all three were named “Mohammad.”

During Newroz in Raqqa in 2010, the Kurdish child Mohammad Nour was killed and dozens were injured due to gunfire targeting celebrants.

On the eve of Newroz in 2023, Turkish-backed mercenaries committed a massacre against a Kurdish family in the town of Jindires while they were lighting the Newroz  flame in front of their home, resulting in the death of four family members, in a crime reflecting the continuation of attempts to erase Kurdish identity.

Civil activist Dr. Barzan Suleiman explained that targeting Kurds during Newroz celebrations carries particular political and security implications, noting that the holiday represents a symbol of freedom, renewal of nature, and liberation from injustice and oppression.

He added that Kurds, since ancient times, have never accepted any form of servitude or denial, and have always been advocates of freedom and peace, explaining that the flame of freedom was first lit in 612 BC and has continued to this day, stating: “The Newroz flame prevails every time.”

He pointed out that ISIS’s targeting of Newroz celebrants carried a political message aimed at preventing Kurds from celebrating, emphasizing that these systematic attempts have failed to extinguish the Newroz flame.

Barzan affirmed that all forms of targeting only increase Kurdish commitment to their cause and unify their stance in Kurdistan, which was evident after the recent attacks on Kurds in Rojava, as they raised their voices despite political differences.

The first Kurdish martyr in Syria during Newroz celebrations was Suleiman Adi, who was killed in Damascus in 1986 when Kurds went out to celebrate the holiday publicly for the first time.

For 2,638 years, the Newroz flame has continued in Kurdistan. Despite attempts at prohibition and ongoing repression, Kurds have preserved this holiday as an occasion to renew hope, uphold freedom and dignity, and embody their resilience in the face of erasure and oppression throughout history.

Kurds around the world celebrate Newroz on March 21 by lighting fires symbolizing liberation from oppression, wearing brightly colored traditional Kurdish clothing, performing national and revolutionary songs, and forming dabke dance circles in neighborhoods and public squares.

ANHA