Iran’s Cinema Organization (ICO) has released a statement condemning the recent atrocities committed by the Zionist regime against the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine.
According to the Public Relations Department of ICO, the statement released by the organization reads as follows:
Once again, we bear witness to horrific scenes of slaughter and human suffering that will forever be etched in the memories of all free-thinking individuals. The anguish and suffering of the Palestinian people, as eloquently described by Nizar Qabbani, encapsulate the collective sorrow of humanity.
We find ourselves in a peculiar era where the earth itself seems to cringe at being soaked with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent and defenseless Palestinians. As we observe the unfolding tragedy on our cinema screens, we are more ashamed than ever that our art form has failed to adequately portray the depth of this bitter tragedy.
In the distant land of Gaza, a land bereft of shelter and protection, we see innocent people being buried under the rubble of their homes, suffering at the hands of bloodthirsty adventurers who have stained the pages of contemporary history. Children, women, and the elderly are drowning in their own blood, and every inch of soil reeks of gunpowder and death.
Yet, amidst this carnage, the silence of the cinematic world is deafening. Our art has not risen to the occasion to expose these inhumane atrocities and hold accountable those who perpetrate them.
Now is not the time for hesitation. The clarion call of awakened consciences resonates, and artists must lead the way. We, as artists and filmmakers, have a duty to stand as sentinels of human dignity and honor. To turn a blind eye to this barbarism is a crime in itself.
History will remember, and it will not forget those who had the power to speak up, to create, to shout for the innocent women and children, but instead chose to remain in their ivory towers.
Today, we call upon the intellectuals, artists, and filmmakers of Iran and the world to choose the right side of history. We must uphold our oath to our art and fulfill our greater human responsibility. We cannot let the voices of the oppressed fade into oblivion or allow the cries and whispers of unarmed children, women, and men in Gaza and Palestine be muffled by the smoke and explosions.
It is time for filmmakers and artists worldwide to stand firm on their commitment and become the narrators of the scorched souls of innocent Palestinian children through the medium of cinema and art."
Deep within the conscience of every artist, every filmmaker, and every free human being, the plaintive cry of the children of Gaza echoes: "I have my eyes on your way."