Sub-Governor’s Office of Cizre bans ‘Mem û Zîn’ Kurdish theater play

* Photo: Bariş Evîz

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The Cizre Sub-Governor's Office has banned the "Mem û Zin" Kurdish theater play prepared and staged by the Şermola Performans group.

Releasing a statement, the theater group has announced that they agreed with the Cizre Municipality in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Şırnak to perform the play at the Cizre Municipality Cultural Center on March 12; but, yesterday (March 6), they were called by the Cizre Sub-Governor's Office by phone and informed that the play was banned.

The Şermola Performans theater group has briefly stated:

Our play Mem û Zîn has been canceled by the Cizre Sub-Governor's Office without any justification. Preparations began for the performance of our theater play Mem û Zîn, which was planned to be staged at the Cizre Municipality Cultural Center on March 12, days before, banners and leaflets were sent to Cizre, social media ads were put on with the support of several institutions, invitations were sent and the rent of the hall was deposited in the municipality's bank account on March 4, 2022. Two days later, we were informed that the screening was canceled.

Written by prominent Kurdish writer Ehmedê Xanî, the iconical work Mem û Zîn (Mem and Zin) has been adapted from its version where dengbêj Reso sings to a theater play. Directed by Mirza Metin, the play was first staged in Batman on November 3, 2021. It was later staged for 13 more times in cities and districts such as Batman, Diyarbakır, Urfa and Mardin's Kızıltepe. (FD/SD)