The Girls of Minab and the World’s Hollow Conscience

By Zakki Ahmad Tamuzadde, Missionary

When missiles hit Minab school, every law written to protect children stands exposed as words on paper

On 28th February 2026, what began as an ordinary school morning in the southern Iranian city of Minab ended in tears and tragedy.

Children who had no part in any war woke up, dressed for school, picked up their bags, and walked through the school gates. They chose no side and they started no conflict. Yet they paid the price for decisions made by powerful adults far away from their classrooms.

While lessons were going on at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School, missiles struck and in a single moment, laughter was silenced, classrooms were destroyed, and innocent lives were cut short. Between 160 and 175 people died.

Most of them were young girls. They had backpacks on their shoulders, pencils in their hands, and dreams of tomorrow in their hearts. Their teachers died beside them, doing the noble work they had dedicated their lives to.

Some events make people cry, however, some are so terrible that they challenge the conscience of the entire world and this was one of them.

International laws on war in relation to this matter make it clear that protecting civilians is not optional. Nor is it something that powerful countries choose to follow only when it suits them. But it is a duty for every heart and mind with a sense of humanity.

In any war, there must be a clear line between fighters and ordinary people. No military reason, however large or urgent, can ever justify the killing of schoolchildren.

The children of Minab were not hiding weapons. They were inside classrooms solving arithmetic, reading books, and dreaming about their futures. But in one strike, their school which was a place that international law says must be protected was turned into a burial ground.

It is so absurd that the United States of America and its western allies continue to preach to others about human rights, while their own weapons destroy classrooms and kill children. When this happens without consequence, the word “accountability” begins to lose its meaning. The world has watched this double standard play out for many years.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has always taught that the values behind modern humanitarian law are not new discoveries. Long before modern conventions and international courts, these teachings were given clearly by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) over fourteen hundred years ago.

When sending soldiers to battle, the Holy Prophet (sa) gave firm instructions. Do not kill children. Do not harm women. Do not kill those who are not fighting. Do not destroy places of worship. These were not mere suggestions but commands which aimed at upholding the principles of justice and respect for human life.

The Holy Quran teaches the same. It says:

مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا

 “Whoever killed a person , unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind.” (Qur’an Ch 5: 33).

This teaching does not depend on race, country, religion, or which side of a conflict someone belongs to. Innocent life is sacred everywhere.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, has for many years warned leaders, parliaments, and world institutions that injustice never stays in one place. When innocent civilians suffer because of injustices caused by political conflicts, the pain does not go away. It passes on to the next generation.

What happened in Minab is not only a tragedy but also a moral failure. The responsibility does not stop with those who carried out the strike. It also rests on every government and institution that allows such incidents to pass without accountability.

The Holy Qur’an in Chapter 4 verse 136 enjoins people to firmly stand for justice even when it works against their own interests. True peace cannot be built on silence. Peace without justice is only what you get when the weak have been told to move on and stop talking.

Three things are now needed. First, there must be a full, transparent, and independent investigation into the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School. Second, those found responsible must face real accountability. Third, the world must make a serious and lasting commitment to protect schools in conflict zones.

The world recorded this attack, it counted the dead, but it can never fully record the unfinished drawings, the unread books, and the futures that ended before they had properly begun.

The Writer is a Missionary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Uganda & MTA Africa Uganda Studios Administrator