In These New Times

10th January, 2009

MORE than 4000 candles in white paper bags have been lit on the front lawn outside Parliament House in Canberra as part of a vigil against the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Religious leaders from the Islamic, Catholic, Anglican and Uniting faiths were also present to show their solidarity and support for peace in the Middle East region.

The paper bags were carefully laid out across the lawn to spell out both English and Arabic translations of the words, “Save Gaza Now”.

The display’s artist, Jorge Pujol, designed the Sorry, the First Step display after last year’s historic apology to Indigenous Australians by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

“The candle message is pretty much a silent message. It’s a message of light,” Keysar Trad, from the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, told the gathering.

“We are lighting candles to bring about light, dissipate this evil of destruction.”

The vigil concludes a day of protests in Canberra over the conflict.