For the past three years, the esplanade of the landmark Cologne Cathedral has been hosting a daily photo gallery highlighting the sufferings of the Palestinian people under the yoke of Israel’s occupation, reports IslamOnline.net.
“It all started in 2004 when I ran into a Palestinian Christian from Bethlehem who was visiting the Cathedral,” Walter Herman, 69, said.
Herman was moved by the man’s account of the Palestinians daily hardships and sufferings. He later convinced his friend Klaus Frank, 65, to co-launch a photo gallery to highlight the Palestinian plight. “I wanted to do something even if symbolic to show solidarity with the Palestinians,” said Herman.
The displayed photos show real life images from Israeli massacres in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, noted Frank. Some show dead Palestinians carried by fellow countrymen in funeral processions as well as Israeli soldiers and bulldozers.
One of the most moving pictures features parts of the vacant wheelchair of crippled Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israel in a missile attack at dawn on March 22, 2004. The picture, which is accompanied by another one of Yassin, is captioned: “The State of Israel’s Terrorism.”
The campaigners have collected 30,000 signatures to stop weapon sales to Israel. Herman said they chose the Cologne Cathedral because it is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Germany.