Newspaper
El Pais
Montevideo, Uruguay Republic – Tuesday, February 14 of 2006
Middle East finds peace in front of Fray Mocho (a historical place) (view)
Montevideo City Mayor, Ricardo Ehrlich, inaugurated yesterday a free area bearing the name “Montevideo City to the Palestinian People” in honour of that people and in order to send a peace message to Middle East”, the City Mayor stated.
At the free area, it was placed a monolith together with an allusive plaque. Find Art School will carry out a competition to place a monument in honour of the Palestinian people, in that place.
Besides City Mayor Ehrlich, the celebration counted with the presence of the Palestine Ambassador in Argentina, Suhail Hani Daher Akel, the president of the Lebanese Club and Secretary of the Arab American Entities Federation, Pedro Abuchalja, and several members from the Palestinian community in Chui and Bella Union.
While the celebration was taking place, the controversy surrounding Mahoma’s caricatures was continuing in the rest of the world. The Muslim religion bans the reproduction of Mahoma’s pictures and it believes that it attacks its values.
However, nobody noticed it during the celebration yesterday. Neither the authorities nor those present –most of them were carrying Palestinian flags and wearing badges from that country- noticed it.
During his speech, the Ambassador told City Mayor Ehrlich that they could plan an olive tree for peace. According to Akel, he has planted 31 trees in Argentina.
The Ambassador also added that he would like to inaugurate an area containing similar characteristics in Jerusalem, his birthplace.
The City Mayor Ricardo Ehrlich accepted Ambassador’s proposal to plant a tree in a next meeting and he added that the ceremony emphasizes a vocation for the peace and freedom of countries in order for their people to choose their destiny.
Some sources from the Montevideo municipality told EFE agency that Israeli diplomats were invited to take part in the ceremony, but they did not attend it.