Khaled al Asaad

On past 18 November, Milan remembered the example of Khaled al-Asaad, Palmyra’s “keeper” murdered by ISIS in August, by planting a tree in his honour at the Garden on Monte Stella Hill.

Sunday 6 March, at 3 pm, on European Day of the Righteous, at Milan’s Fabbrica del Vapore cultural centre, we will dedicate a graffiti to Khaled al-Asaad drawn by artists Pao, Ivan, Orticanoodles and Piger.

Following is the message written by Giorgio Mortara, UCEI councillor, for this occasion, which Dr. Mortara will personally read during the inauguration.

The word “history” is translated into Hebrew by the word “toledot”, which literally means “generations”. There is thus no History outside what a generation passes on to the following ones. This is the meaning of the moral imperative of remembering the events relating to the people who have been the victims of unprecedented hatred.

To effectively fulfil this imperative, we need to use the means of expression of today’s youth, used to communicating through images and digital technology.

This is why I was happy to join this effort to portrait the tragedy of Khaled al Asaad and the relevance of his message and exemplary behaviour for our cultural and moral heritage, through a graffiti to be exhibited in a space of young people for  young people.

All our gratitude goes to the authors and all the people who made it possible to launch this initiative.