Hossein Fakhimi's statue, introduced by UNESCO as a symbol of peace in 2003, has attracted the attention of Hiroshima Mayor.

Tehran, 26 September 2005 (CHN) -- In a letter to Tehran's municipality, Hiroshima mayor has suggested the distribution of the design of the statue of peace by Hossien Fakhimi around the world.

Fakhimi, who has received the letter in the final days of summer, told CHN, "Tadotoshi Akiba, Hiroshima Mayor and director of Mayors for Peace Organization, in a letter to Tehran's Mayor, has asked for the distribution of the design of the statue throughout the world."

The Mayors for Peace organization, recognized by the UN as an official NGO, is now supported by 554 cities in 107 countries and regions. "Mayors for Peace" aims to build solidarity and facilitate coordination among the cities that support the Programme to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.

Fakhimi created the statue in 1985, but since Iran was at war with Iraq at that time, he couldn't introduce it to the world, until 11 June 2003 when UNESCO introduced it as a world symbol of peace and proposed a citation to its creator.

Fakhimi explained that previous to Hiroshima mayor's suggestion, several foreign jewelry designers had asked permission to use the design in men and women ornaments, adding that he believed the recent suggestion by Mr. Akiba, is culturally valuable and indicates that the world has a special tendency toward that kind of art which is trying to distribute love and peace in the world.

He described his symbol as such, "There are two swans which have been mounted on each other in a way that we can see different designs from each dimension: from one side we can see the word "peace" in three languages of Persian, Arabic, and Hebrew; from the other side, we can see the name of Imam Ali [the first Imam of Shiite Muslims]; and from the third side we can see the word "love". In other words, the work is a symbol of peace, unity, justice, and peaceful coexistence."

Hossein Fakhimi, born in 1945, has a PhD from Madrid University of Fine Arts in sculpting, and certification of sculpting from Don Juan de Avalos, famous sculptor of Spain.

He received a certificate for national pioneer figure in 2000 from the then President Seyed Mohammad Khatami.