(Clearwisdom.net) The Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance International Fine Art Exhibition was held at St. Paul's Church in Cambridge on November 8, 2007.
"Please look at each picture and try to think of what lay behind the artist's intention in creating each image," said Arezoo Miraftabi, the organizer of the exhibition, during the opening ceremony.
"Experiencing the brutal persecution of the corrupt CCP [Chinese Communist Party], these Falun Gong practitioners radiate their magnificent forbearance in the face of extreme adversity, displaying a spiritual strength that shows a ray of hope for mankind's future."
Ms. Miraftabi went on to explain how the illegal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China has made children its most vulnerable victims, with many of them being orphaned when the CCP illegally arrests, detains and tortures their parents to death.
"The CCP divides people and destroys culture, morals, families, and faith. The CCP is intolerant of any group of people who do not worship it above all else. Falun Gong practitioners have done nothing wrong and nothing illegal, and pose no threat to any political power. Their only crime is believing in Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," she said.
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| Some paintings from the exhibition | ||
"The prison systems in China have been used to make a lot of money for the Chinese Communist Party. It is free slave labor and there are thousands of these labor camps in China. It is estimated that 66 percent of the people in these labor camps are Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. More horrifically, a recent report by Canadian lawyers Mr. David Kilgour and Mr. David Matas reveals that tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in these labor camps are being tested and kept as a living organ bank until their organs are needed and they are murdered for profit.
"The benevolence of Falun Gong is truly a contrast to the evil that is persecuting them. This contrast is reflected in many of the paintings here today. We hope these paintings inspire peace, justice, and a democracy that will be tolerant of people's faiths."
Ms. Miraftabi thanked John Quysner, the manager at St. Paul's, for his kindness and support with the exhibition. Mrs. Fengling Zhou, a practitioner from China, also spoke about her experiences.
"Before I started practicing Falun Gong, I was in terrible health and very ill all the time. I also had a very bad temper. After I started practicing Falun Gong, all of my illnesses vanished and both at home and at work, my environment was very peaceful.
"When the persecution began in 1999, I was arrested and detained in a forced labor camp. Many fellow practitioners were also detained and some were tortured to death. When I was released, I had to live as a homeless person, fleeing from the threat of being arrested again.
"I could not see my family for fear of incriminating them; I could not see my friends; I could not have a normal family life. Even now that I have escaped China, I cannot return to see my family, my husband, or my daughter. Even when my father died, I could not go home.
"As long as the persecution continues, I cannot have a normal life and many millions of people cannot live normal lives in China. So I hope the persecution ends and all Falun Gong prisoners of conscience get released and the world returns to peace."
The exhibit of 22 paintings will be on at St. Paul's November 8-22.
