John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono has asked for forgiveness in an open letter printed in the New York Times newspaper.
The controversial wife of the former Beatle wrote the letter, entitled "Forgive Us", to commemorate the December 8 anniversary of Lennon's tragic murder.
Ono, who has continued to spread her husband's message of world peace, addressed the letter to families who have lost loved ones, soldiers at war, to those innocently killed and people in the world who have been abused or tortured.
The artist wrote, "Know that your loss is our loss ... Know that the burden is ours."
The letter continued, "Every year, let's make December 8th the day to ask for forgiveness from those who suffered the insufferable."
Ono revealed that she is unsure whether she is able to forgive Lennon's killer, but urged "healing is what is urgently needed now in the world. Let's heal the wounds together."
Lennon was gunned down in New York City in 1980. He was returning home from a nearby recording studio. The attacker, Mark David Chapman, is still serving his sentence in New York's Attica state prison.
Lennon's quest for world peace was embodied in his famous song "Imagine".
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