Balls of steel!!!! Love it.
--- rama krishna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ravaged by a violence they had never known before, > despairing Iraqis Wednesday turned to Indian > spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for peace that > was snuffed out of their lives by the 2003 US > invasion. Around 80 Shia and tribal leaders, mostly > dressed in traditional Arab gear, listened > attentively to Ravi Shankar at the office of a Shia > group in Baghdad as he pleaded with them to end all > killings.According to his Art of Living Foundation, > Ravi Shankar also met separately a group of grieving > Iraqi women widowed by the unending insurgency and > Shia-Sunni conflict.While one tribal leader blamed > the US for their suffering, a Red Crescent official > told the guru to bring into Iraqi lives 'the art of > living since they only know the art of dying', a > spokesperson for Ravi Shankar told IANS over phone > from Bangalore. > > And Prime Minister Nouri al Malaki, who has > invited Ravi Shankar as an ambassador of peace, > urged him late Tuesday, shortly after his arrival, > to help reform prisoners in Baghdad's jails through > yoga and meditation.Art of Living officials said > they - and also Ravi Shankar - were overwhelmed by > the response to their guru's three-day visit to > Iraq.'The response is simply terrific,' a > spokesperson said, quoting reports received from > Baghdad. 'The people of Iraq want peace and deserve > peace.'It is the first time an Indian guru or for > that matter any non-Islamic spiritual leader of some > standing has forayed into Baghdad, a once serene > city that now knows only suicide bombings, firings > and fratricidal killings.With the American > occupation turning Iraq upside down, having killed > over 655,000 people and wounding many more, Iraqis > are desperate to regain the stable life they were > long used to. > > The Art of Living Foundation, which enjoys a vast > following in India and abroad, says the yoga, > meditation and breathing techniques it advocates are > powerful weapons than can kill anxiety and > depression that have gripped Iraq.Seated on a raised > platform and speaking in English with an Arabic > interpreter in attendance, Ravi Shankar referred to > Mahatma Gandhi and urged Shia and tribal leaders: > 'Give non-violence a try, give peace a chance.'This > was the message he conveyed to everyone, his aides > said.Ravi Shankar flew into Baghdad from Amman > Tuesday. His entourage took two and a half hours to > cover the short distance from the Baghdad airport to > his hotel in the US-protected Green Zone area.The > Art of Living Foundation, which has been active in > Iraq for four years and has many Iraqi volunteers, > runs prisoner reform programmes in several cities > including New Delhi.Earlier, Jordanian Prime > Minister Marouf Bakhit met Ravi Shankar in Amman, > where the guru presided over a meeting > of 1,000 people eager to learn yoga, meditation and > breathing techniques.Ravi Shankar is to visit the > Art of Living trauma relief centre in Baghdad and > then return to Amman where he will talk at the > University of Jordan and attend a VIP reception > thrown in his honour.Since 2003, the Art of Living > and its sister concern, The International > Association for Human Values, have been working > under difficult circumstances in Iraq to help people > overcome their deep pain and suffering.The > volunteers have also conducted trauma relief courses > in various parts of Iraq, especially in Baghdad. > Medicines, food and clothes have also been offered. > At a time when most NGOs have been compelled to > evacuate their volunteers from Iraq following > violence and kidnappings, Art of Living has stayed > put. Last year, 43 Iraqis, mostly women, graduated > to be Art of Living teachers. So far, 5,000 Iraqis > have undergone the Art of Living trauma relief > workshops apart from attending ayurvedic training > camps. Ravi Shankar's followers have also initiated > a women empowerment project under which Iraqi women > get vocational training such as tailoring and > computer skills. Over 500 women have benefited from > the programme. > > This story can be read at this link: > > http://in.news.yahoo.com/070523/43/6g5kr.html > > Picture of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with > Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki can be viewed > here: > > http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/23look.htm > > Regards > > Rama Krishna > > > --------------------------------- > Building a website is a piece of cake. > Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online. ____________________________________________________________________________________Got a little couch potato? Check out fun summer activities for kids. http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=summer+activities+for+kids&cs=bz
