Dubai: Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today said the "traumatised" and displaced people in war-torn Iraq should be integrated into the society while maintaining their cultural and ethnic identity.

Ravi Shankar, who is on a three-day visit to the country, said Iraqis need to embrace the future and put the past behind them. "It is very important to integrate displaced people into society while maintaining their cultural and ethnic identity. This can be achieved only after they have been freed of their trauma," he said. The spiritual guru held discussions with key political and religious leaders of Iraq and also oversaw the functioning of the service projects run by the Art of Living.

During his meeting with Iraqi Justice and Education Minister Safa Al Deen Al Safi, Ravi Shankar discussed the possibility of starting Art of Living's Prison Programme in Iraqi prisons. The spiritual guru also emphasised the need for rebuilding the historical 500-year-old Gurudwara that was damaged with Vice President Adil Abd Al Mahdi. He also met up with doctors of his foundation who hold trauma relief workshops and computer training courses in Karbala city in the country. The Art of Living Foundation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the officials at the Iraqi Youth Ministry in order to conduct programmes for empowering women and youth by giving them various kind of vocational training.

Source : PTI