One of our Dru Yoga trainee teachers from Scotland is now working in Dubai. She felt that it was crucial that the World Peace Flame was lit in the Middle East, where peace is so fragile. So she arranged a gathering of 500 people, and asked her work colleague and friend Ahmed to help her light 600 tea lights from her World Peace Flame. She told us about how important this was for her friend:
‘Ahmed moved to Dubai from Iraq with his family in 2002 seeking safety. He occasionally reminisces about growing up in Baghdad, telling me of how as a child he grew used to the sounds of war. For him, hearing and seeing people die became part of everyday life. The thought of peace seemed totally unrealistic as war and destruction were all around in Iraq.
'Now an adult he dreams of peace for his country which he knows he'll never return to saying, 'the Baghdad I once knew no longer exists'. I asked him to think of peace in the world as he was lighting the candles. He did and then said a beautiful prayer for peace afterwards.’
(return) |
