Dalai Lama: Politics, Religion Equal Violence
Published: Friday, 17 February, 2006
Jerusalem, 16 February 2006 (Ynet News) - Tibetan Diaspora leader arrives in Israel, says he hopes to advance
dialogue, human warmth in area of conflict.
Describing the purpose of his visit as bringing harmony to the area, he said
he did not come to talk about the situation of Tibet.
During a press conference, the Dalai Lama said the purpose of his visit was
to advance humane values and warmth, as well as dialogue instead of
violence, as a necessary condition for peace.
But the harmony was pushed aside when the Tibetan leader was immediately
thrown into the cold waters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and asked
whether Israel should conduct negotiations with Hamas.
The Dalai Lama described the question as obstructive, adding that it was too
early to answer it. He quickly added that the Hamas won the majority, and
that democratic elections must be respected. Addressing Hamas, he added that
it's best to talk, saying he wanted to enjoin them into that belief.
The Tibetan leader said that if, during his visit in Bethlehem, Hamas
members would want to meet him, he would gladly oblige.
In the course of the conference, the Dalai was asked to speak about global
Islamic terrorism, the crisis over cartoons of Islam's prophet Muhammad, and
the wave of rage which followed them.
'Don't blame the prophet Muhammad'
The prophet Muhammad should not be blamed for the violence, said the Dalai
Lama, adding that the problem is the lack of separation between politics and
religion, a situation which creates violence because emotion is involved.
We must tell the whole world to talk and not to respond immediately. I have
Muslim friends and they told me that anyone who calls themselves Muslim
while causing blood to be spilled is not Muslim, he said.
The Dalai Lama pointed out the difference between Muslims and the policies
of Muslim countries, and emphasized that as a Tibetan leader, he and his
people differentiate between the Chinese people and the Chinese government.
