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ROME (AP) - The Dalai Lama said after meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome that efforts should be taken to overcome dangerous generalizations depicting all members of a religion as “militants” ready to take up violence, the Italian state news agency reported.
The Dalai Lama’s remarks followed the infamous speech the Pope gave in his native Germany last month in which he quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as “evil and inhuman,” particularly “his command to spread by the sword the faith.”
The speech provoked protests from Muslims across the world. The Pope said the quotation did not reflect his personal view of Islam, and he expressed deep regret that Muslims had been offended by it.
The Dalai Lama also referred to “mistaken” judgments sparked by “a few mischievous Muslims,” the ANSA news agency quoted him as telling reporters.
His remarks echoed comments he made in an interview with The Associated Press last month when he said:
“Mischievous people often use religious faith for their own interests and create conflict. We have to look at the real message of all these traditions.”
The Vatican has maintained a low profile on past visits by the Dalai Lama, including his last in 2003 to meet with John Paul II, to avoid a further chill in its icy relations with China.
When asked about the Nangpa La shootings, the Dalai Lama told AP Television News that it was “very sad.”
“We have been experiencing such cases for more than 50 years. Very sad,” he said.
Also while in Rome, the Dalai Lama received an honorary degree in biology in recognition of the “considerable progress” made by the spiritual leader’s Mind and Life Institute in exploring the relationship between the brain and the mind.
Read the full article from The Associated Press |
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