The Dalai Lama backs the Iraq war?

[wellard]

The fight against evil wins a new convert? ..... from the Sydney morning herald


The Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize winner and strong advocate of non-violence, says it might be necessary to fight terrorism with violence, and that it is too early to say whether the war in Iraq was a mistake.

"I feel only history will tell," he said in an interview in the United States. "Terrorism is the worst kind of violence, so we have to check it, we have to take countermeasures."

The Dalai Lama spoke in New York during his first visit to the city since the 2001 terrorist attacks, the last stop of a US tour.

At a time when many political and religious leaders believe the US anti-terrorism campaign and the Iraq war are fuelling terrorism, he refused to pass judgement but emphasised that the antidote to terrorism in the long term was "compassion, dialogue - peaceful means".

"We have to deal with their motivation," he said. "Terrorism comes out of hatred, and also short-sightedness."

Osama bin Laden was like a butcher grown inured to slaughtering animals. With terrorists, he said, applying a Buddhist analysis, "their whole mind is dominated by negative emotions".

But the Dalai Lama rejected the fears of some scholars that the world is heading towards a "clash of civilisations" between Christian and Muslim nations. He cited the citizens in the former Soviet Union who had once expressed hostility to the US and the West, and had now changed their minds. The Arab world could do the same.

The Dalai Lama, 68, was interviewed in a hotel room in Manhattan. He sat cross-legged in an armchair, his eyebrows bouncing in amusement behind his glasses as he spoke in English with occasional help from a translator. He had just posed for photographs with the singer Ricky Martin.

Since being driven out of Tibet 44 years ago by the Chinese occupation, he has never been back. But he "certainly" expects China to eventually allow him and other exiles to return. He long ago abandoned the goal of independence from China, instead seeking "autonomy".

One reason he was advocating this was that "we are materially very much backward".

But the Dalai Lama was very concerned about the relocation of many Han Chinese into Tibet as part of Beijing's assimilation plan, and had raised this in talks with President George Bush.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...625157317.html

[Ronn_Bman]

Interesting...

I wonder how many folks here who were proud to share a position near the DL in the Political Compass thread actually share this view.

Me for sure, but anyone else wanna claim this one.

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by Ronn_Bman: Interesting... I wonder how many folks here who were proud to share a position near the DL in the Political Compass thread actually share this view. Me for sure, but anyone else wanna claim this one.

"I feel only history will tell," he said in an interview in the United States. "Terrorism is the worst kind of violence, so we have to check it, we have to take countermeasures."

I agree here.

At a time when many political and religious leaders believe the US anti-terrorism campaign and the Iraq war are fuelling terrorism, he refused to pass judgement but emphasised that the antidote to terrorism in the long term was "compassion, dialogue - peaceful means". "We have to deal with their motivation," he said. "Terrorism comes out of hatred, and also short-sightedness." Osama bin Laden was like a butcher grown inured to slaughtering animals. With terrorists, he said, applying a Buddhist analysis, "their whole mind is dominated by negative emotions".

I agree with all of this, particularly the enboldened parts.

I also agree with his stance BEFORE the war....
http://www.tibet.ca/wtnarchive/2003/1/16_2.html

GAYA, India, January 16, 2003 (AP) - The Dalai Lama said Thursday that weapons of mass destruction must be eliminated but a peaceful solution should be found to avoid war in Iraq. "I prefer (that) violence or war should not take place," the Tibetan spiritual leader told reporters before rituals marking the five-day Kalachakra Initiation, which has drawn tens of thousands of Buddhists this western Indian city.

So he hardly backed the war, and so far has stated that only history will tell if it was the correct course of action.

Also if you follow the link, he thinks that the Afganistan conflict was a worthy cause, a view I also came around to agree with although I disagree with the methods used.

[Ronn_Bman]

I was just asking. [img]smile.gif[/img]

After all, you and I are in the same quadrant of the Political Compass with the DL.

BTW, the DL's "I feel only history will tell" and his "I refuse to pass judgment" assertions, which you seemingly agree with, completely refute several of your own posts in this and the previous forum(s).

[Chewbacca]

I do believe history will tell the true value of the Iraq war. Feel free to dig up some old posts and rub them in my face. I am unafraid.

As far as passing judgment, I have expressed concerns that more terrorists and violence will be and has been borne from the actions in Iraq, but that is hardly an absolute judgment. I am also humble enough to say these are my opinions, neither correct nor incorrect but my own. Perhaps I am more judgmental than the Dalia Lama, but then again I am not the Dalia Lama so I have that luxury.

[Ronn_Bman]

You might not be the DL, but I bet you'd look cool wearing orange robes with a shaved head. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]