Dalai Lama: Jihad Can Be Suppressed by Tolerance and Compassion
Bratislava, October 16 (TASR) – Jihad, for which the militant group Islamic State is calling, could be suppressed by tolerance, said the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, who’s visiting Slovakia, on Sunday.
At today’s public conference the Dalai Lama appealed to tolerance and the spreading of compassion. Peace in the world could only be achieved via our own internal peace. All people can take part in creating a better future, said the Tibetan spiritual leader. He believes that there will be a more peaceful world in 20 years.
“We’re all entitled to achieve happiness. We have a lot of problems in our lives, but there are so many reasons in the world to stay optimistic,” said Dalai Lama at the National Tennis Centre in Bratislava. It’s the personal responsibility of people to make humanity feel happier. “So that there is more compassion. And we should be able to feel compassion towards our enemies as well. It’s important to cultivate a consciousness of solidarity among people, just like among brothers and sisters, regardless of their religion,” noted the 14th Dalai Lama.
He emphasised the need of love, tolerance, satisfaction, joy and self-discipline. It’s also important to create a religious harmony, he added. “Despite the fact that we believe in different philosophies and different ways of live, we still have a common goal – the spreading of compassion and creation of religious harmony,” he stated.
The Dalai Lama has stood up for Muslims, because he believes that true Muslim believers aren’t engendering the bloodshed. “He who causes bloodshed is no longer a Muslim,” added the Dalai Lama.
He also answered some questions from the audience. One participant was interested in the Dalai Lama’s opinion about US presidential candidate Donald Trump. He didn’t make a comment about Trump, because he believes that it’s better to keep silent during a political campaign.
The 14th Dalai Lama will be in Slovakia until October 17. The visit is part of his tour around Europe. The next stop is Prague. The Dalai Lama has visited Slovakia three times (2000, 2009 and 2016). He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
