Dalai Lama hits out at Islamic State at iconic UK festival
LONDON: China objected to the Dalai Lama speaking at the iconic Glastonbury festival but he turned up on Sunday and used the occasion to indirectly criticise IS, whose activities, were ‘unthinkable’.
He was received with much enthusiasm at the festival in south-west England and shared a message of ‘love and tolerance and fairness’.
Without mentioning ISIS, he said, “In Syria and Iraq and some other places they’re killing other human beings. Unthinkable. The worst thing is the killing of others in the name of faith. Unthinkable.”
The Dalai Lama went on to praise Glastonbury as ‘a festival of people, not governments or politicians’.
With a festival t-shirt over his head as a makeshift umbrella, he said, “While you are here, enjoy the joyfulness here. But you should remember on this same planet are human beings being killed by human beings.”
In a speech before hundreds of rain-soaked campers, the Tibetan spiritual leader stressed the importance of the ‘oneness’ of the planet’s seven billion people – and made a rare comment on the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
China had earlier warned the organisers against hosting the Dalai Lama.
IN SYRIA, IRAQ AND OTHER PLACES THEY’RE KILLING OTHER HUMAN BEINGS... WORST THING IS THE KILLING OF OTHERS IN THE NAME OF FAITH. UNTHINKABLE.
THE DALAI LAMA