His Holiness the Dalai Lama Wrote to Aung Sang Sui Kyi on Tibetan/Muslim Issue

[icy]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama was deeply saddened and remains very concerned with the violence inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims by the Burmese authorities; and wrote a letter to Ms. Aung Sang Sui Kyi on the issue:

NEW DELHI: Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay accompanied by Representative Tempa Tsering met Mr Syed Yahya Bukhari, President, Jama Masjid United Forum at the latter’s residence. During the hour-long discussion,  Kalon Tripa conveyed his heartfelt greetings on the occasion of Eid to Mr Bukhari and the Muslim community. The meeting was attended by representatives of two main Urdu print media: Daily Sahafat and The Inquilab.

Kalon Tripa explained the historical background about Tibetan Muslims in Tibet and the establishment of mosques and special consideration given by His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama. Even today there are Tibetan Muslims in India, mostly in Kashmir Valley, who are culturally Tibetan but still follow Islam.

In regard to the recent creation of some misunderstanding between some Muslims about Tibetans, Kalon Tripa produced a copy of the 2010 Kyegudo earthquake photo which has been mistakenly or deliberately used by some websites thereby creating a perception that Tibetans were involved in the violence against the Muslims. This is in fact not the case, as the picture was actually of Tibetan monks performing a mass funeral to the earthquake victims in Tibet

He also explained that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was deeply saddened and remains very concerned with the violence inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims by the Burmese authorities; and wrote a letter to Ms Aung Sang Sui Kyi on the issue.

He further explained that His Holiness has directed Representative Mr Tempa Tsering to meet the Ambassador of Myanmar Embassy. Unfortunately the Embassy could not schedule the meeting as of today.

On the occasion of Eid, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi himself conveyed a message of peace and urged the hundreds and thousands of Muslims gathered not to be swayed by photographs of dubious sources and urged them to remain calm. Mr Bukhari shared that His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the Jama Masjid in 2010 and that the Imam personally received Him and that he had a lot of respect for His Holiness.

Mr Bukhari appreciated the meeting and stated that such meetings should continue in future so as to boost the relationship between Tibetans and Muslims. Kalon Tripa agreed to reciprocate similar efforts.



Below picture of Kalon Tripa (C) accompanied by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Representative Kasur Tempa Tsering (R) meeting with Mr Syed Yahya Bukhari, President, Jama Masjid United Forum, in Delhi on 22 August 2012/TibetNet Photo

[vajratruth]

Tibet's association with Islam goes very far back but it was during the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama that Islam gained a foothold institutionally in Tibet. As the story goes, Pir Yakub, a saintly Islamic personage was often seen making his daily prayers on a hill next to the Potala and one day he was invited to have theological discussions with the Fifth Dalai Lama after which the Dalai Lama sent a representative to west of the Potala to find suitable land for Pir to build a place of worship for the Muslims.

The Fifth Dalai Lama's representative shot four arrows into each of the four directions and that plot of land, from where the arrows were shot extending out as far as the arrows had flown, was given to the Muslim Community. It came to be known as The House Of The Far Reaching Arrows. In addition, the Fifth Dalai Lama also gave official patronage to the settlers of that land.

I am glad to see HHDL being interested in the plight of the minority Muslims in Myanmar although I must say that it is a bit difficult to reconcile HHDL's care for mankind all over the world and HH's ban on Dorje Shugden which has also led to a lot of suffering and violence being inflicted on Tibetan Buddhists. Still, Trijang Rinpoche must have sound reason to advice everyone to support HHDL during this time of conflict.

[kris]

This issue in Rohingya is indeed very saddening, but after searching quite extensively on internet, there seem to be no many updates on this matter.

I am really glad both parties made an effort to meet up and both have the mutual understanding. It is true that the photos of monks performing mass funeral were twisted as "Buddhist monks killing Muslims". I have a few Muslim friends on facebook, and they have posted these photos with hate messages, but when I told them the photos are spoof, they refuse to take them down... I hope this meeting can ease some tensions...

p/s: May be the admin can move this thread to the "General Buddhism" board because it is more related there.

[Ensapa]

The issues of Myanmar is not a Buddhist against Muslim thing but rather a race against race thing. It is ethnic cleansing but people would often only look at it on a very superficial level and see it as a Buddhist against Muslim thing. Aung San Sui Kyi must say something about this. She must stop it or at the very least, disassociate Buddhism from such acts but it would be difficult for her as well if she is also holding on to her cultural identity as well as a Buddhist rakhine.

[DS Star]

My 2-cents…

1.   This is a serious issue. Why would people fabricate fake ‘proof’ by using photo of earthquake victims in Tibet as proof of ‘violence’ on Rohingya Muslims by Tibetan Buddhists/monks? Why specifically Tibetans?

Could it be the ripening effect for the lies by some Tibetans to justify their discrimination and sometimes violence acts towards Dorje Shugden practitioners?

2.   HH the Dalai Lama “was deeply saddened and remains very concerned” that this issue is causing tensions between Muslims and Tibetans Buddhists. He even produced historical proof that Tibetans king and authorities allow Muslim-Tibetans to practice their faiths.

The point is; the ban on Dorje Shugden practice had already caused tension among Tibetans. Is it not serious enough for HH the Dalai Lama to be concerned and to take actions to end the sufferings of Shugden practitioners?

[brian]

My 2-cents…

1.   This is a serious issue. Why would people fabricate fake ‘proof’ by using photo of earthquake victims in Tibet as proof of ‘violence’ on Rohingya Muslims by Tibetan Buddhists/monks? Why specifically Tibetans?

Could it be the ripening effect for the lies by some Tibetans to justify their discrimination and sometimes violence acts towards Dorje Shugden practitioners?

2.   HH the Dalai Lama “was deeply saddened and remains very concerned” that this issue is causing tensions between Muslims and Tibetans Buddhists. He even produced historical proof that Tibetans king and authorities allow Muslim-Tibetans to practice their faiths.

The point is; the ban on Dorje Shugden practice had already caused tension among Tibetans. Is it not serious enough for HH the Dalai Lama to be concerned and to take actions to end the sufferings of Shugden practitioners?

I agree with what you have written here and would like to add on to it, if the Dalai Lama was very saddened by what has been happening to the Rohangyas, why wouldn't him be saddened by what the Shugden practitioners? Why the ban is still standing? Why there are no efforts into lifting the ban or at least stop violence against loyal Shugden practitioners?  Why look outside when you have on going problems within unresolved? Please lift the ban on Dorje Shugden practice.

[Ensapa]

My 2-cents…

1.   This is a serious issue. Why would people fabricate fake ‘proof’ by using photo of earthquake victims in Tibet as proof of ‘violence’ on Rohingya Muslims by Tibetan Buddhists/monks? Why specifically Tibetans?

Could it be the ripening effect for the lies by some Tibetans to justify their discrimination and sometimes violence acts towards Dorje Shugden practitioners?

2.   HH the Dalai Lama “was deeply saddened and remains very concerned” that this issue is causing tensions between Muslims and Tibetans Buddhists. He even produced historical proof that Tibetans king and authorities allow Muslim-Tibetans to practice their faiths.

The point is; the ban on Dorje Shugden practice had already caused tension among Tibetans. Is it not serious enough for HH the Dalai Lama to be concerned and to take actions to end the sufferings of Shugden practitioners?

Even as of now, there are myanmar people who are discriminating against the rohgiyas. It's quite a shame that the Tibetans are mainly worried/concerned about their image being misused rather than actually speaking out in a very clear cut way that the act of violence against the rohgiyas is NOT a Buddhist vs Muslim fight but a fight between 2 ethnic nations and ethnic cleansing masked by religion. Just because a certain race adopts Buddhism to be their religion but their actions show otherwise does not make it a Buddhist against whatever religion issue, it is the issue between races, with religion, unfortunately becoming the common denominator between the both. I am sure the doctored photos will not be bought by many people once the truth spreads out.