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54 EASTERN HORIZON | NEWS

His Holiness enjoys a traditional treat during a His Holiness addressed members of the Muslim community in Zanskar.
tea break at his meeting with members of the Photo by Tenzin Choejor. From dalailama.com
Muslim community in Zanskar.
Photo by Tenzin Choejor. From dalailama.com

Dalai Lama Shares a Message

of Interfaith Harmony with

Ladakh’s Muslim Community

By Craig C Lewis | August 17, 2022

Continuing a series of public and spiritual engagements followers of different religious traditions, it’s even more
during his landmark visit to the far northern Indian saddening to witness quarreling among the members
territory of Ladakh,* His Holiness the Dalai Lama on of different denominations of the same faith, as we
Saturday accepted an invitation to meet with members see between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Afghanistan.
of the Muslim community in the predominantly Although our various religious traditions assert different
Buddhist Zanskar District, during which he shared a philosophical points of view, their common purpose is
message of compassion and interfaith harmony. to encourage their followers to be kindhearted.” (His
Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
His Holiness was welcomed by community leaders, while
the local Imam offered a prayer to bless the gathering. The Dalai Lama recalled the good relations he witnessed
between Tibetan Buddhists and the small Muslim
“As a Buddhist monk, wherever I go I encourage people community in Lhasa, noting that Muslims were always
to cultivate inter-religious harmony,” His Holiness welcomed at all Buddhist festivals.
shared with those congregated on Saturday. “All religious
traditions counsel their followers to develop love “I am pleased to see that here in Zanskar, Muslim and
and compassion and work for the benefit of others. Buddhist communities live in close harmony with each
Therefore, whenever I can, I visit different places of other, for which I would again like to thank our Muslim
worship, just as I have come to this Eid Gah this morning. brothers and sisters today,” His Holiness continued.
“Harmony in the Himalayan region as a whole is
“While it is sad to see conflict breaking out between important because of the close relations the region has