Dalai Lama condemns ISIL bloodshed in name of religion

Rasa - The Dalai Lama on Saturday condemned mindless violence in the name of religion, saying the concept of jihad was being misused and misinterpreted by Islamist extremists.

News ID: 1210

Date: 22 September 2014 - 21:28

RNA – According to the French AFP news agency, the Nobel Peace prize winner was referring to bloodshed unleashed by the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq where it has overrun swathes of territory.

"Killing in the name of faith is unacceptable," he told a meeting of India's religious leaders representing as many as nine different religions including Islam.

Jihad or holy war should be a fight "to combat our inner destructive emotions", the 79-year-old spiritual leader said.

"It (jihad) does not mean harming other people."

The Dalai Lama was referring to the atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

"The spiritual people can show the world that it can be a happy family (despite) the different faiths."

A senior Muslim scholar, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Bombay and the head of the Jewish community in Delhi were among those who attended the two-day conference.

few weeks ago, Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh condemned Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadists as “enemy number one” of Islam, urging Muslims to take up arms against the militant group’s members.

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