CALCUTTA, India - Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama urged the United States on Monday not to respond militarily to last week's devastating attacks, saying only non-violence could combat international terrorism.
"While I express my sympathy, I have appealed to the U.S. president not to respond with more violence as violence is not an appropriate answer," the Tibetan Buddhist leader told a news conference in Calcutta.
The Dalai Lama fled from his homeland to India with thousands of followers in 1959, nine years after the Chinese army entered Tibet and overthrew the Buddhist theocracy there.
The 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate's comments came after Pope John Paul appealed on Sunday to the world not to allow the attacks on New York and Washington to lead to more violence, and not to allow "a spiral of hate and violence" to prevail.
The United States has pledged to avenge the attacks by hijacked airliners that slammed into the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon near Washington last Tuesday.
NON-VIOLENCE ONLY ANSWER
"Most cases of violence only cause destruction...these things will have to be prevented the non-violent way. Only non-violent means can counter terrorism in the long-term," the Dalai Lama said.
The United States has said Islamic militant Osama bin Laden, harboured by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, was the prime suspect behind the attacks in which some 5,000 people were killed or are missing.
Bin Laden, a 44-year-old multi-millionaire, has denied he was responsible, saying Afghanistan would not permit it.
The Dalai Lama said he believed there were numerous causes for the attacks.
"Every event has many causes...you can't just pick up one individual-- Osama bin Laden -- and say he was responsible. That is not realistic," said the Dalai Lama, whose exiled government accuses China of repression in Tibet.
"The economic gap between the rich and poor nations is one factor (that could have been responsible)," he said.
But the Dalai Lama said the attacks could not have been sanctified by any religion.
"The essence of all major religions is compassion, forgiveness, contentment, self-discipline and brotherhood," he said.
"Some people may only be using the name of religion to justify their actions," he said.
05:34 09-17-01
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