Silence, hypocrisy and apologies

The 14th Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetan people was interviewed, delivered lectures, met with business people and even published an opinion piece in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's biggest daily newspaper, during his recent visit to Israel.

To be sure, the Dalai Lama's message of non-violence, understanding between people and compassion are all positive. It is just a bit surprising that His Holiness didn't see fit to direct his teachings of non-violence to the Palestinians and their radical Islamists.

It is a bit surprising that the honorable spiritual leader of the Tibetan people called on Israel to reconcile itself to Hamas ("we must respect the fact that they came to power as a result of democratic elections," he told Ofer Shelah), but he failed to call on Hamas to abandon its holy war against Jews and to recognize Israel's right to exist.

His Holiness made due with a general statement about the need to "be more realistic." Why didn't we hear from him when buses were blowing up in our streets?

It is also surprising that a religious thinker such as the Dalai Lama, who fervently preaches the need to aid the world's poor, never used his heartfelt speeches to mention the billions of dollars in oil revenues in the Persian Gulf states, not one drop of which goes to residents of Palestinian refugee camps.

Selective denunciations

And what of his silence in the face of venomous Muslim anti-Denmark, anti-European and anti-Western riots? And where is his denunciation of the anti-Semitic incitement by Iran's president?

The Dalai Lama told a group of Israeli businesspeople that they must maintain their humanistic values.

It is certainly important to honor and respect other people – especially when you live in Nigeria, where Muslim gangs burn down Christian churches, or in Zimbabwe, where a crazy madman tramples all opposition, or in Sudan, where there is no end in sight to the cruel, murderous pursuit of non-Muslim minorities.

But the Dalai Lama remains silent on these burning issues. Fair enough. Maybe he's too busy to go into details.

Hypocritical ring

The Dalai Lama has more than a few followers in Israel (including many who follow his teachings with blind faith) who have been deeply affected by his teachings. And his teachings are truly important: Life in Israel is too aggressive, too loud, too uncompromising.

But his moral stance has just a ring of hypocrisy when it fails to include fierce denunciations of a convention to enlist anti-Zionist suicide bombers in Tehran, or Islamic underground groups currently out of control in Baghdad who have "opposed America" by murdering hundreds of women and children.

Special consideration

An unbalanced approach characterizes many people looking for favors from the world. For them the West, and especially the United States and Israel, are responsible for all of civilization's ills.

Muslims, on the other hand, enjoy special consideration. Six months ago, a Danish newspaper published a cartoon portraying the prophet Mohammed as a terror supporter; the cartoons have undoubtedly inspired many a cry of "Allah Akhbar" (God is great) by suicide terrorists.

Those who go out to a blood-soaked Jihad and murder hundreds of commuters on European trains in the name of religion should not be surprised their religion is understood to preach terror.

In reaction to the cartoons, Muslim riots have broken out. A minority has once again forced its outrageous agenda on the cultured world. But who is forced to apologize? Not the jihadis, but the cartoonists.

It is they, after all, who have "insulted Islamic feelings."

But those murdered in the name of Islam no longer have any feelings. Their body parts have been buried deep underground in New York, London, Madrid, Bali and Jerusalem.