Dalai Lama officially apologies for saying a female

The Dalai Lama has apologised for comments he made about women that sent feminists into a fury, but he won’t walk back earlier remarks about Donald Trump.

The Dalai Lama is “deeply sorry” about comments he made about women in a recent BBC interview with a female host, his office said in a statement.

“In responding to a question about whether his own reincarnation could be a woman, and suggesting that if she were she should be attractive, His Holiness genuinely meant no offence. He is deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies”, the statement said.

The clarification and apology was also posted on the official Twitter account for the Dalai Lama.

But the Twitterverse still seemed to be unforgiving of what they perceived to be His Holiness’s old-fashioned and sexist views at a time when such viewpoints are out of step with the achievements of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements.

Clarification and Context of Remarks Made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a Recent BBC Interview https://t.co/wxCKZ8GTSe pic.twitter.com/S51tkATwu1

— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) July 2, 2019

I've always loved the Dalai Lama even though he's, at best, a 4.

— Gary Shteyngart (@Shteyngart) June 30, 2019

Gonna stay ugly just to spite the Dalai Lama

— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) June 29, 2019

Social media users first brought the furore to light a few days ago after the BBC interview aired.

Author of Sex Object Jessica Valenti tweeted, “Having to cancel the Dalai Lama is about as 2019 as it gets.”

The tweet was part of a debate that attracted many thousands of comments condemning the Dalai Lama’s views as disappointingly sexist in the extreme, potentially dragging the spiritual leader into the “Time’s Up” landscape: “Further proof that misogyny is the most insidious and entrenched form of social violence in human history”, wrote one Twitter user.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama (L) and IM General Secretary Ann Svensén (R) at a press meeting in Malmo, Sweden on September 12, 2018. Picture: AFP

The Dalai Lama’s comments, which attracted criticism around the world, were initially made in an interview with the British broadcaster that aired last week from the Nobel Peace prize winner’s exile in Dharamsala in northern India.

“If female Dalai Lama comes, then she should be more attractive,” he had said. “If female Dalai Lama, oh, oh … that people, I think prefer, not see her, that face.”

But the new statement said that His Holiness’s comments had been taken out of context.

“His Holiness, a monk now in his mid-eighties, has a keen sense of the contradictions between the materialistic, globalised world he encounters on his travels and the complex, more esoteric ideas about reincarnation that are at the heart of Tibetan Buddhist tradition,” the new statement said.

In one week the Dalai Lama said a female version of himself would need to be “pretty” and that US President Donald Trump lacks "moral principle". Picture: AFP

“However, it sometimes happens that off the cuff remarks, which might be amusing in one cultural context, lose their humour in translation when brought into another. He regrets any offence that may have been given.

“For all his long life, His Holiness has opposed the objectification of women, has supported women and their rights and celebrated the growing international consensus in support of gender equality and respect for women,” it added.

It said that the original context of his referring to the physical appearance of a female successor was a conversation with the then Paris editor of Vogue magazine.

“She asked if a future Dalai Lama could be a woman. His Holiness replied, ‘Certainly, if that would be more helpful,’ adding, as a joke, that she should be attractive. He was at least partially responding to the unfamiliar ambience of working with a team whose prime focus was the world of high fashion,” the statement said.

‘LACK OF MORAL PRINCIPLE’

It comes, however, as the Dalai Lama earlier made comments about US president Donald Trump, saying that the leader of the free world showed a “lack of moral principle” and “complicated” emotions.

US President Donald Trump lacks “moral principle” according to the Dalai Lama, who has not apologised for those comments. Picture: AFP

On Mr Trump, the Dalai Lama, 83, had said: “One day he says something, another day he says something … But I think (there is a) lack of moral principle.”

“When he became president he expressed ‘America First’. That is wrong. America they should take the global responsibility,” he said, adding that Mr Trump’s emotions are “also a little bit … too complicated”.

The statement from his office made no reference to these comments. In the BBC interview he had also reiterated his views on immigration into Europe, saying that the continent should educate and train immigrants with a view to them returning home.

“But whole Europe eventually become Muslim country? Impossible. Or African country. Also impossible … Keep Europe for Europeans,” he had said.

MORE: ‘Europe belongs to Europeans’: Dalai Lama

The new communique said that these comments “may have been misinterpreted”, saying that he “appreciates that many of those who leave their countries may not wish or be able to return”.

“His Holiness regularly cautions against allowing the divisive idea of ‘us’ and ‘them’ to flourish.

“He suggests that a solution to many of the problems we face in the world today is to remind ourselves that as human beings we are all brothers and sisters belonging to one human family, and that together we can take action to address the global challenges that confront us.”

Originally published as Dalai Lama officially apologies for saying a female