Ladakh Muslim Coordination Committee Leh organized a reception in honour of H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama on 16 July at The Grand Dragon Hotel Leh.

While welcoming all the dignitaries Coordinator Ladakh Muslim Coordination Committee and President Anjuman moin-ul-Islam Sheikh Saif-Ud-Din extended gratitude to His Holiness on behalf of the Muslim community of Leh for accepting the invitation and for advocacy of interfaith tolerance and projecting Islam in its true perspective. He appreciated HH The Dalai Lama for his continues struggle and commitment for resolving Tibet issue and expressed solidarity with the people of Tibet.

H.H. Dalai Lama appreciating the communal unity in India said that this country is a living example of peace and communal harmony where people of different faith live in peace and unity. While expressing grief on the some past incident that took place in Burma and Sri Lanka he said, “I am deeply hurt and felt sorry that some mischievous Buddhist of these countries murdered some Muslims and I appeal them to remember the face and teachings of Buddha before doing such sins because I believe that if Buddha would have been alive, he would have definitely saved the Muslims. Likewise the sectarian conflict between the Shia and Sunni in Pakistan, we all must stand together and not support such mischievous people who in the name of religion slaughter the innocents”.

He added that Islam stresses that practitioner of Islam must extent love to entire creation of Allah. Citing the example of 26/11 attack in Mumbai by some terrorist in the name of jihad that changed the lives of many, Dalai Lama said that those people are terrorists and it would be unfair to generalize people of that religion in the same category as terrorist, as Islam never preaches killing of innocents. The ultimate meaning of Jihad is not harming others but to control your own destructive emotion, tolerance and that is what all religion teaches us. He further said that there are some misguided and mischievous people in all religion who create tensions.  He suggested to set up a group of Shia and Sunni and held conferences and try to communicate with those areas where sectarian violence takes place and play an important role in prevailing of peace.

Present the vote of thanks, Coordinator Ladakh Muslim Coordination Committee and President Anjuman Imamia Leh Ashraf Ali Barchapa appreciated His Holiness for the concern about Muslim minorities and hoped that Dalai Lama would continue to strive for and spread the message of peace and love throughout the world.