The Dalai Lama has issued an apology on social media over a video that shows him kissing a young boy on the lips and then asking him to suck his tongue.
The undated clip of the boy's public audience with the globally respected spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists was circulated on social media and drew angry comments from Twitter users.
“His Holiness wishes to apologise to the boy and his family, as well as many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement on Twitter on Monday.
It said he “often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way”.
“He regrets the incident,” the statement read.
A representative of the Dalai Lama's office did not respond to The National's calls.
The video sparked online criticism of the 87-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner.
“Dalai Lama calls up a minor boy, kisses him on the lips, and asks for a tongue kiss as well,” said Saif, a Twitter user.
“What am I seeing? Is this Dalai Lama?” said Jas Oberoi, another user.
The Dalai Lama has courted controversy in the past as well.
The world’s most popular refugee sparked a row in 2018 when he said in Sweden that while the European Union should provide education and training to refugees, only a “limited number” should be allowed to stay and others should return to “their own land” as “Europe is for Europeans”.
In an interview with the BBC in 2019, he said that any future female Dalai Lama should be “attractive”. He apologised after being criticised for the remark and said he was “joking”.
The title of Dalai Lama is passed on through an elaborate quest by senior Tibetan monks, which could take years, to find the reincarnation of the former spiritual leader. It involves reading spiritual signs, extensive research and interpreting visions.
The current Dalai Lama has been living in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala in India since 1959, where he has set up a Tibetan government-in-exile after a failed uprising against the Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959.
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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