Tibet Interfaith Service and Next Steps

Last night I attended an Interfaith Service, "Prayers for Peace in Tibet," at The Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew in New York City, sponsored by the Tibet Fund. I was honored to join more than a dozen religious leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths who offered prayers for those who have died and those who suffer as tensions escalate inside of Tibet.

The evening featured peaceful calls to action by The Very Rev. James Parks Morton (top image), Chair of the Interfaith Center, actor Richard Gere (middle photo), and many others rallying against the Chinese Government's severe response to recent demonstrations in Tibet. At the end of the evening I joined hundreds of attendees raising lit candles aloft alongside Tibetans holding Tibet flags that are, today, banned in their homeland.

Listening to the leaders of the Tibet Fund and others, I got a sense of the helplessness and despair felt by the Tibetan people who have suffered under the yoke of Chinese political and religious repression the past 50 years. As I sat there in silent prayer and meditation alongside 500 other attendees, I reflected on actions that all conscious government leaders should take to send a powerful message to China to meet with the Dalai Lama, resolve the Tibet issue now and avoid a humanitarian disaster. For the Tibetans, already an impoverished society, are suffering greatly.

The Chinese have imprisoned hundreds of Tibetans involved in these peaceful protests. They have themselves incited violence among a peaceful society. More than 160 people are reported dead. There is a state of martial law. Tibetans are forbidden to speak the name of the Dalai Lama or display his photo. The litany of their crimes against this sacred Buddhist culture goes on and on.

Western governments and corporations need to act now to send a clear message to the Chinese that this crime against humanity cannot continue and it's going to a deal breaker. Governments and companies need to show the courage that citizens are showing in London, Paris, Greece, and other sites being visited by the Olympic Torch Relay. When the Torch arrives this coming Wednesday in San Francisco, I do hope that peaceful people make their voices heard. Here are some other next steps I'd like to see occur:

1. The Olympic Torch relay under the management of the Chinese government, should either be canceled, or peaceful and meaningful protests surrounding it should continue to surround its journey. There are no more effective voices than peaceful citizen protests the world over.
2. The opening ceremony of the Olympics should be boycotted by western leaders. Let the games continue, but give athletes the choice of attending or not.
3. Citizens should selectively boycott Olympic sponsors unless they retract their financial support for the event. Pick one corporation and that will send a strong message to the others.
4. Citizens should write and urge their legislative leaders to pressure their national leaders to act.
   

China needs to get the message that it's no longer business as usual on Tibet. Citizens of the world must make their voices are heard. Government leaders need to speak up and say to the Chinese government that stamping out the Tibetan culture and fly-swatting the people of this gentle culture like gnats is going to be a lose-lose scenario.