Dalai Lama opposes crucifix removal in Italy

Rome, Nov 19: Emphasizing the need to maintain tradition, Tibetan religious leader, Dalai Lama has expressed his displeasure over the ruling of European Court of Human Rights to ban the display of crucifix in school classrooms on Wednesday, Nov 18.

According to media reports Dalai Lama said that the crucifix reflects Italy's Catholic and Christian background and so it is fundamentally important to maintain that tradition by having a crucifix in schools.

The case against the display of crucifix was launched by Soile Lautsi, an Italian woman, who was against the display of the Catholic crucifix at her children's state school in Abano Terme, a small town outside the northern city of Padua.

On Nov 3, 2009 the court decided that case in favor of Lautsi with compensation of EUR 5,000 for damages on the ground that the crucifix was infringing the parents' right to education their children in conformity of their conviction.

The ruling triggered a debate in Italy with the Vatican calling the exclusion of the religious symbol a wrong and myopic decision.

OneIndia News