Conspiracy theorists and the far right have seized on the Dalai Lama’s viral “suck my tongue” controversy as proof of their far-fetched claims about the world being run by an elite cabal of paedophiles, a core tenet of the QAnon movement.
The 14th Dalai Lama took the unusual step of tweeting an apology note on Monday after videos circulated of a public event where the Tibetan spiritual leader kissed a boy and then asked him to “suck his tongue”.
“His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident”, the note read.
The video of the February event had begun circulating around social media in early April, drawing confusion and outrage over the inappropriate interaction. Sticking out your tongue is a traditional greeting in Tibet and archival photos show that the Dalai Lama has a history of greeting with a kiss.
But for fringe figures and groups around the world who widely shared the videos on social media, the video is supposed evidence of their conspiracy theory that many of the world’s leaders are paedophiles. This belief is a key part of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which believes that Donald Trump will defeat this cabal of Satanic cannibals.
The video and articles covering the Dalai Lama’s kiss and comments have been excitedly shared in Australian and global online conspiracy spaces seen by Crikey. Viral tweets about the controversy from now-deleted Twitter account @JoostBroekers (whose bio “My favorite part of being a ‘conspiracy theorist’ is not having myocarditis” is a reference to a common anti-vaccine trope) were repeatedly cited in mainstream publications and viewed millions of times. The account repeatedly hinted at the conspiracy theory by tweeting “Now why would he [the Dalai Lama] do that?”
Others explicitly called the Dalai Lama a child sex abuser. Far-right misinformation superspreader and online radio broadcaster Stew Peters called him “clearly pedo inclined”. Oli London, a controversial English internet personality turned anti-trans campaigner who has appeared on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson show, called for the Dalai Lama to be arrested and charged with sexual assault. English counter-extremism expert turned conspiracy theorist Maajid Nawaz said the clip showed how the world’s leaders are controlled by a “global cabal of psychopaths who facilitate their depravity in exchange for control”. The conservative Christian satirical website Babylon Bee published an article titled “Dalai Lama Inundated With Requests From Public Libraries To Lead Story Hours”, alluding to the far-right trope linking the LGBTQIA+ community and drag performers with paedophilia.
Even the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka weighed in on the moment and reiterated its previous claims that the Dalai Lama is “absolutely not a simple monk”, this time accusing him of being a paedophile. (China has a long history of attacking the Dalai Lama for his role in promoting Tibet as a free country.)
Different cultures have different norms around greetings and affection, amongst other things. The West’s (and the world’s) proclivity for rampant capitalism is undoubtedly harming more children than an old man’s attempt at levity.
Agreed. And in the West, the USA is the most ‘religious’ yet the most prurient by far of all the nations. There, a moral panic can be got up about ‘pedos’ at the drop of a hat, roused by the same people who exploit children with sexualised images and advertising or by dressing them up in inappropriate, immodest clothes and making them do fashion catwalks and perform lurid pop songs on stage.
oh it’s worse than that. USA conservatives actively try to stop attempts to ban child marriage.
https://www.salon.com/2018/03/11/banning-child-marriage-in-america-an-uphill-fight-against-evangelical-pressure/
Dare one suggest that at almost 88 years of age the Dalai Lama may have had what is termed ‘a senior’s moment’. Doubtless that phrase is now non-PC but it conveys the point & most seniors of my acquaintance use the term regularly. But I digress…
Something as inappropriate as the Dalai Lama’s tongue invitation may be a sign of senility. Do conspirators seriously believe that a high profile religious figure would be so blatant in public if he was actually a paedophile? Even a popular children’s TV icon & royalty – neither holy – confined lascivious behaviour behind closed doors.
I’m now recalling the time my uncle invited me to pull his index finger and passed wind loudly when I did so.
He claimed he was only teasing me but my Mum was not happy with him.
Let’s not redefine ‘conspiracy’ to mean ‘conspiracy theory’ please.
The only conspirators involved here are figments in the fevered imaginations of conspiracy ‘theorists’…
Even the proper term seems a bit off; none of those ‘theories’ seem to have been refined beyond the ‘brain fart’ stage.
Dare anyone recall – and repeat – the early iterations of the Comedy Company’s ‘Uncle Arthur‘ the creepy, smelly, fiddly old bloke always trying to grope the kiddiwinks at family parties?
He may be a pedophile or not there are a lot of lurid stories about the treatment of junior novice monks in Tibetan Buddhism aside from its slave owning history and CIA funding. It is not all fuzzy wuzzy mysticism and spirituality in Dharamshala
What can you expect from a “a wolf wrapped in robes, a monster with a human face and an animal’s heart.”?
Way to evaporate all that goodwill in a single stroke. Speaking of, he should’ve claimed a stroke, as just about the only exonerating reason.
But geez, conspiracy theorists and their ornately, deafeningly, self-aggrandising confections of ego-stroking lies!
Incredible to think these are actual adults walking around the world, expecting to be taken seriously. Someone needs to round them up.
He’s just the last, hopefully final, gasp of an evil theocracy which for centuries waxed fat on ignorance and serfdom.
Yeah, but it’s not good is it!
Silly man.
And all the while a homophobe. Really silly thing to do.
I wonder why people get upset about hereditary titles and life long roles?