A way of showing respect - or not
When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to explain why he met the Dalai Lama in his Ottawa office, it was clear that he wanted to show respect for the exiled Tibetan leader.
It didn’t quite come out that way.
“I met the Dalai Lama in my office but I meet everyone in my office. I don’t know why I would sneak off to a hotel room just to meet the Dalai Lama. You know, he’s not a call girl,” Harper told OMNI television.
He quickly added: “As I say, he’s a respected international spiritual leader.”
The Dalai Lama was granted honorary Canadian citizenship in June.
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