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Irishman Richard Moore is 'my hero': Dalai Lama

By Lobsang Wangyal | Tibet Sun

The Dalai Lama leans on Richard Moore’s shoulder during an interactive session with students at the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamshala, India, on 5 May 2010. Richard Moore, 48, the founder of the charity ‘Children in Crossfire’, was blinded by a rubber bullet fired at point blank range into his face by a British soldier in 1972. Moore had not only forgiven the soldier who fired the rubber bullet, but he had also befriended him. The Dalai Lama called him “My hero” and said that he should be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize.Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India

The Dalai Lama, much celebrated around the world for his humanity and compassion, reversed his role on Tuesday when he introduced an Irishman to the students of a Tibetan school at his north Indian base, Dharamshala.

The Dalai Lama called Richard Moore, the founder of the charity ‘Children in Crossfire’, “My hero and my friend” for not holding any grudge against a soldier who blinded him with a rubber bullet when he was 10 years of age.

“Richard Moore has led an exemplary life. He has put compassion in action”, the Dalai Lama said as he presented a citation to Moore.

The sense of forgiveness and humanity shown by Richard Moore is an example for the world to learn to overcome negative emotions such as anger.

“Moore should be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize”, the Dalai Lama, who won the award in 1989, told the students of the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) school.

Moore, 48, recounted how he felt since he became victim of the bullet fired by the soldier to finally founding a charity for children who suffer as a result of conflicts.

After he realised that he would never see his parents’ faces again, he cried one night until he fell asleep. He said that he had accepted the situation he was in just like that (snapping his fingers), and said: “Forgiveness is a gift for yourself.”

“I have learned to live in a different way. One can take away one’s sight, but one cannot take away one’s vision.”

Moore, who founded the charity ‘Children in Crossfire’, was blinded by a rubber bullet fired at point blank range into his face by a British soldier in 1972. He had not only forgiven the soldier who fired the rubber bullet, but he had also befriended him.

Charles Inness, the soldier who shot the rubber bullet, is accompanying Moore at the interactive talk at the school. Recounting the event that led to the shooting, Inness said he was the police chief on guard of a police station in Derry, Northern Ireland at that time. He fired rubber bullets in order to disperse a stone-pelting crowd. One of the bullets he fired hit the bridge of the nose of a 10-year-old boy — Richard Moore — which led to the blinding of the boy.

“I was absolutely appalled, shocked and devastated by what happened to Moore. I was deeply grieved for the rest of my life after the tragic incident,” he said.

Copyright © 2010 Tibet Sun

Published in Tibet Sun