BlOOMINGTON, Indiana — Boxing legend Muhammad Ali will meet the Dalai Lama when the exiled Tibetan leader visits Bloomington in September.
“It will be the first time the two have met,” said the Dalai Lama’s nephew, Jigme Norbu of Bloomington. “We’re honored that he is taking the time and making the effort to be with us.”
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Bloomington on Sept. 7 to dedicate a new, 10,000-square-foot interfaith temple, the Chamtse Ling. It will be his fourth visit to Indiana University’s hometown, about 50 miles south of Indianapolis.
Ali plans to attend the ceremony to show support for the temple’s mission of promoting world peace, and for the people of Tibet, The Herald-Times reported today. The mountain nation has been occupied by decades by the Chinese government.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 with thousands of supporters after a failed uprising against China. Since then, he has headed a government-in-exile in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent struggle against Chinese rule.
The retired heavyweight champion will be a guest in the temple, which also includes quarters for the Dalai Lama.
Actor Richard Gere, who has been active in the Tibetan cause, also is expected to attend the dedication ceremony. Local religious leaders and Gov. Frank O’Bannon have also been invited. Attendance will be limited to 5,000.
The U.S. State Department is in charge of security, which is expected to include metal detectors, bomb-sniffing dogs, bag searches and pat-downs.
The Dalai Lama was scheduled to dedicate the temple in April 2002, but postponed that visit because of illness.
His older brother, retired Indiana University professor Thubten J. Norbu, 81, is the founder of the Tibetan Cultural Center on whose grounds the temple was built. Norbu suffered a stroke last fall but is expected to attend the dedication.
“This has been my father’s dream for such a long time,” his son, Jigme, said Wednesday.
