The Dalai Lama has issued a weak apology for saying that he only wants a woman to succeed him if she's hot. The Tibetan spiritual leader provoked outrage last week when he told the BBC in an interview that “if female Dalai Lama comes, then she should be more attractive.” His office eventually took note of the criticism and issued a 771-word “clarification” Tuesday. It began with an apology, but then unravelled. “His Holiness genuinely meant no offence ... He is deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies,” it said. But, it went on: “It sometimes happens that off the cuff remarks, which might be amusing in one cultural context, lose their humour in translation when brought into another. He regrets any offence that may have been given.” So, it seems that he's sorry that people were offended, not that he actually said it.
