article_snippet: It was never my intention to make a defamatory comment about Indian society," Professor Annette Beck-Sickinger said, according to a statement posted on the website of the University of LeipzigLeipzig.
article_snippet: I sincerely apologize to anyone whose feelings I may have hurt.
article_snippet: I have many female students in the group, so I think this attitude is something I cannot support.
article_snippet: "I do not reject students because of reasons of race or gender, " Beck-Sickinger added.
article_snippet: I am by no means racist or xenophobic in any way.
article_snippet: Speaking about how Indian men might be stereotyped due to reports about alarming instances of rape in Indian men native country, Beck-Sickinger said, "I fully agree that this is a generalization and may not apply to individuals.
article_snippet: Beck-Sickinger referred to regular reports of "multi-rape crimes" and abuse of female tourists that, "for me ... demonstrate the attitude of society towards (women).
article_snippet: "Of course we cannot change or influence the Indian society," she added, "but only take we consequences here in Europe.
article_snippet: One user, identified as Sas Vijay, said, "Don't leave this issue.
article_snippet: this issue is a serious fault to generalize people on such grounds.
article_snippet: Another user, posting as Hemanth Sriteja, wrote, "I don't wanna come to an era where I should say 'Hii (sic)
article_snippet: One person echoing that view publicly is Steiner.
article_snippet: Your oversimplifying and discriminating generalization is an offense to these women and men ardently committed to furthering women empowerment in India; and it is an offense to millions of law-abiding, tolerant, open-minded and hard-working Indians," Steiner wrote Monday in a letter posted on the embassy website.