Japan's Unification Church condemns government's dissolution order
The Japanese branch of the Unification Church has strongly condemned the Japanese government's request to dissolve the group The Japanese branch of the Unification Church has condemned the Japanese government's decision to dissolve the group, calling it a threat to religious freedom and human rights. The Education Ministry is seeking a court order to revoke the church's legal status following an investigation into alleged manipulation of followers, financial exploitation, and harm to families. The church's lawyer, Nobuya Fukumoto, criticised the government for failing to specify the violated law and pledged to contest the court decision. The move follows public outrage over the group's fundraising and recruitment methods following former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination. Stripping the church of its legal status could result in the loss of tax exemptions, potentially leading to financial difficulties.
Pubblicato : 2 anni fa di in Politics
TOKYO, Japan: The Japanese branch of the Unification Church has strongly condemned the Japanese government's request to dissolve the group, viewing it as a grave threat to religious freedom and human rights.
Japan's Education Ministry sought a court order to revoke the church's legal status following an investigation that alleged systematic manipulation of followers, financial exploitation, and causing harm to families.
The move followed public outrage and scrutiny of the group's fundraising and recruitment methods after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination, in which the assailant cited the church's influence. The church's legal affairs chief, Nobuo Okamura, called the request "extremely disappointing and regrettable" and a serious infringement on religious freedom and human rights.
The court process to dissolve the church's status could take months or even years, involving hearings and appeals. The Unification Church's lawyer, Nobuya Fukumoto, criticized the government for failing to specify the violated law and pledged to vigorously contest the move in court.
Stripping the church of its legal status would result in the loss of tax exemptions, potentially leading to financial difficulties. Concerns have been raised about the church attempting to conceal its assets before a court decision. The church has also expressed worries about damage to its reputation and reported harassment of followers and their families at work and school.
Revelations of longstanding connections between the Unification Church and Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party have eroded support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government since Abe's assassination. The church obtained legal recognition as a religious organization in the 1960s.
While the church acknowledges past issues with excessive donations, it claims that reforms have been implemented for over a decade. Experts note that Japanese followers have been asked to pay for ancestral sins during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, and most of the church's global funding originates from Japan.
Previously, only the Aum Shinrikyo cult, responsible for a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, and the Myokakuji group, whose leaders were convicted of fraud, had their religious organization status revoked in Japan.
Temi: Japan