Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday ordered a government investigation into the Unification Church, a religious group that has come under increased scrutiny since the July assassination of former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe.
The presumed assassin of Shinzo Abe, Tetsuya Yamagami, resented this organization nicknamed “Sect of the Moon”, to which his mother would have made important donations, leading his family to ruin. The suspect also believed that the former prime minister was close to the cult.
The group has denied any wrongdoing, but many former members have publicly criticized the practices of the Moon sect, which is accused of imposing donation targets on its followers, and revelations about its ties to prominent political figures in Japan helped reduce the rate of popularity. of the Fumio Kishida government.
The prime minister “asked me to exercise our right to investigate the Unification Church,” Education and Culture Minister Keiko Nagaoka told reporters, adding: “I will address it immediately.”
Towards a dissolution?
Fumio Kishida was also due to speak on the matter on Monday, but local media earlier reported that the investigation will focus on whether the Unification Church has harmed public welfare or committed acts incompatible with its status as a religious group.
The investigation could lead to an order of dissolution under the Religious Organizations Act, which would cause the Moon sect to lose this status, as well as its tax exemption, but it could continue to operate.
According to Japanese media, only two religious groups in Japan have been the target of such an order, one of which is the Aum Shinrikyo sect, which carried out the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995.
However, the Japanese government would be reluctant to use such a measure, for fear of undermining religious freedom.
Source: BFM TV
