Support Religious Freedom in Japan and Peace Around the World - Petition
Photo: Washington Times
Who should decide where you can go to church? You and your family — or your government? In Japan, the courts have decided tight government control is more important than freedom of religion. Ever since the 2022 assassination of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a lone gunman with a grudge against the Unification Church, the Japanese media and government have increasingly taken the shooter’s side. Only months afterwards, a new law was enacted to restrict the ways religious groups can collect donations, seemingly targeted directly at the Unification Church (more fully known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification). After years of court battles, the church now risks being stripped of its religious certification and tax-exempt status. This harsh measure has only been taken twice before in Japan, and its use against an international religious group is a serious escalation of government control over religion.
The government claims its only concern is how the church collects donations. Yet its intense focus on this case hints at a real motive: the Unification Church supports peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, and Japan’s Western allies do not. As Russia’s and China’s economies continue to grow despite all sanctions, the US and its allies consider it more pivotal than ever to surround their adversaries with hostile neighbors. Every day, US weapons and funds flood not just into Ukraine, but also to military bases and Western-friendly parties in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and (until recently) Afghanistan, among many others. Just before Shinzo Abe’s death, he had publicly questioned the anti-Russian consensus on the then-new Ukraine war. His assassin claimed that Abe had to die simply because of his good relations with the Unification Church, against whom the killer had a personal grudge. Immediately, the Japanese media overflowed with stories about the evils of the church. When a well-loved politician is shot dead in the street, in what other country does the media immediately adopt his killer’s cause?
Religion can be deeply personal, intensely political, or sometimes both. Some groups suggest only quiet contemplation, others urge the pursuit of earthly justice, and a few extreme sects like ISIS demand violent uprisings. Every government has a right to protect their sovereignty against genuine threats. But when a religious group calls for peaceful cooperation with regional neighbors, while distant countries demand chaos and proxy war, who is the real threat to Japan — and to all of us?
