"Unification Church" Statement on Japan's Consideration to Dissolve Sister Church in Japan

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Family Federation for World Peace and Unification

Oct 12, 2023, 23:09 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Family Federation for World Peace and Unification USA, colloquially known as the "Unification Church," is appalled at the Japanese government's consideration to dissolve our sister church in Japan.

Organizations anywhere in the world must operate in accordance with the laws of that country. Likewise, the legally incorporated Family Federation in Japan must operate according to Japanese law, and we wish to be examined and judged fairly.

Article 20 in the Japanese constitution guarantees freedom of religion. According to the Freedom House analysis, Japan scores highly for the freedom of individuals in Japan to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private. If the Japanese government dissolves the Family Federation in Japan, they are going directly against their own laws. Freedom of religion is a human right to dignity that should be protected in every nation.

What is happening to members of the Family Federation in Japan is clearly religious discrimination. The Japanese government already has a history of violating its own laws of protecting citizens' human rights, as seen in the case of Toru Gotto, who was imprisoned by his family and tortured because of his religious beliefs.

Nearly 40 years ago, the United Kingdom similarly pursued legal action against the "Unification Church" to seek the removal of our religious charitable status. However, the British government withdrew its court case and even awarded damages to the Church after conceding that biased testimony alone was unreliable as evidence. Religion Sociologist Eileen Barker, who after conducting her own multi-year embedded study of the Unification Church concluded that our practices posed no harm to society. Our hope is that the Japanese government will heed this as a cautionary tale of relying solely on biased testimony.

We are a global movement dedicated to healthy, happy families as the basis of world peace. The actions of Japan, under the leadership of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, accusing the Family Federation in Japan of inspiring the senseless murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is inconceivable.

The following statement is from the Rev. Demian Dunkley, President of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification USA and Chairman of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification North America:

"Personally, I am surprised by the stance of public opinion in Japan against our members. My wife and children are Japanese citizens. I have worked with countless Japanese people throughout the years and have always been impressed by their extraordinary kindness and strong ethics. I worry about the impact on my family. Will my children receive persecution the next time we visit their grandparents, Oba-san and Oji-san, in Japan?

I implore the Japanese people to look at the impact this is having on real people, their own people. These Japanese citizens are married and instill values in their families that Japanese culture is known for, such as filial piety, respect for elders, and the mindset of public service for the sake of others. Countless Japanese members of the Unification Church moved to every continent to serve local villages, towns, cities, communities, and churches. I have not met any other group from Japan that has had as much of a positive impact around the world.

We will do everything in our power to support our Japanese brothers and sisters in this time of crisis, including continuing to bring this issue before the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom."

Family Fed USA
Sungmi Holdhus
212-997-0057
[email protected]

SOURCE Family Federation for World Peace and Unification