Interreligious conference in Osaka urges Japanese authorities to respect religious freedom
Tokyo, 15th October 2024 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
“Passing the Values of Faith on to the Future”
Interfaith Conference in Osaka
by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
On 14th October 2024, a conference with the theme “Weaving the Values of Faith into the Future” was held at the Osaka Public Hall in Chūō-ku, Osaka City. This event was organized in light of the government’s request a year ago for the dissolution of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church). Over 1,000 people from various religious denominations gathered to reaffirm the importance of the values that faith and religion hold.
In his keynote speech, international lawyer Tatsuki Nakayama (中山達樹) emphasized that the issue is not that the Family Federation is misunderstood, but rather that it is not understood at all. He pointed out the lack of effort to foster understanding. Quoting the words of Russian literary giant Tolstoy, he urged, “Before trying to change the world, let’s change ourselves.”
Humayun Mughal, a Muslim believer and religious commentator, expressed opposition to the government’s request for the dissolution order, asserting that “people are constantly trapped in fixed ideas and preconceived notions, but to break free, we must first make an effort to remove such ingrained ideas from ourselves.”
At the conference, representatives from different religions, such as Buddhism and Christianity, sent messages of support, suggesting that “rather than reacting negatively, avoiding each other, or having religions stare each other down just because they belong to different denominations, it is desirable that we recognize and help each other despite our differences, and strive for mutual improvement.”
Additionally, a message signed by 108 Christian clergy and university professors from South Korea was presented, urging the Japanese government to respect religious freedom.
Shinichi Watanabe (渡部真一), the chair of the conference’s organizing committee, suggested that behind the request for the dissolution order, there might well be “negative feelings and ingrained information about religion.” He emphasized the need to “make efforts to convey the preciousness of having faith.”
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Featured image above: Speakers discussing the importance of faith – 14th October 2024, Osaka Public Hall, Chuo Ward, Osaka City. Photo: Tsuyoshi Toyoda (豊田剛)