Japanese newspaper features politician warning that the next target of the current “mass lynching” could be communists and other religious groups.
Tokyo, 12th July 2024 – Published as the ninth article in a series in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article
Offered flowers for the late Shinzo Abe, expelled from the Social Democratic Party
by the Religious Freedom Investigative Team of the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
One-person faction member Shingo Inoue (井上真吾), a city councilor in Kitakyushu, had been affiliated with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in July 2022. Although Abe and Inoue held opposing political views, Inoue admired Abe for his eloquent speeches and strong convictions. In a gesture of mourning, Inoue and a fellow independent councilor crossed the Kanmon Strait [Editor’s note: between the two large islands Kyushu and Honshu] to offer flowers at Abe’s office in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the opposite shore from Kitakyushu.
After leaving Abe’s office, Inoue was surrounded by the media and questioned about his SDP affiliation. When asked why he visited despite the party’s opposition to a state funeral for Abe, Inoue responded that he couldn’t tolerate violating the right to freedom of thought and conscience protected by the constitution. Shortly afterward, the SDP Fukuoka Prefecture chapter’s leadership confronted him, resulting in a one-year suspension of his party membership. Later, in February of the previous year, after introducing a petition from followers of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly known as the Unification Church), Inoue submitted a resignation letter, but he was subsequently expelled.
Inoue, who often advocates for human rights, is deeply committed to the fundamental human rights enshrined in the constitution. Even though he was not an atheist, he joined the Communist Party at the age of 18. His encounter with a Communist-affiliated organization while volunteering in Kobe after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake influenced his decision. After completing evening courses at university, he joined the party, serving as a Communist Party member for two terms (eight years). During this time, he focused on local activities for the community but declined to work more for the party, leading to his departure and giving up a third term.
Subsequently, Inoue faced rejection in interviews with as many as 30 companies due to his Communist Party background. He experienced it as a hindrance. He persevered through odd jobs, including construction work, and returned to politics eight years later with support from the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Following the incident involving Abe, the Family Federation was labeled a group deserving dissolution, and it began to be publicly known that many members were reported to have been harmed in various parts of the country. However, during his eight years as a Communist Party member and after his political comeback in 2021, Inoue never received consultations related to the Family Federation’s substantial donations or spiritual sales.
Records from the Kanto Great Earthquake reveal atrocities where Koreans and Communist Party members were massacred. Inoue finds it puzzling that the Communist Party and SDP, which usually advocate for human rights, remain silent. He warns that if dissolution orders are granted, both the Communist and SDP, along with other religious groups, could become targets of repression. “Today it’s them, tomorrow it could be us,” he cautions.
In August last year, the Family Federation filed a lawsuit against Kitakyushu City in the Fukuoka District Court, claiming that its resolution to “have no relationship whatsoever” [with the Family Federation] was an unlawful act that incites discrimination against a specific religion, and is seeking 11 million yen in damages for defamation. The current bashing of the Family Federation by the government and the media appears to Shingo Inoue to be a “mass lynching”. He emphasizes the importance of this significant trial to change the fabric of exclusion and bullying.
On 16th June, Inoue participated in a rally organized by Family Federation followers in Kumamoto City. Inoue marched with the believers in a demonstration, calling out, “The government must protect freedom of religion.” He was concerned about potential trouble from onlookers, but his worries were unfounded. “There was no security presence, and the surrounding people watched supportively,” he said. He also participated in another demonstration held in Kitakyushu City on 30th June.
Inoue believes that more people are now calmly assessing the issue of the Family Federation, recognizing that the prevailing sentiment is no longer “Family Federation is evil.” He strongly appealed, “Not only politicians but also the judiciary should uphold the dignity of the religious organization.”
Click here to read more on Religious Persecution
Featured image above: Shingo Inoue (left), at the forefront of a demonstration calling for freedom of religion, 30th June, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City, Japan. Photo: Sekai Nippo