Thousands out on the streets of Japan protesting state persecution of minority faith
Tokyo, 16th July 2024 – Published as an editorial in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article
Second-Generation Believers: “We Just Want to Live Normally” – The Former Unification Church Does Street Preaching all over the nation
Refusal of treatment at hospitals and discrimination by teachers leading to school absenteeism – Human rights violations throughout the country
by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
During the Golden Week holidays from the 13th to the 15th of July, members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) gave street speeches in approximately 140 locations nationwide. They protested the injustice of the dissolution order requested by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and called for members’ human rights to be protected.
At the scramble intersection in Shibuya, Tokyo, about 200 followers gathered, primarily from within the city, to address passersby regarding the unfairness of the request for a dissolution order.
A second-generation female believer from Chiba Prefecture expressed, “I am truly happy to have been born as a second-generation member of the Family Federation.” However, she also highlighted instances where believers faced discrimination, such as being denied medical treatment at hospitals due to their faith or facing discrimination from teachers leading to school absenteeism. She appealed for people to recognize the “current situation where they can no longer even live a normal life.”
A second-generation male believer from Adachi Ward, Tokyo, expressed his honest feelings, saying it is shocking that senior members who had worked for world peace without regard for their families are being spoken of as if they are “evil”. Despite this, he conveyed his determination not to give up but to continue making efforts to spread the word that the Family Federation is a good organization.
In Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, a rally was held on 15th July in front of JR Kashiwa Station. It was attended by about 70 believers from Kashiwa City and surrounding cities and towns.
A female believer residing in Kashiwa, whose parents participated in a mass wedding ceremony in 1982, emphasized, “People lump all second-generation religious believers together as victims to be pitied, but my parents raised me like a treasure. Their love is what drives me, and I am grateful to them.” She added, “I don’t deny those who claim to be ‘victims’, but I want people to know that there are second-generation believers who take pride in their faith.”
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Featured image above Many Family Federation for World Peace and Unification members gathered at the Shibuya scramble intersection in front of JR Shibuya Station in Tokyo on 15th July 2024. Photo: David Chan / Sekai Nippo