Head Of Religious Group Denies Political Intervention In Name Change
The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, says there were no political interventions nor irregularities in the approval process for its name change in 2015.
Tanaka Tomihiro, head of the Japan branch of the religious organization, held a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday. He last spoke to reporters on July 11 following the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
Tanaka said group members are taking seriously the media reports that say the suspect in the shooting was motivated by a grudge against his group. He apologized on behalf of the group for causing controversy.
Some have pointed out problems with regard to the Cultural Affairs Agency's decision to permit the group, which has often been criticized as an anti-social cult, to change its name 7 years ago. The critics speculate there may have been political intervention.
Tanaka said his group had repeatedly consulted the government agency about the name change, but the agency's unfavorable response did not change. He explained that his group decided that it would take legal action if its application was rejected, then declared its intention to officials with a written statement by a legal expert.
Tanaka pointed out that relations between politicians and his group or its affiliates are being viewed as problematic, but explained that his group joined hands with politicians who take a clear stance against communism in order to build a better country.
Tanaka also referred to the reported troubles between the group and its followers over large sums of donations. He said that after the apprehension of some followers in 2009, the group has made efforts to tighten compliance so that its members will not take socially or legally problematic actions.
He said the number of civil lawsuits filed with the group have dropped from 78 in 1998 to five this year.
But a liaison group of lawyers which provides consultations to former followers says troubles involving the group are continuing. The lawyers say they received about 2,600 requests for advice between 2010 and last year, and damage claims totaled 13 billion yen, or about 96 million dollars.