Focus on Crimes of Professional Faith-Breaking

Spotlight on professional faith-breaking and the inhuman treatment of more than 4,300 members of minority faith left with permanent emotional scars after having been through abduction, confinement, and coercive manipulation to abandon their religion

Tokyo, 2nd December 2024 – Published as the 45th article in a series in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article

Series: Freedom of Religion Under Threat – Part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders

Abduction and Confinement of Believers Is “Inhumane”

Part 2 of interview with Tomihiro Tanaka (田中富広), President of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in Japan

See part 1, part 3 of interview

by the Religious Freedom Investigative Team of the editorial department of Sekai Nippo

See part 1 of the series: The Kishida Administration’s Reckless Actions: 1st article, 2nd article, 3rd article, 4th article, 5th article, 6th article

See part 2: Ripples to Local Assemblies: 7th article, 8th article, 9th article, 10th article, 11th article, 12th article, 13th article, 14th article, 15th article

See part 3: Believers Suffering Discrimination and Human Rights Violations: 16th article, 17th article, 18th article, 19th article, 20th article, 21st article, 22nd article

See part 4: Media Crossing the Line: 23rd article, 24th article, 25th article, 26th article, 27th article, 28th article 

See part 5: The Distorted Image of the “Second-Generation”: 29th article, 30th article, 31st article, 32nd article, 33rd article, 34th article, 35th article, 36th article, 37th article, 38th article

See part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders: 39th article, 40th article, 41st article, 42nd article, 43rd article, 44th article, 46th article

See part 7: Religion in Japan in a Global Context: 47th article, 48 article, 49th article, 50th article, 51st article, 52nd article, 53rd article, 54th article, 55th article

See Epilogue: 56th article, 57th article, 58th article

Q: Members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) have been confined in locked rooms for extended periods and forcibly coerced into leaving the faith. This is commonly referred to as the issue of abduction, confinement, and forced renunciation. Many members have been affected by these actions. What are your thoughts on this, and what measures are being taken?

A: When I assumed the role of president, I was shocked to learn how many people had been coerced into renouncing their faith while being abducted and confined. There are several of them at the Family Federation headquarters. To hear their stories and develop countermeasures, I have been engaging directly with prominent victims, such as Toru Goto (後 藤 徹). He was held captive by his family for 12 years and 5 months and won a civil lawsuit after his release.

Of approximately 4,300 victims, 30% have returned to the church, but 70% have left. Those who returned still bear deep emotional scars, including strained relationships with their family, and suffering from ongoing PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). They are far from being restored to their state before they were abducted and held captive.

Among those who have returned, some feel sympathy for others who were victimized and maintain contact with those who did not come back. These individuals do not necessarily harbor resentment toward the religious organization itself. However, they have endured separation and estrangement from their families, and in their life today they strive to repair these relationships. The effort required for such reconciliation has been immense.

Yet, because of this, and even if they were the ones harmed, many victims cannot speak out within their own families about their experiences of abduction and confinement.

What I can say with certainty is that such acts are absolutely unacceptable. In the early days, there were cases where members were forcibly confined in psychiatric hospitals or locked in prepared apartments against their will. From the moment their own family or relatives engaged in such abduction and confinement, it unavoidably resulted in tragedy. Even when victims of such actions approached the police, their cases were dismissed as “family matters”, and no action was taken.

Professional faith-breakers who pressure individuals into renouncing their religion after orchestrating their abduction and confinement lead parents down a most inhumane path from a human rights perspective, completely destroying the parent-child relationship.

This issue was highlighted in a report submitted to the United Nations by French attorney Patricia Duval. The UN Human Rights Committee has notified the Japanese government three times that abduction and forced renunciation constitute violations of freedom of religion and human rights. However, Japan has ignored these warnings on all three occasions, presenting an alarming image to the international community.

Q: Is there any criticism that your advocacy of religious freedom is purely for the benefit of the religious organization?

A: Human rights activists around the world mobilize for issues such as Tibet and the Uyghurs, so it is not enough for a religious organization to just shout about its own human rights. We need to be prepared to seriously address the religious freedom of other religions as well. I also feel that people expect us to properly face up to such issues and get involved.

Q: Due to its origins as a new religion from South Korea, some media outlets criticize the organization as being “anti-Japanese”.

A: While our stance as “anti-communist” has become well-known, the label of “anti-Japanese” has been unfairly applied to us, obscuring the truth of our mission. To address your question directly, we are unequivocally not anti-Japanese. Our founder, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, clearly taught,

“One cannot love the world without loving one’s own nation.”

The vision of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in Japan reflects this teaching:

1. Creating happy families that live for the sake of others.
2. Building churches that coexist with their local communities.
3. Establishing a Family Federation that contributes to both the nation and the world.

There is no basis for the term “anti-Japanese” in our mission or vision. If critics wish to cite Reverend Moon‘s teachings, they should also acknowledge his numerous pro-Japan statements. This is my honest request.

See part 1, part 3 of interview

Featured image above: Tomihiro Tanaka (田中富広), President of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, during the interview conducted 15th November 2024. Photo: Kato Reiwa (加藤 玲和)

See part 1 of the series: The Kishida Administration’s Reckless Actions: 1st article, 2nd article, 3rd article, 4th article, 5th article, 6th article

See part 2: Ripples to Local Assemblies: 7th article, 8th article, 9th article, 10th article, 11th article, 12th article, 13th article, 14th article, 15th article

See part 3: Believers Suffering Discrimination and Human Rights Violations: 16th article, 17th article, 18th article, 19th article, 20th article, 21st article, 22nd article

See part 4: Media Crossing the Line: 23rd article, 24th article, 25th article, 26th article, 27th article, 28th article 

See part 5: The Distorted Image of the “Second-Generation”: 29th article, 30th article, 31st article, 32nd article, 33rd article, 34th article, 35th article, 36th article, 37th article, 38th article

See part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders: 39th article, 40th article, 41st article, 42nd article, 43rd article, 44th article, 46th article

See part 7: Religion in Japan in a Global Context: 47th article, 48 article, 49th article, 50th article, 51st article, 52nd article, 53rd article, 54th article, 55th article

See Epilogue: 56th article, 57th article, 58th article

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