Regarding issues such as the so-called psychic marketing law concerning the former Unification Church, the government will hold the first meeting of related ministries and agencies to work together to provide relief for victims, etc., and will strengthen the intensive reception of consultations for about a month from next month. decided to implement the period.
Regarding the former Unification Church, there were various remarks and movements on the 18th, such as the Liberal Democratic Party's policy research chairman Hagiuda answering questions from reporters.
“Government Coordination to Help Victims”
On the afternoon of the 18th, the government held a meeting of the Ministry of Justice, the National Police Agency, and the Consumer Affairs Agency to work together to provide relief to victims of the so-called psychic marketing law and other issues surrounding the former Unification Church. We held our first meeting.
At the end of the meeting, Minister of Justice Harashi said, "In order to respond appropriately according to the content of the consultation, we shared the recognition that each ministry and agency should organize the role of the consultation desk and the matters that can be handled."
On top of that, he announced that he will set up a strengthening period for about a month from the beginning of next month to intensively receive consultations from those who have been affected.
Minister Harashi said, "This initiative is extremely important to absorb calls for help and lead to relief. I would like the relevant ministries and agencies to work with a sense of urgency with a thorough system." said.
During this period, the government will set up a consultation desk in one location in Tokyo, gather staff from related ministries and agencies, and handle consultations from all over the country.
Complaints of couples who provide counseling and support for the former Unification Church
The Unification Church Victim Families Association, a private organization run by former members of the former Unification Church and their families, calls for the training of counselors with specialized knowledge and the need for consultation services. .
Since 2003, the Unification Church Victim Families Association has been providing counseling and support for financial troubles and withdrawals from the former Unification Church.
A woman who used to be a believer talks about “The trigger is a friend to moms”
Twenty-five years ago, a woman in her 60s who was a former believer was told by her son's junior high school "mama friend" that there was a class to learn about family trees, so she decided to attend a facility related to the former Unification Church. became.
She went to the facility about three times a week without being informed that it was a related facility, and while watching the video, she was taught about memorial services for her ancestors and what she was like as an ideal mother.
It was about a year after I started going to the facility that I learned that it was the Former Unification Church, but I was already interested in learning about it, so I thought, ``I can quit anytime if I want to, so let's study a little more.'' decided to continue.
After that, she bought expensive seals and visited related facilities in South Korea, deepening her relationship.
Husband talks about “difficulty to leave”
On the other hand, the woman's husband noticed the change in his wife, who suddenly became kinder, but he said he did not know that she was attending a facility related to the former Unification Church.
Her wife had been discouraged by church members from talking about the church to her family.
One day, he happened to find a book about the former Unification Church in his wife's bag. It is said that the quarrels never stopped.
However, it took about a year and a half to get her to leave the church by carefully listening to her reasons for joining without denying her wife.
“Development of counselors and establishment of a consultation desk is necessary”
The couple later set up a support group together with their colleagues to help those who suffered like themselves.
Based on her experience as a former believer and her husband as a former believer's family member, she consults with her family and introduces them to lawyers and counselors if necessary.
The couple felt that there was a limit to the support provided by private organizations alone, and the government said, ``In addition to economic support, support for the self-reliance of second-generation religious people will also be needed. There are many people in a mental state who cannot say that they are victims.
After that, he said, "It is necessary to train counselors with specialized knowledge about the former Unification Church and establish a contact point that can complete everything from consultation to support."
Consultations for financial troubles, etc. surged at support groups
After the incident in which former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification and groups that support former Unification Church members and their families have seen a sharp increase in consultations regarding financial troubles. increase.
Before the incident involving former Prime Minister Abe, the "National Association of Lawyers Against Spiritual Marketing Act", which supports former members of the former Unification Church and their families, received about one or two consultations a month. However, during the month from July 8th to August 9th after the incident, there were more than 100 cases in succession, and the number of consultations increased rapidly.
Many of the consultations were about financial troubles, such as ``I want my past donations to be returned'' and ``I have a relative who is a believer who is discussing inheritance and I am worried about how it will be used.'' There is.
On the other hand, the "Family Federation for World Peace and Unification" and the former Unification Church said at a press conference on August 10, ``Since some members were arrested in 2009, social and legal In 1998, there were 78 pending civil lawsuits, but this year the number has decreased to five."
Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Claims “Religious Oppression”
In addition, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification held a rally in the capital Seoul on the 18th and criticized the Japanese media coverage of the former Unification Church, claiming that it was "religious oppression."
On the afternoon of the 18th, a rally hosted by the former Unification Church, now known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was held in the center of Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
According to police officials, more than 3,000 people gathered, and at the beginning of the rally, everyone offered a moment of silence after the incident in which former Prime Minister Abe was shot and killed.
He then criticized the Japanese media for using commentators to distort reports on the former Unification Church after the incident, arguing that "this is religious oppression and we should respect freedom of religion."
Approximately 40% of the 73 members of the governmental triumvirate have contact with the former Unification Church
Regarding the relationship with the former Unification Church, according to NHK's summary, at least 32 people, or about 40%, of the 73 members of the three governmental affairs--the ministers, state ministers, and parliamentary vice-ministers--of the second reshuffled Kishida cabinet had some kind of connection. I know there was.
Of these, the ministers of the second Kishida reshuffled cabinet who have acknowledged that they had contacts with the former Unification Church-related groups are: ▽ Minister of
Internal Affairs and Communications Terada ▽ Minister of
Justice
Harashi ▽ Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi ▽ Minister of
Health, Labor and Welfare Kato
▽
Minister of the
Environment
Nishimura
;
Hagiuda, Chairman of the Policy Research Council, ``Remorse without thinking''
Furthermore, in response to an interview with reporters, Hagiuda, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, visited facilities related to the former Unification Church in mid-June, just before the House of Councilors election was officially announced. I was aware that there was no such thing, but I didn't think enough about the fact that there are still people who are suffering, and I am reflecting on it."
On June 18, just before the election was officially announced, Liberal Democratic Party political research chairman Hagiuda Hagiuda visited facilities related to the former Unification Church and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, along with Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Akiko Ikuina, who was elected for the first time in last month's House of Councilors election. It became clear that
On the afternoon of the 18th, Ms. Hagiuda responded to an interview with reporters at the Liberal Democratic Party Headquarters about her relationship with the former Unification Church, saying, "Among the local supporters, there was a member of the Women's Federation for World Peace, and that relationship began. The name is very similar to the 'Family Federation for World Peace and Unification,' but I dared not mention the relationship with the former Unification Church."
Regarding the visit to Ikuina and related facilities, he said, "I visited with my consent. I went there with the understanding that it was a gathering of everyone from the Women's Union, but I don't think Ikuina knew about it." said.
On top of that, he said, ``I myself was aware of the social problems of the former Unification Church during the Showa era, but I never heard any bad rumors after that, and the social problems of the past are now I was aware that there was no such thing, but I regret that I didn't think enough about the fact that there are still people who are suffering from various things."
After that, she said, "From now on, I will draw a line and as chairman of the political affairs research committee, I would like to keep a close watch while coordinating with the government's movements regarding the way religious corporations should be."
Member of the House of Councilors Ikuina "I didn't know it was a church-related facility"
In addition, Akiko Ikuina, a member of the House of Councilors of the Liberal Democratic Party, responded to an interview with reporters on the 18th and explained that she did not know that it was a church-related facility at the time.
In an interview with reporters at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters shortly after noon on the 18th, Ikuina said, "It was only recently that I learned that it was a facility related to the former Unification Church as a result of an investigation at the direction of President Kishida." He explained that at the time of his visit, he did not know that it was a church-related facility.
She also said of her speech, which she gave at the institution, that she "remembered that she told me that she always spoke in street speeches." said.
She then said, "From now on, as a member of parliament, she will take a firm and careful grasp of each and act."
Joint hearing by opposition parties to change name of former Unification Church
Opposition parties are also stepping up their pursuit.
The Constitutional Democratic Party and the Communist Party held a joint hearing on the 18th regarding the history of the name change of the former Unification Church.
In 2015, the Agency for Cultural Affairs approved the name change of the former Unification Church to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. It has been pointed out that there is no
At the hearing, a lawmaker pointed out that it was necessary to conduct a strict examination, saying, ``By changing the name, it became easier to hide the identity, and it led to deceiving people.''
In addition, considering that the examination criteria for the establishment of religious corporations stipulate that groups suspected of violating laws and regulations are to be investigated for fraudulent or intimidating methods of propagation, There was also an opinion that such a survey should have been conducted for this name change as well.
In response to this, the person in charge of the Agency for Cultural Affairs said, ``The examination standards for name changes do not require the same investigation as at the time of establishment, and the name change itself does not lead to deceiving people.'' , explained again that the application cannot be refused if the formal requirements are met.