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Post by Admin on Jul 17, 2022 21:23:12 GMT
Moon’s widow now controls the official successor to the Unification Church, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. A rival group launched by Moon’s son Hyung Jin, also known as Sean, has also spread its operations into Japan. Based in Newfoundland, Pa., the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary Church, better known as the Rod of Iron Ministries, preaches that AR-15 assault weapons are an important part of religious ceremonies designed “to defend ourselves against an aggressive satanic world.” Hyung Jin’s brother Kook Jin (Justin), known in church circles as “True Son,” owns an arms- manufacturing company, Kahr Arms, in Greeley, Pa., and was sent to Japan by his father in 2010 to push back against efforts to strip the church of its legal status there. “It was a very difficult time,” Kook Jin said in a speech that year, “because the police were conducting quite an extensive investigation of our church. They actually have had nearly 10,000 law enforcement officers investigating our church. They were conducting arrests of our church members and they were raiding our churches — not just one or two places, but many, many.” In the speech, Kook Jin denied that the church was pressuring Japanese people to make large donations to save the spirits of their deceased loved ones. He said he had interviewed many of the church’s big donors in Japan: “I asked them, ‘What moves you to donate so much money?’ And you will see that in so many cases, our brothers and sisters will tell you that their ancestors came to them and told them to do it.” Julia Mio Inuma in Tokyo contributed to this report.
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Post by Admin on Jul 18, 2022 1:51:20 GMT
The uncle of Shinzo Abe’s suspected shooter Tetsuya Yamagami stated that Yamagami’s mother had donated approximately 100 million yen ($721,875) to the Unification Church, leading to the family’s alleged financial ruin. Yamagami reportedly told police that he had targeted the former prime minister due to Abe’s affiliation with the Unification Church, which Yamagami blamed for bankrupting his mother due to its forceful donating practices. On Friday, the uncle, who is the 77-year-old older brother of Yamagami’s father, shared that Yamagami’s mother first joined the church in 1991 after her husband’s suicide in 1984. She made multiple donations to the religious group throughout her time as a devoted member, including proceeds from the sale of the family’s property and house. More from NextShark: Asian American Actors Want More Opportunities for Asians in Anime Voice Acting Despite becoming bankrupt in 2002, she continued giving to the church, albeit in smaller amounts, under the principle of “world peace and unification.” “I believe she was a very important follower of the church. She was under mind control,” the uncle said. He added that the family was thrown into poverty and Yamagami was forced to give up college due to financial ruin. More from NextShark: 'Karen' Struggles to Keep Dentures in While Telling Asian Woman 'Go Back to Your Country' “He was extremely smart just like his father,” the uncle recalled of Yamagami. “He was also hardworking and I only have good memories of him.” Church officials stated at a news conference on Monday that it had no direct relationship to Abe, although it did with other lawmakers through an affiliated organization. It also insisted that it had returned 50 million yen ($360,929) back to her, while claiming there were also no records of her donations to the organization. The Unification Church was first founded in South Korea in 1954 by Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who was heavily influenced by the Confucian idea that world peace begins with harmonious families. The church is known for its mass weddings, in which leaders officiate thousands of new couples at once in a single gathering, and its influence over conservative political parties.
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Post by Admin on Jul 27, 2022 18:35:04 GMT
What is the Unification Church, and how is it linked to Shinzo Abe's assassination? | The World
5,525 views Jul 26, 2022 The investigation continues into the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. But as more details emerge about the suspect's possible motives, it's sparked a wider conversation about links between Japanese politicians and a religious movement known as the Unification Church. Jeffrey Hall from Tokyo's Kanda University tells The World the link is "shaking up Japan's conservative politics".
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Post by Admin on Jul 30, 2022 2:20:42 GMT
The mother of the suspect involved in the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly feels sorry for causing trouble for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, also known as the Unification Church. Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who was arrested immediately after he shot Abe from behind on July 8, 2022, expressed resentment against the religious group during investigations by the Nara prefectural police. The suspect told investigators that his mother went bankrupt after making large donations to the religious group, eventually leading to the ruin of his family. Before the assassination, Yamagami even sent a letter to a blogger saying that the Unification Church had ruined his life, “destroying my family and driving it into bankruptcy.” More from NextShark: Tokyo Police arrest 24-year-old suspect dubbed the 'Lego Kid' for stealing toys Yamagami’s mother had reportedly been making large donations to the church, of which she has been a member for over 20 years. “It’s no exaggeration to say that my experience with it during that time continues to distort my whole life,” Yamagami wrote in a letter. According to Yamagami's uncle, his nephew would call him for help when his mother left her children and alone while attending church. He said the mother donated 100 million yen (approximately $1 million at the time) to the church. Having gone bankrupt in 2002, the woman continued donating to the church in smaller amounts, under the principle of “world peace and unification.” On July 11, the church issued a press release stating donation amounts are determined by individual members. In Yamagami’s letter, he accused Abe of supporting the church. More from NextShark: Chicago woman killed by ex-husband in murder-suicide after sharing difficulties of divorce in South Asian culture on TikTok Following the revelation, Yamagami’s mother, who has been staying at his uncle’s house since the shooting, apologized for causing trouble for the religious group during a recent hearing at the Nara District Public Prosecutor’s Office.
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Post by Admin on Nov 22, 2022 20:25:37 GMT
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