A series of revelations have emerged to shed light on the motives and background that led up to the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The revealed facts seem to suggest that the suspected killer targeted Abe because he regarded the politician as a “sympathizer” of a religious group to which his mother made huge donations to. The murder suspect apparently blamed the group for ruining his life.

The suspect’s grudge against Abe was based on one-sided assumptions and his action is totally unacceptable.

But this religious group, the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has long been criticized for its questionable activities.

Many people claim to have fallen victim to the group’s devious tactics to recruit members and pressure them into making massive donations.

The investigation into the assassination should clarify links between the group and politicians as well as the facts leading up to the gun attack as part of efforts to prevent similar acts of violence by people angered at the group.

The Unification Church started increasing its adherents in Japan in the 1960s by advocating unique teachings. It has expanded its influence in Japan along with an affiliated anti-communist political organization called International Federation for Victory Over Communism.

From the 1980s onward, however, public criticism grew against the Unification Church’s fraudulent sales of goods or services claimed to bring supernatural benefits to the buyers and mass weddings where it paired off couples.

Seven years ago, when Abe was in power, the group’s application for changing its name was approved by the Cultural Affairs Agency.

There have been more than 30 court rulings in civil lawsuits filed in Japan that supported the claims of former adherents and other victims who sued the group.

Its efforts to recruit followers without disclosing its identity and selling pots and seals to followers at exorbitant prices by misleading them have been declared illegal, a practice known in Japan as “reikan shoho,” or spiritual sales. 

Many people related to the group have been found guilty of violating the law concerning specified commercial transactions.

According to the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, a group of lawyers who have monitored the reikan shoho activities of the Unification Church and supported its alleged victims, the total of confirmed financial damages linked to the group during the 35 years through 2021 has surpassed 123.7 billion yen ($899.2 million).

But this is only the tip of the iceberg, the lawyers say.

The lawyers’ group points out that one major driver of the Unification Church’s expansion has been its ties with politicians.

Well-known politicians’ participation in gatherings linked to the religious group and messages of congratulations for such events are seen as their endorsements of the group and help attract new followers, resulting in an increase in victims, the lawyers say.

The watchdog group has repeatedly called on politicians not to accept any help from the church or provide messages supporting its activities.

It sent an open written protest to Abe after he gave a video message for an organization affiliated with the Unification Church in September last year. The suspect has reportedly told investigators that he had watched the video.

A congratulatory telegram in the name of Abe was sent to the same organization in 2006, when he was the chief Cabinet secretary.

Abe’s office issued a statement in which it said, “We have strongly admonished the person responsible (for sending the telegram), which could cause a misunderstanding (abut Abe’s relationship with the organization).”

The question is why Abe went so far as to provide a video message to the organization.

There is a lot of talk about the relationship between the Unification Church and politicians, including rumors about the group’s organized support to election campaigns and attempts to influence political agendas.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is said to have maintained strong ties with the church since former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi (1896-1987), Abe’s grandfather, became involved in the movement.

The LDP and other parties and Diet members need to investigate their own relationships with the church, if any, and disclose the findings to the public.

Many people are suffering from their relationship with the Unification Church, including adherents, their relatives and children. Inaction in the face of allegations of the group’s dubious activities has led to serious cases of damage.

How to provide support and relief to the victims is an important challenge facing Japanese society.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 22