Published on: 08/20/2022 – 07:31
In Japan, the government has been shaken since the assassination of Shinzo Abe in early July 2022. So much so that some media are now talking about a “regime crisis”. The ex-prime minister was shot dead by a man whose family had fallen into misery over donations to the Moon sect. The killer attacked Shinzo Abe because he believed he was closely associated with this religious movement. Indeed, since that tragedy, revelations about the influence—even entryism—of this cult in high places have followed one another. This obviously sparks a great debate in the archipelago.
With our correspondent in Tokyo, Bruno Duval
Almost half of the members of the government, as well as a hundred parliamentarians from the ruling party, attended events organized by the Moon sect. They have often benefited from the help of this religious movement during the election campaign: supporters have put up their posters, distributed their leaflets and even donated money for them.
“Very worrying”
What these Tokyoites do not leave indifferent: “It is very worrying,” said this man. However, what worries me most at the moment is the increase in the number of cases of Covid-19. For this woman, however, “it seems to me that this affair was blown up by the press and the opposition just to tarnish the memory of Shinzo Abe. It shocks me”.
“Everything indicates that this bigoted and evil cult has managed to infiltrate all the way to the top of the state. It’s really not reassuring,” says this other man. And for that other person, “what needs to be sorted out is the financial flows. Politicians have received money from the sect. Did they get rich and did that affect their decisions? That’s the main thing. »
Government credibility is declining
According to polls, a majority of Japanese condemn these acquaintances between their political leaders and a cult that has been brought to justice: courts have likened some of their proselytizing practices to blackmail or fraud. The trust level of the government has also plummeted since this scandal became known.
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