The case of the Russian spiritual master is not isolated. It reflects a systemic mechanism where anti-trafficking policies incorporate anti-cult narratives.
A candid account of the path that led a non-religious journalist to uncover inconvenient truths about the anti-cult campaigns following Shinzo Abe’s assassination.
A Russian spiritual teacher survives persecution, exile, and disinformation—only to be trapped again by a narrative that won’t die.
Fukuda proves that the first-degree dissolution decision was based on faulty and sometimes fraudulent “evidence.”
In his New Year’s message, President Lee promised to “root out” religious involvement in politics, targeting the Unification Church, Shincheonji, and conservative Protestant churches.
Casting doubt on the dominant narrative about “the evil Unification Church”is becoming impossible in most Japanese media.
Dubious reports by disgruntled ex-members were accepted at face value. The testimony of loyal second-generation members was ignored.
Without considering the alliance between anti-cult lawyers and deprogrammers, Japan’s Unification Church case cannot be understood.
Award-winning journalist Masumi Fukuda has begun changing how the Japanese view the Unification Church following the assassination of Shinzo Abe.
The crackdown on dissident religious groups is now entering a second phase, where they are persecuted not for specific behaviors but for “heresy.”