Japan moves to ban ‘malicious solicitation of donations’

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Amid controversy around Unification Church, Japan’s parliament on Thursday passed a bill banning organizations from “maliciously soliciting donations.”

The bill was passed by the House of Representatives after Japan saw criticism over the controversial Unification Church, now rebranded as Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

After passage in the lower house, the bill is being discussed in the House of Councilors, or upper house.

“The bill is likely to be enacted in favor of the ruling bloc and some opposition parties on the final day of the extraordinary parliamentary session on Saturday,” Kyodo News reported.

The planned legislation comes after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July by Yamagami, 41, who had said his family “was financially ruined after his mother made huge donations to the church.”

Around half of ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers are said to be linked with the controversial group, founded by a staunch anti-communist group in South Korea in 1954 and is often labeled as a cult.

The controversy hit hard Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet’s approval ratings, following which the government rushed to draft the bill.

Tokyo has launched a probe into the group which has the status of a religious corporation.

It may lose this status, but will still be able to operate in Japan.

If the law is enacted, it will cover all organizations, not just religious ones.

“The bill seeks to prohibit organizations from ‘confusing’ people to solicit donations through tactics such as ‘stoking fear’ by using unreasonable spiritual claims,” the Kyodo News report said.

Any member of any group found engaged in “unfair solicitation” could face a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine of up to 1 million yen ($7,300).

The government added a clause in the bill “obliging groups not to suppress the free will of donors to dissuade them from receiving donations maliciously.”