With a vigil, relatives and friends, including many representatives from politics and business, paid their last respects to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, who was killed in an assassination attempt. Abe’s body was transferred to Tokyo’s Zojoji Temple on Tuesday for a private funeral. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also attended the vigil. A public memorial service will be held at a later date.
Abe was gunned down Friday while campaigning in support of an LDP party colleague in the western Japanese city of Nara. A few hours later, the 67-year-old was pronounced dead in hospital. The act of violence, committed by a 41-year-old unemployed man, caused horror at home and abroad.
hatred of religious groups
According to media reports, the killer stated during interrogation that he acted out of hatred for a religious group with which Abe was associated. The killer’s family ran into financial difficulties due to his mother’s donations to this group.
The Unification Church of Korean founder San Myung Moon, who died in 2012, also known as the “Moon Sect,” confirmed the mother’s membership on Monday. It joined in 1998 and, as far as he knew, ran into financial trouble in 2002, Japan branch chairman Tomihiro Tanaka said at a press conference in Tokyo.
Cult known for mass marriages
“We don’t know the circumstances that caused this family to go bankrupt,” Tanaka said. He did not provide any information about the mother’s donations, which are the subject of investigation. Tanaka, however, reported donors who paid large sums. These are voluntary, there are no fixed quotas.
Moon founded the cult in South Korea in 1954 and became known for its mass marriages of thousands of couples. With the help of his followers, Moon built a business empire that made him a billionaire.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
