Funds Needed to Fight Kidnapping of Unificationists and Protect Religious Freedom in Japan
For the last four years, Scott Dolfay, a Seattle native, has made it his personal mission to protest the kidnapping of Unificationists in Japan. He holds these protests every April at Seattle’s renowned Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. To continue his annual initiative, Dolfay is raising funds to host an information table once again at the festival to protest and raise awareness of these abuses of religious freedom. The following is an appeal for support.
Most readers are at least somewhat aware of the horrific atrocities involving the violent kidnapping of thousands of our Unificationist Japanese brothers and sisters. The most appalling example was the case of Mr. Toru Goto [who for more than 12 years was held against his will and subjected to forced conversion]. By all rights he should be the Rosa Parks or perhaps Nelson Mandela of our church, bringing attention to the bigoted mistreatment of Unificationists.
Seattle’s Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
For four years now, Unificationists in Seattle—brothers, sisters, Asian, Western, young and old—have worked to bring this issue to the attention of the public. Every year at the three-day Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival held at the end of April near the Space Needle, we have had an information table exposing and protesting these crimes. Until now the local church of Seattle has borne the annual expense of approximately $1,000. This year I am asking our worldwide Unificationist community and people of conscience everywhere to contribute. We have teamed up with the International Coalition for Religious Freedom (ICRF) and its president, Dan Fefferman, to allow for clear accountability.
Dan and Luke Higuchi, the leading activists of Survivors Against Forced Exit (SAFE), have been doing great work, both in the nation and throughout the world, to put a stop to this abuse of religious freedom. I’m convinced that a grass-roots effort is required to support what they are doing.
Our goal is $1,500. This will allow us to purchase a number of radio announcements to be played during our protest. Even though our event has had a greater impact with every year, so far my attempts to get media coverage and to enlist the support of Christian and Japanese organizations have been unsuccessful. By putting enough light on the atrocities, my goal is for these organizations to publicly condemn the faith-breaking and in turn put pressure on their affiliates (if any) in Japan to condemn the practice as well.
Most of us understand the investment that the Japanese Unificationists have made to live and teach what they believe as Unificationists. This fact weighs heavily on those of us who are committed to stopping those who would abuse their rights.
If you want to contribute to the Seattle event, please write a check, with a note that this is for the Seattle event, and mail it to:
ICRF, 3600 New York Ave. NE, Third Floor, Washington, D.C., 20002
Or you can make a donation online at: religiousfreedom.com via the PayPal Donation link.