[Aum Shinrikyo] Australia’s NineMSN reports that the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo responsible for the 1995 sarin nerve gas attacks on the Tokyo subway transportation system has been raided again.
According to Japanese media the raids were conducted to find out if the cult plans any actions related to the death sentence of their former leader and guru Shoko Asahara.
Some 160 police officers inspected 11 sect facilities across Japan, including its headquarters in the Tokyo residential district of Setagaya, and questioned members about their activities, officials said.
Justice Minister Seiken Sugiura estimates the number of members at 1600. He also warns that although officially Ashara is no longer the leader and Aleph, the new name of the cult, has promised to abide by the law, many members still believe in Ashara.
“Their belief in Chizuo Matsumoto appears to be still strong.
The number of believers is not declining while activities are still going on.
We still need to be fully on alert.
– Justice Minister Seiken Sugiura, Japan
A legal panel ruled in 1997 that the cult should not be outlawed.
But after a public outcry, parliament passed legislation allowing police to conduct snap raids and demand information including financial data from the sect without needing a warrant.
– NineMSN
* With information from NineMSN [Cached], Apr. 18 2006
Freedomofmind.com fully supports religious
freedom and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The fact that a person’s name or group appears on our website
does not necessarily mean they are a destructive mind control cult.
They appear because we have received inquiries and have established
a file on the group.
The Freedom of Mind Resource Center Inc. was established by cult expert Steve Hassan.
