Guardian: Japanese doomsday cult leader likely to hang

[unschooler]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1756267,00.html

He was behind the worst act of terrorism ever carried out on Japanese soil, but in the eyes of Kaori, his youngest daughter, Shoko Asahara was "a loving father" who taught her and her siblings to cherish all living things.

(snip)

After a mammoth trial that ended with a death sentence in February 2004, Asahara's legal options appeared to have run out last month when the Tokyo high court threw out his appeal. His lawyers filed an objection to the ruling but it is not clear when a decision will be issued. If the petition is rejected Asahara could be led to his death at any time.

(snip)

Formed in the late 1980s, Aum Supreme Truth, with its secretive compound in the foothills of Mount Fuji, was seen as a weird, but harmless, group of yoga enthusiasts with an interest in spiritual development and ambitions for a modest role in party politics.

But there was a darker, hidden side to Asahara's most loyal disciples. While Aum's elite scientists set about developing chemical, biological and conventional weapons, Asahara convinced his followers - mainly disenchanted youths, among them graduates of Japan's best universities - that only unswerving faith in the cult's philosophy, a mix of conventional religions, the occult and yoga, would save them from a nuclear holocaust orchestrated by the US.

At about 8am on March 20 1995 several of Asahara's followers released sarin, a nerve gas developed by the Nazis, on several subway trains during the morning rush hour.

The cult was also responsible for a sarin attack on the town of Matsumoto in 1994 in which seven people died, and of killing Tsutsumi Sakamoto, an anti-cult lawyer, his wife and young son in 1989, among other crimes.

[Taxloss]

1. Well, he's not a REAL acolyte of Aum Supreme Truth.

A real acolyte of Aum Supreme Truth would never do that sort of thing. I don't know why people use stories like this to smear Aum Supreme Truth and ignore all the good work it did.

Very, very heavy :sarcasm:

[unschooler]

2. BWAHAHAHA!!!

:spray:
:rofl:
:spray:
:rofl:

I'm speechless.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. No True Scotsmen! No True Scotsmen!

Since Asahara is Japanese, I guess that doesn't apply.

--p!

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. 1: A true Japanese person eats rice with every meal...

2: When I was in Tokyo, I met many people who were born in Japan and had lived their all their lives, who ate hamburgers, pizza and other western meals with nary a grain of rice to be seen. While they ate rice often, they certainly did not eat it with every meal.

1: Then they are not Japanese.

Not perfect, but it will do in a pinch. :hi:

[Taxloss]

5. The Cretan paradox.

"All Cretans are liars. I am a Cretan."

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Aye, no True Scotsman would ever eat Sushi!

Nay, it's Haggis for the True Scotsman!

Now, here's someone to consider as a True Scotsman (or Scotswoman): Isobel Campbell.

--p!
There is no greater popster.