Moonie Group Hears Former President George And Barbara Bush Speak In Tokyo To Followers Of The Unification Church

Former President George Bush was speaking at the Tokyo Dome on Thursday night, but that is not who 60-year-old Chieko Haneda was coming to see. “The true mother will be attending,” she said excitedly.

The true mother is Hak Ja Han Moon, wife of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church. On Thursday night, Bush and his wife, Barbara, were the warm-up speakers for Unification Church followers who had come mainly to hear Mrs. Moon extol the virtues of her husband and his religion.

Bush will speak in several Japanese cities at events sponsored by the Women’s Federation for World Peace, an organization founded and led by Mrs. Moon. The fee for his and his wife’s appearances was not disclosed.

Critics say the Bushes are lending legitimacy to the South Korea-based church, which has been accused of using deceptive tactics to recruit members who are then isolated from their families. It is also accused of preying on members’ fears to extract huge donations.

As people approached the Tokyo Dome for Thursday’s “Global Family Festival,” protesters handed them pink leaflets warning, among other things, that “before you realize it, you too will become a believer in the Unification Church.”

The women’s federation said in a statement on Thursday night that it is “an independent educational and service organization apart from the Unification Church.”

A woman traveling with the Bushes in Japan said they were not giving interviews and referred questions to Bush’s spokesman in Houston, James McGrath. McGrath, who was not familiar with Thursday night’s proceedings, said that Bush believed that the federation was distinct from the church and was working to preserve the family and promote world peace.

It was clear on Thursday night that the vast majority of the people who filled the 50,000-seat stadium to near capacity were members of the church.

Tickets, which ranged in price from $80 to $120, were not advertised to the public, and many people said they had gotten their tickets through the church. Church-chartered buses brought people to Tokyo.

Mrs. Moon talked mainly about her belief that human beings are under the influence of Satan. She got the longest applause toward the end of her hourlong speech when she referred to the activities of Moon.

In their speeches, neither Bush nor Mrs. Bush mentioned Moon, who served time in a federal prison for tax evasion.

Mrs. Bush spoke about the role of women and the importance of the family. She was followed by her husband, who talked about the importance of good relations between the United States and Japan.