Good News from Japan
by Olivier Urbain
Photo by Marc Dobler
On Sunday January 26, 2003, one Japanese person said: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
One of the reasons why the Bush-Cheney gang thinks it can unilaterally decide to grab Iraq's oil with extreme violence is that they have complete control over sheepish nations like Japan. Well, not any more.

Every year the President of the Soka Gakkai International, the largest lay Buddhist organization in Japan with about 10 million adherents, is invited by the U.N. to deliver a peace proposal.
This year's proposal is exceptionally clear and straightforward, and to my knowledge it is the first time a Japanese public figure has the courage to say NO to the Bush-Cheney administration in such clear terms.

This speech will have major implications for the relationships between Japan and the Bush administration. I fully support this speech, and I will stand up against the Bush administration and the pro-war elements within the Japanese government, in order to support this 2003 Peace Proposal. Here is a passage that gives me hope for Japan and for the world: [Noting that "it is impossible not to be concerned by the present hard-line stance of the United States, symbolized by the possible use of preemptive strikes" against terrorist threats, Ikeda calls for a more dialogic, "soft-power" approach centered on universal human interests and values.]

It may sound very soft spoken for most T:APpers, but after living for 12 years in Japan, I can tell you that these are very strong words with far reaching and positive consequences for peace. This proposal is all over the newspapers in Japan today. FRANCE, GERMANY, MALAYSIA, and now part of JAPAN, have said no. WHO is next?

For a more complete summary: http://www.sgi.org/english/News/nb/0301/nb030126.htm

Let us be proud of being human beings, Bush does NOT represent us AT ALL. We can stop this war.