The International Conference on Minorities and Mission sponsored by the Korean Church of Christ in Japan was held Nov. 18-21, 2015, at the Korean YMCA in Japan, located in Tokyo. The 133 participants included Kyodan Moderator Ishibashi Hideo and about 30 other members from the Kyodan.
The main theme of the conference was the discrimination experienced by Korean residents in Japan and other minorities who are in socially weak positions and who suffer from discrimination and anti-foreign sentiment—expressed especially in hate speech, in which epithets hurled at them, such as “Die!” and “Kill them,” are left unchallenged.
In his Bible study, General Chairman Kim Song-Jae showed that the “aliens” within Israel’s community and Abraham, Moses, and Israel (Jacob), who considered themselves aliens, were to become a source of blessing by transforming societal animosity into a warm reception. Lawyer Niwa Masao explained in his keynote speech that the effort to rewrite history through covering up responsibility for colonial occupation and World War II is the primary cause of hate speech.
On the second day, participants were separated into six groups to hear and discuss evidence presented on the following topics:
(1) Migrant Women and their Children: Experiences of
Discrimination,
(2) Historical Revisionism (Aggression against Ainu
People),
(3) Constitutional Reform and Article 9 (from the
Perspective of the Ryukyu Islands and Okinawa),
(4) The Danger of Exclusionist Nationalism,
(5) The Trauma and Shock of the Minorities (as the Target
of Discrimination and Hatred), and
(6) Can the Church become a “Community of Healing?”
On the third day, as concrete examples of churches standing up against discrimination, we heard and discussed various testimonies, such as
(1) The efforts of the World Council of Churches to
combat racial and other forms of discrimination,
(2) Future prospects from a German perspective,
(3) The efforts of American churches in dealing with
racial discrimination, and
(4) The dream of a just, democratic and symbiotic society
in South Africa.
Keeping in mind the words of Matt. 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” we passed 12 actions at the general assembly on the last day. Included was the release of a statement declaring that God works through aliens (foreigners and immigrants) to replace animosity with reconciliation, in accordance with the recommendation of the United Nations to build a road toward peace and working towards legislation to make hate speech a crime in our country as quickly as possible. With the signatures of our chairperson and other participants, every year we will insist that with “a signature for establishment of the Foreign Residents Basic Law,” we will strive even harder to make our intentions known. (Tr. WJ)
From Kyodan Shinpo (The Kyodan Times), No. 4832･33
—Kobashi Koichi, chair of the
Committee on Kyodan-KCCJ Cooperative Ministries
Member, National Council of Churches
「マイノリティ問題と宣教」国際会議開催
十一月十八日～二一日、在日大韓基督教会主催「マイノリィティ 問題と宣教」国際会議（教団やＮＣＣなどが共催）が在日本韓国YMCAに133名が集まり開催された。教団からは石橋秀雄議長をはじめ約30名が参加した。
在日コリアンなどマイノリティ（社会的に弱い立場に置かれている少数者）への差別・排外主義的言動、特に「死ね、殺せ」などのヘイト・スピーチ（憎悪表現・差別扇動）が放置されている現状が問題とされた。
金性済総会長による聖書研究では、1,イスラエル共同体の中の「寄留者」と2,アブラハム、モーセ、またイスラエル自身を寄留者と見做す伝承とが挙げられ、寄留者はその社会の敵意を歓待に変えることによって祝福の源となる、と説かれた。
丹羽雅雄弁護士の主題講演では、植民地支配・戦争・戦後責任という加害の歴史の抹消・修正・改ざんこそが、ヘイト・スピーチ～を生み出す主な原因となっている、と説かれた。
二日目は6グループで⑴（移住女性と子供たち）、⑵歴史修正主義（アイヌへの攻撃）、⑶憲法改正・９条 （琉球・沖縄から）⑷排外的ナショナリズムの危険性、⑸差別や憎悪の標的 となっているマイノリティのトラウマと衝撃、⑹教会は「癒しの共同体」になり得るのか、などの証言に聴き入った。
三日目は、差別に立ち向かう教会の具体例として、1,世界教会協議会の人種差別およびその他の差別に対する取り組み、2,ドイツからの観点と展望、3,米国教会の人種差別への取り組み、④民主的な南アフリカの公正な共生社会を夢見て、などの証言に全体として聴き入った。
これらに基づいて協議を重ね、最終日の全体会で、「はっきり言っておく。私の兄弟であるこの最も小さい者の一人にしたのは、私にしてくれたことなのである」（マタイ25:40）の御言葉に導かれて共同声明が採択され、神が寄留者（外国人／移民）の存在を通して私たちの内なる敵意の連鎖を断ち切り和解へ至る道を示されたことが確 認され、国連の勧告に従いヘイトスピーチなどを違法化する国内法を早急に整備すること等を日本政府に求めることなど、十二項目が決議され た。まずは議長と連名で毎年呼びかけている「外国人住民基本法制定のための署名」に一層力を尽くさねばならないことを痛感させられた会議であった。 （小橋孝一在日韓国朝鮮人連帯特設委員長・ＮＣＣ議長）
