IMAP Examines Attacks on Religion in Asian Democracies

IMAP, Canada – This end-of-year webinar, in which UPF-Canada partnered with the International Media Association for Peace (IMAP), featured Dr. Massimo Introvigne, Dr. Franco Famularo, and Mr. Isaac Jeong examining the politically motivated persecution of religions under democratic governments in Northeast Asia. The panel discussed recent raids on churches, arrests of pastors, and the implications of these actions. They also addressed the role of anti-cult campaigns, coordinated by non-government organizations. The speakers emphasized the importance of religious freedom as a cornerstone of democracy and called for international action to address the persecution of religious groups in the region.

Dr. Massimo Introvigne, founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), discussed the recent “unwelcome revival” of anti-cult movements in Asia, highlighting the extension of the cult label to conservative religions and non-religions, particularly in democratic countries. He explained the “strange, unholy alliance" between fundamentalist protestant groups and left-wing intellectuals in countries throughout the region.  

Dr. Introvigne further described the impact on the anti-cult movement of the formation of the Christian Heresy Research Council in 1998 and its use of deprogramming methods, which sometimes led to violence. He asserted that the most significant development of the 21st century has been the creation of the Warren Association Against Heresy. He concluded by discussing recent collaboration, through four known meetings, between the Christian Heresy Research Council, the Japanese Anti-cult Lawyers Group and bureaucrats about how to eliminate religious groups in Northeast Asia.

The recent presidential election in South Korea has created a complex political landscape for anti-cult activities. Not only churches, but religious figures or leaders of mainstream churches have been targeted for their support of opposition leadership. Dr. Introvigne concluded that this could lead to the breakup of the “unholy alliance” between conservative Christian pastors and leftwing politicians that has been the hallmark of the anti-cult movement until now.

Dr. Franco Famularo, president of UPF-Canada, gave a historical perspective on religious persecution during the French Revolution and going back to the Roman Empire. He asserted that the communist view regarding religions as a threat stems from the inability to dominate them. Dr. Famularo elaborated on the persecution of new religions as cults in the West, and highlighted recent developments in Northeast Asia.

Mr. Isaac Jeong, co-founder of Jeong Media and the Monarch Report, shared his personal experience with the media portrayal of religious movements and churches, and his efforts to counter misinformation through the Monarch Report. He concluded by emphasizing that in the current age, every individual has incredible power to speak out with the use of AI and social media.

The panelists encouraged the international community to exert pressure to release religious leaders Dr. Hak Ja Han and Pastor Son Hyun-bo, who are currently detained in South Korea, and emphasized the importance of religious freedom in democracy.

By Pierre Beauregard, Coordinator, IMAP-Canada December 23, 2025

 

By Pierre Beauregard, Coordinator, IMAP-Canada December 23, 2025