Seattle Incident Libel Case Withdrawn

By Jeff Farr
Managing Editor

On Jan. 31, after nine years of litigation, Nichiren Shoshu withdrew its libel case against the Soka Gakkai over coverage of the Seattle Incident. Tokyo High Court chief judge Kazuo Masui had strongly recommended that Nichiren Shoshu withdraw, and the Soka Gakkai, based on advice from the judge, decided to accept the priesthood's decision.

In 1993, Nichiren Shoshu sued the Soka Gakkai over coverage in Soka Gakkai publications of High Priest Nikken Abe's altercation with prostitutes in Seattle in 1963. The Soka Gakkai's purpose in sharing the incident was to reveal the high priest's true character, as the priesthood was proclaiming him to be “the Daishonin of modern times.” In March 2000, based on the testimony of the high priest and Mrs. Hiroe Clow, an SGIUSA member who was called by Seattle police to the incident site, the Tokyo District Court ruled the incident had occurred as reported. Nichiren Shoshu then appealed the decision to the High Court, which led to the Jan. 31 withdrawal.

The withdrawal in no way nullifies the March 2000 District Court decision, as Nichiren Shoshu has been arguing since Jan. 31. The testimonies of the high priest and Mrs. Clow, as well as the subsequent ruling, stand as historical fact.

Commenting on the end of the Seattle Incident proceedings, SGI Deputy President Einosuke Akiya said: “From here on, we can be free to expand our dialogue for the sake of kosen-rufu on a loftier, broader dimension. At the same time, the high priest's actions to destroy Buddhism have been continuing unabated until this day. Therefore, we must not slacken in the least in our just struggle.”