March 12-18, 2012
Headline News
Religious groups leaders support 311 rally against nuclear energy with a joint press conference
Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong, Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma
“We urge the government to value life and banish fear and disaster by creating a nuclear-free homeland soon!” urged leaders from various religious groups at a joint press conference on March 8, 2012. This press conference was held in preparation for the March 11 Anti-Nuclear Rally arranged to coincide with the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that led to a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima.
Leaders from various religious traditions joined together to advocate a halt to the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity because of the harm nuclear wastes and accidents inflict on future generations. The press conference concluded with every delegate offering a prayer of blessing according to his religious traditions.
Religious leaders present at this press conference included Buddhist priest Shih Chao-hwei, Taoist priest Lee Yu-kun, Taipei Grand Mosque Executive Secretary Ismail Wang, Chinese Muslim Association Imam Ishaq al-Ibrahimi Ma, Yu-Shan Theological College and Seminary President Pusin Tali, and PCT Church and Society Committee Secretary Huang Che-yen (Ng Tiat-gan). They had come together to speak out on their religious stance against nuclear energy.
Pusin Tali said that Taiwan Power Company lied to Tao indigenous groups in 1974 when it told them that it planned to build a can company in Orchid Island that would create job opportunities for them and help them have greater access to canned goods. However, when nuclear wastes began to be shipped into Orchid Island, Tao residents in Orchid Island became suspicious and wondered why cans from the mainland were so big in size. When they discovered that they had been lied to, it was too late and they were forced to accept these nuclear wastes. For this reason, they have since referred to nuclear wastes as evil spirits.
