CO129-575-3 Japanese affairs 2-1-1939 - 21-12-1939 — Page 111

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from this Embassy (e.g. my despatches Nos. 318 and 362 of the 19th May and the 2nd June, 1938) that

of late years a certain amount of encouragement has been given in influential quarters to the supporters

of Islam in Japan, and while the measure was under

discussion in the House of Peers Dr. Hijikata, a

distinguished lawyer, asked the reason why

Christianity alone was mentioned in the bill in

addition to Shinto and Buddhism. He pointed out

that there were large numbers of Mohammedans in Asia who were friendly to Japan, that generally speaking Mohammedans were opposed to communism, and that

in the north-western parts of China they were "on the front line of defence against Russia", the

common enemy of both Japan and Islam. Moreover,

a mosque had recently been completed in Tokyo and

it was a pity, he thought, to disregard these facts

and virtually to ignore Mohammedaniem from a legal

point of view, thereby possibly giving offence. He

further asked in particular what would be the position

of the Mosques in Japan as regards exemption from

taxation.

7.

In reply to Dr. Hijikata General Araki

explained that while Mohammedaniem was undoubtedly

one of the three great religions of the world and

was recognised as such, the bill before the Diet

had been designed to control religious bodies which

were at the moment active in Japan. This could not

be said of Mohammedaniam.

Meanwhile, however,

Mohammedanism

/