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Vol. 5, No. 2
Jan. 30, 1995
Vital Witness Found in Seattle
Incident
Former Police Officer Recalls
Details of Event
IN the Jan. 9 edition of this newsletter, we carried the
first part of an interview with Barry B. Langberg, attorney
for Hiroe Clow in her defamation lawsuit against Nikken
Abe and others. In this issue we present the second part
of that interview, which was conducted by Ted Morino,
managing editor of the World Tribune. The defamation took
place in relation to Mrs. Clow?s statements about what
has become known as the ?Seattle Incident,? which she
first made public in 1992.
That incident involved Nikken Abe, now high priest of
Nichiren Shoshu, when he was dispatched to the United
States to conduct the first overseas Gohonzon conferral
(gojukai) ceremony for Soka Gakkai members. On that occasion,
Mrs. Clow was summoned late at night by the Seattle police
to the site where Nikken was being detained after having
been involved in a dispute with prostitutes.
Not wanting such a disgraceful event to mar the history
of kosen-rufu, Mrs. Clow kept the matter to herself for
years. She brought it to light, however, following a series
of groundless and malicious actions by Nikken that cast
further doubt on his qualifications as high priest.
Later, after Nikken called Mrs. Clow a liar and a perjurer,
denying that this and other episodes ever took place,
Mrs. Clow filed suit for defamation. In our last issue,
Mr. Langberg discussed the facts of the case and revealed
for the first time the existence of evidence that supports
Mrs. Clow?s account of what happened in Seattle. That
evidence is in the form of a record in U.S. government
files that documents Nikken?s detention by the Seattle
police in March 1963. In this segment of the interview,
Mr. Langberg brings to light further evidence that supports
the veracity of Mrs. Clow?s claims. This consists of the
existence of a former Seattle police officer who was actually
involved in the Seattle Incident.These revelations not
only support the truth of Mrs. Clow?s account of the Seattle
Incident, but also show clearly that Nikken Abe is in
no way qualified to hold the position of high priest of
Nichiren Shoshu.
As Nichiren Daishonin states, ?The real meaning of the
Lord Shakyamuni Buddha?s appearance in this world lay
in his behavior as a human being? (The Major Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 281). Thus, our standard
for judging who is qualified to teach Buddhism must always
be based on that person?s behavior and sincerity.
WORLD TRIBUNE:
We were surprised to hear that a record exists in U.S.
government files that supports Mrs. Clow?s statements
about the Seattle Incident. But now you say you have further
evidence?
LANGBERG:
Yes, we do. We have located an eyewitness. Undoubtedly,
no one ever expected to find a witness to events that
occurred 30 years ago. Nevertheless, amazing as it might
seem, we?ve actually been able to locate one of the police
officers who was involved in the incident. He is a former
officer of the Seattle Police Department who recalls the
episode and who, we believe, will testify to such when
this case comes to trial.
WT: That?s
an important discovery. Nikken has flatly denied his involvement
in the incident and has claimed he never set foot outside
of the hotel that night. But the record in U.S. government
files and the existence of the police officer who was
at the scene would seem to make it impossible for him
to continue to conceal the truth and paint Mrs. Clow as
the villain. What specifically does this witness remember
about the incident?
LANGBERG:
His memories seem to be very clear and they are consistent
with the events described by Mrs. Clow. First, it?s important
to note that our investigation of the conditions that
existed in the neighborhood where the incident occurred
in 1963 is consistent with Mrs. Clow?s statement. The
detailed inquiry conducted by our investigators has established
that it was a disreputable neighborhood, that there was
a lot of prostitution in the neighborhood at the time,
and has given us a very detailed description of the structures
that stood there.
As a result of this thorough and methodical investigation,
we were able to locate a retired Seattle police officer
who, in March 1963, was assigned to patrol the very area
that Mrs. Clow has identified as the scene of the incident.
He spontaneously identified the specific location where
the incident occurred before our investigator asked him
about it. This is the same location that Mrs. Clow recalls.
Naturally, that former officer does not remember the name
Nobuo Abe. However, he does recall, to a considerable
degree, the details of the incident.
He remembers, for instance, that there was a dispute or
confrontation between an Asian male fitting Nikken?s description
and several prostitutes. He recalls that the Asian male
spoke no English, so he (the officer) had to call a female
acquaintance of the Asian man to the scene in that disreputable
area late at night. He also remembers certain other details
of the incident. It was quite an unusual event for the
officer at the time, and apparently that is why the officer
remembers it to this day.
WT: Knowing
that such compelling evidence exists, isn?t it all the
more vital that the truth be revealed in court?
LANGBERG:
Again, since the Los Angeles Superior Court has found
that it does not have jurisdiction over Nikken, a trial
on the substance of the case cannot take place under the
present circumstances. Of course, we?ve appealed this
jurisdictional ruling and we believe that there is an
excellent chance that the appellate court will rule that
jurisdiction does exist. It is our objective to bring
this matter to trial so that we can present the evidence
we have gathered.
WT: You spoke
before about the system where a retired judge may be retained
to hear and decide the case. Would that be a valuable
option at this juncture?
LANGBERG:
Certainly. This system is provided for in the California
Constitution and the Code of Civil Procedure. However,
both parties must agree to the use of this procedure.
Pursuant to this agreement, a retired judge would be hired
to sit with the full power of the regular court and would
have the ability to make a decision resolving the case.
The retired judge?s decision could be appealable to the
regular Court of Appeal of the State of California unless
both parties agree that such a decision would be final
and not appealable.
If the defendants agree to this proposal, a retired judge
could be hired to hear the case. The judge can supervise
limited discovery before trial, thus allowing the process
to be expeditious and economical. However, as I said,
the other side must agree to participate in this process,
and I?m not optimistic that they will do so. In proposing
the use of retired judge, I am simply attempting to open
every avenue for presenting the evidence and obtaining
the truth.
WT: It will
be very interesting to see how they respond. At this point,
I?d like to direct a question to Mrs. Clow who, for 30
years, was alone in shouldering her knowledge of the Seattle
incident.
Mrs. Clow, three years ago, you came forward with the
truth about this affair. No matter how you look at it,
I don?t think anyone can really appreciate how difficult
it has been and continues to be for you. When I think
of your devotion in keeping these matters to yourself
for so long, your courage and sense of justice in later
making these revelations, and your sincere faith that
lay behind both these decisions, I can only commend you.
I?d like to take this opportunity to ask you to please
share with us your feelings, now that we have heard this
evidence.
CLOW: It?s
been about two-and-a-half years since I filed this suit
against Nikken Abe and others for defamation. I feel great
appreciation for all of the warm encouragement and support
I?ve gotten from so many people during this time. It?s
very reassuring to hear that such concrete evidence has
been found. While the truth, of course, has been clear
to me from the beginning, I?m deeply thankful for the
tremendous efforts made by Mr. Langberg and others to
bring these things to light.
To those of us who had been struggling to spread Nichiren
Daishonin?s Buddhism in America 32 years ago, the first
Gohonzon conferral ceremony to be held outside of Japan
was an extremely important event. We were all convinced
that it would mark a very significant juncture in the
history of kosen-rufu. The members in America at the time
were all determined to make this ceremony an absolute
success and, despite our personal difficulties, we voluntarily
offered our time to prepare. We received the priests who
had been dispatched here with the utmost sincerity and
earnestness.
So when I was called to the scene of the incident Nikken
had involved himself in, my only thought was that I must
not by any means allow a blemish to be made upon kosen-rufu
and that I must somehow get this priest to Chicago where
the members were sincerely waiting for him. I did everything
I could to try to solve this problem with the police.
To this day I remember how Nikken, despondent and in tears,
thanked me profusely. Afterward, again not wanting to
taint the history of kosen-rufu in America, I kept my
knowledge of this and other episodes strictly to myself.
WT: In that case, for Nikken, who actually should thank
you, to call you a liar is extremely ungrateful, and a
deep affront to your personal honor, isn?t it?
CLOW: Yes,
it is, and that?s why I felt compelled to bring this lawsuit.
Since then, Nikken and the other defendants have been
trying desperately to avoid having the facts aired in
court. But there is only one truth. If what Nikken is
saying is true, then he should have the courage to face
me squarely in the courtroom. My earnest desire is to
stand face to face with Nikken in court and clarify once
and for all who is telling the truth.
WT: I understand. For our part, we are deeply convinced
of your honesty and integrity. I sincerely hope and pray
that, after having suffered such base and unwarranted
slander, your reputation will be fully restored, whether
it be in or outside of court. Nikken himself has said
that if what you say about the Seattle Incident is true,
he will resign from his position as high priest. For this
reason, I think it is deeply important that the facts
of the case be made clear. We?ll be watching with great
interest to see what happens.
*************************
Comments from Soka Gakkai
President Akiya
The following is a summary of a speech by Soka Gakkai
President Einosuke Akiya at a recent meeting held in Saitama,
Japan. In it, he announces and comments on the revelation
of new evidence in the Seattle Incident. That information
was first made public in the Jan. 9 edition of this newsletter.
The World Tribune, the newspaper of the SGI organization
in the United States, recently interviewed Barry B. Langberg,
counsel for Hiroe Clow in her defamation lawsuit against
Nikken and others, and has presented a report on the Seattle
Incident case proceedings.
In his comments, Mr. Langberg attests to Mrs. Clow?s character,
voicing his confidence that she is a person who would
not lie under any circumstance. He also reports that he
has recently come upon conclusive evidence to substantiate
Mrs. Clow?s statement about Nikken?s conduct in Seattle
in March 1963.
The Jan. 9 issue of ?The SGI-USA Newsletter? explains
the state of the legal proceedings surrounding the Seattle
Incident. According to the article, an investigation requested
by Mr. Langberg led to the discovery of some significant
evidence. A letter to Mrs. Clow from the law firm of Steel,
Hector & Davis, which was charged with carrying out
the investigation, reads:
Dear Ms. Clow:
You requested us to investigate whether the United States
government has maintained any records of an investigation
concerning an individual known as Nobuo Abe, a foreign
national, born December 19, 1922. Subsequent to this request,
we engaged… a highly-prestigious private investigations
firm.…
[The investigation firm] reported to us on November 17,
1994, that a source within the U.S. government in Washington,
D.C. was contacted and the source confirmed to the firm
that there is a record for Nobuo Abe. According to the
firm?s report to us, the record refers to:
Suspicion of Solicitation of Prostitution
Seattle Police Department
March, 1963
From 1974 to 1979, I served as an Assistant United States
Attorney and Special Attorney with the United States Department
of Justice. Following my government service, I have been
practicing law primarily in the area of criminal defense.
Based on my experience, the contents of the record on
Nobuo Abe, as revealed to us by [the firm], indicate to
me that some type of inquiry or investigation regarding
suspicion of solicitation of prostitution was conducted
in March, 1963, by the Seattle Police Department on Nobuo
Abe.
I am able to testify as to the truthfulness and accuracy
of my statements in this letter.
Very truly yours,
[signed] Rebekah J. Poston
Of Counsel
This letter confirms the existence of a record in the
possession of the U.S. government that pertains to Nikken?s
activities in Seattle.
Thus, there is in fact a record that Nikken, under the
name Nobuo Abe, was investigated by the Seattle police
in March 1963 on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution.
No matter how Nikken may now try to explain things away,
irrefutable evidence exists.
As you already know, the Seattle Incident refers to a
shameful episode in which Nikken, while in the United
States to conduct the first overseas Gohonzon conferral
(gojukai) ceremonies in 1963, stole out of his hotel in
the middle of the night and ended up in a dispute with
some prostitutes.
Nikken has accused Hiroe Clow, who bravely went public
with her direct knowledge of these events, of being a
liar, and has otherwise impugned her reputation. As a
result, Mrs. Clow has been struggling to has her name
cleared in court. This is what the defamation lawsuit
surrounding the Seattle Incident is about.
The material that has recently come to light represents
conclusive and incontrovertible evidence that in March
1963 a person named Nobuo Abe was investigated by the
Seattle police on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution.
Before becoming high priest, Nikken went by the name of
Shinno Abe. However, his first name was written with Chinese
characters that could also be read ?Nobuo.? At the time
of the incident, Mrs. Clow was unaware that the correct
reading for his first name was Shinno. As a result, ?Nobuo
Abe? was the name she reported to the police when she
came to Nikken?s aid.
All of the facts that Mrs. Clow has related are true.
And now the veracity of her statements has been corroborated.
As is described in The New Human Revolution, the Seattle
Incident occurred during the first trip by Nichiren Shoshu
priests to conduct Gohonzon conferral ceremonies outside
of Japan — a landmark event. This trip took place
in the immediate aftermath of the arduous steps taken
by President Ikeda to open the way for kosen-rufu in America
following his 1960 inauguration as the third Soka Gakkai
president.
For Nikken to sneak out of his hotel in the middle of
the night and become involved with prostitutes while responsible
for such an important undertaking is an unprecedented
betrayal of the members? trust and sincerity. Such conduct
is totally inexcusable.
For 29 years, Mrs. Clow admirably kept her knowledge of
these facts to herself in the belief that it would be
wrong to shame the priesthood. For Nikken now to call
her a liar — thus repaying his debt of gratitude
with a vengeful attack — and attack her reputation
is most unpardonable.
Apparently convinced that no evidence could be produced
for something that had occurred so long ago, Nikken made
light of her accusations and, hiding behind a facade of
dignity, completely denied the testimony of the pure-hearted
Mrs. Clow.
On July 22, 1992, shortly after Mrs. Clow released her
statement, Nikken made the following rejection of Mrs.
Clow?s accusations at a memorial service for 66th High
Priest Nittatsu:
Well, about that problem of the Gohonzon conferral ceremony
overseas, the one in Seattle. It?s ridiculous, isn?t it?
They?re talking as if something happened when nothing
did. Really, because no, I didn?t do anything like that.
Then, at the Hokkeko General Pilgrimage on July 25 of
the same year, Nikken looked up at the participants in
the course of his speech and inquired, ?Is this the face
of someone who could have committed the kinds of things
that are alleged to have occurred in Seattle?? When the
Hokkeko members responded with silence, he became flustered
and told them: ?You should [have the courtesy to] say
?No.?? This incident is well known.
In August of the same year, he obstinately claimed: ?I
never set foot outside the hotel. I have no memory whatsoever
of any such incident; and that?s because there?s nothing
to remember.?
It was under such circumstances that Mrs. Clow, on Sept.
17, sued Nikken for defamation.
Later, fearful of having the court hear the merits of
the case, Nikken challenged the court?s jurisdiction.
With this he effectively escaped the ?playing field.?
Elated by the success of this tactic, Nikken remarked
at the First Guidance Meeting for Hokkeko Leaders and
Vice Leaders, held on Aug. 21, 1994:
If what they?re saying were true, you know, I would immediately
resign. I couldn?t carry on — if things like that
were true. Above all, it would make it impossible to hold
this position.
He thus brazenly announced that if the allegations made
about the Seattle Incident were true, then he would step
down as high priest.
Nichiren Daishonin would never tolerate such willful deception.
The statement I wish to make to Nikken is this: Since
there is now irrefutable evidence of your conduct, you
must step down immediately. You should honor your public
statement ?I couldn?t carry on? and tender your resignation
now.
Nikken also became extremely anxious about a comment by
Takudo Hosoi, the son of the late High Priest Nittatsu,
who remarked about comments Nikken had made to him, ?You
[Nikken] told me, ?I went outside and lost my way, and
was helped by a local member.?? Recently, Nikken seems
to have begun to suggest that the events to which Mr.
Hosoi was referring took place ?not in Seattle but in
Chicago.? Nikken should stop insulting our intelligence.
The account of his unexplained absence in Chicago is also
well known and can in no way be confused with the incident
in Seattle. How long are these lies going to continue?
"
In the Nirvana Sutra we find the passage, ?If a person
sees someone slandering the Law and disregards him, failing
to reproach him, to oust him or to punish him for his
offense, then that person is betraying Buddhism.? Shakyamuni
taught that people who destroy Buddhism should be strictly
rebuked and driven off.
It is now time to avow that we will not tolerate such
evil and to call for Nikken?s immediate resignation.
In the end, justice will definitely prevail. Let us continue
to advance in a dignified and stately manner. At the same
time, let's resolutely challenge and defeat those devilish
forces that look contemptuously upon the members and attempt
to obstruct kosen-rufu.
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