“Release The Mother of Peace!” Rally in NYC Times Square
On November 16th, roughly 100 people gathered in Times Square chanting, “Release the Mother of Peace!” The crowd was very diverse, with a woman born in Guyana taking the bullhorn, followed by another speaker from Austria. A Korean-speaking church from New Jersey came into Manhattan for the occasion, led by their pastor who escorted parents and children. Rally organizer Bishop Joy Theriot explained: “So we are here in Times Square to support the Holy Mother Han. Holy Mother is the founder of the Women’s Federation for World Peace International, which has an NGO at the United Nations, and she is also the great leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.”
“Holy Mother Han” is one of the titles used by Dr. Hak Ja Han, the 82-year-old leader of the Unification Movement and widow of Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Dr. Han is currently being held in pre-trial detention, facing charges of bribery. Supporters made clear that they view the incident as an example of religious persecution, not a serious attempt to clean up corruption in South Korea.
“She traveled the world. She went to Africa, where I am from. She went to the very corners of Africa to pray for Africa,” said Rev. Dasse Diarra, a Mali-born Unificationist clergyman who was joined at the rally by his wife and children.
Dr. Hak Ja Han: Key Figure in US-DPRK relations
Caleb Maupin, representing the Center for Political Innovation, made clear why his organization was joining with the American Christian Leadership Conference, the Association of Christian Evangelists, and other groups demanding Dr. Hak Ja Han’s freedom: “We are in full support of the call to release the Mother of Peace. Dr. Hak Ja Han is an important ally of all who want peace in the world—especially those who want peace on the Korean Peninsula and peace with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
Indeed, despite holding on to anti-communism as a strong religious principle, the Unification Movement has been among Pyongyang’s closest friends in the West. Rev. and Mrs. Moon returned to Pyongyang in 1991 after fleeing in the 1950s. The reconciliation between Moon and Kim Il Sung was not just hollow words; it came with millions of dollars in investment. Pyeonghwa Motors was established in 2000 as a joint automotive venture, functioning as a state-run car manufacturer from 2000 to 2013, producing cars in North Korea. Tongil Group, a business associated with the Unification Movement, invested additional millions in North Korea.
The Unification Movement is also friendly with U.S. President Donald Trump, and observers say Trump’s decision to meet Kim Jong Un during his first term involved considerable consultation with strategists and academics associated with The Washington Times, a Unification-owned conservative newspaper based in the U.S. capital. After Trump left office at the end of his first term, Dr. Hak Ja Han established “Think Tank 2020,” dedicated to discussing how U.S.–DPRK dialogue and moves toward peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula could continue.
Dr. Hak Ja Han was briefly released from her jail cell last week to receive medical treatment but is once again being held. Her trial is set to begin in December. More protests are being planned across the United States under the theme #ReleaseTheMotherOfPeace.