Despite its attack during 1995 on Tokyo’s subways with poison gas and the fact that its leader Shoko Asahara is locked up and likely to be sentenced to death, Aum is still plugging along according to the Japan Times.
The group peaked at 10,000, but later bottomed out well below 1,000. But now it’s growing albeit very slowly. Today Aum has just over 1,000 die-hard followers, half live in the cult’s remaining compounds. They are closely watched by the Japanese authorities and must report to a security agency regularly. The Japanese are not taking any chances on their number one terrorist cult.
One die-hard Aum devotee recently said of Asahara, “What he did may never be forgiven by the Japanese people, but I truly believe that what he taught will one day be recognized as the great legacy of human civilization.” Right, and so will the teachings of Hitler, once we forget about the Holocaust.
