Not that I particularly care for his infamous manner of speech and eccentric behavior, which have troubled many across the globe, but Justin Bieber touched on a very sensitive line of emotion when he visited a Japanese war shrine.
Whether the Canadian singer described the shrine as "beautiful" may fall under the freedom of speech category, but photos showing him praying in the shrine are beyond allowed freedom.
Despite strong opposition from neighboring countries, the shrine still deifies Class A criminals found guilty at the Tokyo trial on charge of crimes against humanity, the same ones brought against the Nazis. Praying in the shrine is no different than saluting to the Nazis when visiting Auschwitz.
The musician once said in an interview that he is a practicing Christian. I sincerely hope that he prayed for the souls of the millions of victims who suffered during that unfortunate period, and not those who caused their suffering.
Choi Si-young
Editing adviser, Yonsei European Studies at Yonsei University, Seoul
Whether the Canadian singer described the shrine as "beautiful" may fall under the freedom of speech category, but photos showing him praying in the shrine are beyond allowed freedom.
Despite strong opposition from neighboring countries, the shrine still deifies Class A criminals found guilty at the Tokyo trial on charge of crimes against humanity, the same ones brought against the Nazis. Praying in the shrine is no different than saluting to the Nazis when visiting Auschwitz.
The musician once said in an interview that he is a practicing Christian. I sincerely hope that he prayed for the souls of the millions of victims who suffered during that unfortunate period, and not those who caused their suffering.
Choi Si-young
Editing adviser, Yonsei European Studies at Yonsei University, Seoul
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