Stressing Terrorism Aspect

Japanese media reported the shooting in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, as the worst gun assault in United States history. Although the criminal was reported as pledging allegiance to Islamic State, the incident was mainly recognized as a hate crime against sexual minority. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed the aspect of terrorism and expressed his intolerance on the incident. The man always interprets everything happening in the world as he prefers, as shown in his perception of world economy to be in crisis.

U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation realized the shooter, Omar Mateen, as a homegrown terrorist. He called 911 before the assault to reveal his allegiance to I.S. and referred to his relation to the bombing in Boston Marathon in 2013. A radio station operated by I.S. hailed the incident as “one of the caliphate soldiers in U.S. sneaked into a mass of the homosexuals and killed or injured over 100 of them.” However there is no indication about Mateen that he was trained or ordered by I.S. It is possible for the terrorist organization to have taken advantage of the incident for their propaganda.

Abe told the reporters in his election campaign for Liberal Democratic Party in Oita that he would not tolerate dirty terrorism and promote any measures for eliminating terrorism. “I’m shocked and feel anger on many sacrifice of U.S. citizens,” told Abe in his message to U.S. President Barack Obama, “and terrorism cannot be allowed with any reason and I firmly denounce it.” “I share your firm determination for the fight against terrorism and will keep on being involved in it with U.S. or international society.” He looked to be justifying his involvement in tighter security policy or amendment of Article 9 of Constitution of Japan.

Obama stressed his recognition as indiscriminative assault against homosexuals. Japanese media rather focused on the separation of U.S. society between tolerance and hate against LGBT than organized terrorism with which international society had to deal. Gun control in U.S. is an issue that the Japanese have been interested in since a Japanese student was shot to death in Baton Rouge, L.A., in 1993.

A broad concern is how the incident affects Presidential election. Hillary Clinton emphasized necessity of tighter gun control as well as fight against terrorism or support on sexual minority. A prescription offered by Donald Trump was to exclude Moslems. “In my speech on protecting America I spoke about a temporary ban, which includes suspending immigration from nations tied to Islamic terror,” said Trump in Twitter. It is still unclear which this incident supports, gun control or Islamophobia.