1.   Cults everywhere often claim bright, well-educated young people as disciples.

2.   It said the cult claimed the smell was caused by burning soy bans with perfume in a religious ritual.

3.   Shirai was expelled from the army for staging the firebomb attack, which the cult claimed at the time was the work of anti-Aum forces.

4.   The cult claims it has been unfairly persecuted.

5.   The doomsday cult has claimed that it had collected more than one billion dollars for the past six years.