Abortion protest to be held tomorrow

Gift of Life, the pro-life movement, is planning a peaceful, silent protest at 8.30 p.m. tomorrow against "the message of death" that Rebecca Gomperts, of the abortion ship and pro-choice organisation Women on Waves, is bringing to the island.

The anti-abortion movement is calling on the Maltese, in particular women, to gather outside Castille Hotel in Valletta in a show of unity against abortion.

Dr Gomperts has been invited by Emy Bezzina of the Alpha Liberal Party to hold a press conference, followed by a public debate, at the Castille Hotel tomorrow evening, on the need for legalised abortion in Malta. It is her first visit, though she has already made waves on Malta's shores.

"The protest is being held in stark contrast to the message of death and destruction that Dr Gomperts brings, hidden behind the veil of so-called 'women's choice'," said the pro-life movement in a statement.

It is encouraging everyone to bring along a red candle to be lit in honour of unborn children who have perished at the hands of Dr Gomperts and abortion worldwide, and to remember the many women suffering, often silently, as a consequence of abortion.

In the name of the unborn child, Gift of Life, backed by what it says is the support of the vast majority of the Maltese, is appealing to both Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition Leader Alfred Sant to "come together to act today to safeguard the right to life of the unborn child".

The pro-life group has been calling for the unborn child to be given constitutional protection with the entrenchment of an anti-abortion clause. Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg made a similar proposal two years ago but the Opposition so far does not have an official position on the issue.

The Dutch Dr Gomperts, whose name is synonymous with abortion, has told The Times she intends to discuss access to various techniques of safe abortion, as well as future plans for Malta and a new campaign with Dr Bezzina and a group of women.

"I am interested in legalising abortion and making sure women's rights and health are respected in the future. I hope my speech will mobilise groups of people, who will be more involved in campaigning to legalise abortion," Dr Gomperts said.

However, she still had to do the maths on the number of Maltese women who had abortions annually. Despite the lack of statistics, which she admitted to, she claimed Malta was no different from other countries.

"What is for sure is that the figure is not less than the lowest abortion rate," she insisted.

Her calculations would be based on the fact that the bare minimum rate of abortion worldwide was seven per 1,000 women in the fertile age, with the maximum (in the US) being 25 in1,000. Dr Gomperts would be taking into account the number of Maltese women in the fertile age and presenting a figure between the maximum and the minimum rate.

Religion, Dr Gomperts maintained, never determined the rate of abortion, which was quite high in Catholic countries.

The founder of the non-profit-making Women on Waves, set up in 1999, Dr Gomperts's presence is Malta is already stirring up a hornet's nest, abortion being illegal.

But she is hoping that "Malta as a democratic country that respects freedom of speech and information and women's rights and health would be respectful of my vision".

Dr Gomperts plans to address the issue of abortion as a violation of women's rights. But those of the unborn child categorically do not enter the equation: "I do not take into account the child because I do not call it a child to start off with. And I am not alone in that, fortunately, but supported by independent, scientific research...

"It is the Catholic Church and some others religions that say life starts at conception... The Catholic Church has been wrong before in history," she said.

Religion was discounted to a "personal issue", and common sense prevailed, she said, pointing out that Maltese used contraceptives even though the Church opposed them. Dr Gomperts insisted on the separation of Church and State as the fundamental principle of democracy. It was important to separate the religious issue from the health issue, abortion being fundamentally a matter of public health.

"People are brainwashed by anti-abortion messages. I hope that by sharing my knowledge, I could help add another dimension to the issue, and that the public will see a different reality from what it is confronted with. Then, it is up to them to make up their minds."

Women on Waves provides services on a specially constructed ship, with a mobile clinic, which visits a country encouraging women to make appointments, then sailing out to international waters to perform the abortions.

Last April, Dr Gomperts was quoted as saying that Malta would be included on the ship's itinerary, and her planned visit to the island's surrounding waters in 2000 had provoked an outcry from the government, the Church and sections of the public. She told The Times, however, that she had never attempted to visit the island before.

MP urges MPs to protect the unborn Nationalist MP Franco Galea yesterday urged MPs to protect the unborn and entrench the ban on abortion in the Constitution.

Speaking in the House on the adjournment, Mr Galea referred to the visit to Malta which "abortion ship" doctor Rebecca Gomperts is due to make to Malta tomorrow to address a conference.

Mr Galea said abortion was murder and the scourge of the century. The country's leaders should not be indifferent to abortion. The unborn must not be betrayed, and Parliament should not go down in history as failing to protect them, Mr Galea said.