Malta's MEPs should defend pro-life values - GOL
The EU traditionally has no competence on social issues such as abortion, Gift of Life said.
Reacting to a story in today's The Times where a Swedish Liberal MP who is campaigning to harmonise EU legislation on abortion admitted that the practice "cannot be imposed on Malta", GOL said:
"This latest façade is a clear example of how MEPs abuse of the system in order to pressure other sovereign EU states on issues under various ideological agendas such as human rights."
GOL said:
"It is shameful that we have now reached a stage that an MEP would openly admits that she is using her position in the EU parliament to instigate a political debate and affect the political agenda of another sovereign EU state. "We call on our country's MEPs to stand up and defend our Islands sovereignty and pro-life values in the EU parliament."
GOL said this was yet another clear example of why it has been campaigning for the right to life from conception to be made clearer in the constitution.
"Again we urge Dr Joseph Muscat and the PL to take a clear position on this proposed constitutional amendment," GOL said.
See also:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090805/local/abortion-cannot-be-imposed-on-malta
45 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Mary Smith
Aug 7th 2009, 15:42
To all Pro-Lifers: My father has told us all our life that having us (he had five children) was the most awfully experience in his life and that childbirth and toddlers are disgusting.
And he is still blaming the Catholic Church for not allowing birth control and that you could not find condoms in Malta in his day. The result is that we were raised in a dysfunctional family, and scarred for life. There is no other worse thing in the world to know that your parent did not want you!
He is now in his 80's and still has not changed his mind. He still repeats this to us often.
So, please do not judge others and assume everyone has had your positive experiences, there is a lot to be said for abortion!
D Camilleri
Aug 6th 2009, 19:03
malteses meps should take the oath about their spending in EP elections, themselves before teaching morality to anyone. abortion cannot be imposed on malta, but greed is all around us.
Ramon Casha
Aug 6th 2009, 06:58
"Human" is both a noun and an adjective. Thus, the fetus is a human fetus just like my finger is a human finger. It is not a human - a person - at conception.
Just as we consider a person dead when the brain stops functioning (brain death), a person does not begin to live until there is a functioning brain in the body. Life does not start at conception. Depending on how you look at it, life either is a continuous thing (because even the sperm and egg are alive), or else starts when there's a functioning brain to be the person who is alive.
Ramon Casha
Aug 6th 2009, 06:54
@lgalea: The Vatican did not apply to join the EU because the EU only allows democracies to join. The Vatican is now the only remaining dictatorship in Europe.
Oh, and there's also the fact that the EU is only for real countries, not pretend ones.
Charles Grixti
Aug 6th 2009, 00:33
3)
There are hundreds of other things going on that are NOT Pro-Life, but somehow manage to elude the Vatican. Yet the Church claims to be the arbiter of moral authority for all men and for all time.
The Church has a net worth estimated to be in the Trillions of dollars and like any multi-national corporation has many blue-chip stocks. The BBC reported this week that it was 'accidentally' discovered that the Vatican had shares in pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the Birth Control Pill and in Arms manufacture companies that kill thousands of people in wars.
Pro-Life indeed!
Charles Grixti
Aug 6th 2009, 00:29
2)
Neither does it speak up for girl children as young as 7 or 8 sold to men old enough to be their grandfathers, or condemn the summary executions in China and the harvesting of organs from the condemned for sale to wealthy individuals in the West.
Nor condemn the rape of young girls in war-torn Africa, sometimes with object such as guns which are even fired inside them leaving their insides ripped so that they need constructive surgery or if they manage to survive and give birth at that young age, will suffer fistulas in silence all their lives. It does not condemn Female Genital mutilation or the stoning of women (even though Jesus himself spoke about this barbaric practice).
Charles Grixti
Aug 6th 2009, 00:15
Joe Grima Brussels et al
1)
One thing all of you are forgetting is that abortion was introduced in Western countries to save the lives of thousands of girls and women who died each year through botched back room abortion, with some hack using God-knows what un-sterilized instruments. In this respect, yes you are just like the Taliban, in that you have no regard for the human female, you consider her to be a vessel for your seed to take root, in other words, not a real human being with full rights, including the right to a safe abortion and therefore to life!
The stance taken by many bloggers here I am sure are influenced heavily by the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
But let me remind the readers that the while the same RCC sheds crocodile tears for the unborn, it does not bat an eyelid for the millions of slave-labourers in China, India and South America, it does not shed tears for children as young as 4 sold into slavery by their impoverished parents, some of whom are shackled to a loom where they weave carpets all day.
joe grima brussels
Aug 5th 2009, 23:31
Thanks for answering, Mrs Joanne Micallef.
Yes, we do live on two different planets! Otherwise, how can a mother look into her children's eyes and tell them that she is in favour of abortion? How can you, as a mother, give life, and yet be in favour of terminating a pregnancy? Do you have the guts to tell your children that if you had 'felt like it', you would not have given it a second thought to getting rid of them?
How can a 'responsible' woman revert to abortion, as you said? I can never understand that!!! By nature, a mother's main responsibility is to protect the life growing in her. If even a 'responsible' woman finds it easy to kill her own creation, then God help us.....who will protect them????
I believe you have not watched that abortion video yet!
K. Pullicino
Aug 5th 2009, 22:53
"Sure, but if your girlfriend/wife discover they have an ectoptic pregnancy?"
Ectopic pregnancies have nothing to do with the problem at hand. In an ectopic pregnancy a life is in danger and the mother is given the choice of whether she'd like to have an abortion or not.
On the other hand, in all the other cases, a mother is given the choice to abort and kill the developing human merely because it is convenient (not for the human being aborted, of course).
With regards to people saying that men should have no say in this matter, may I remind them that humans being aborted might be males and I think I'll reserve the right to defend my fellow male humans.
lgalea
Aug 5th 2009, 21:20
Bryan Fiore
You are mixing lettuce with gas. Illegal immigrants have NO right to be here especially since they have traveled through many countries where they could have stopped,. They are simply economic migrants and should all be expelled for ever form Malta. If you don't like it you can join them in their own countries.
Melissa Bagley
Aug 5th 2009, 21:16
"No one has a right to murder another, no matter what the circumstances may be.."
Sure, but if your girlfriend/wife discover they have an ectoptic pregnancy? How do you think they treat something like that? Of course it will be aborted by responsible doctors. Just Google 'ectoptic pregnancy' and read for your self....if no abortion is performed, you can order a coffin your girlfriends/wives and wait for her to die.
L. Gauci
Aug 5th 2009, 20:43
The EU has no right to force us to legalise abortion. The PN made quite sure of this when it negotiated the EU treaty. Those who insist that abortion is a right, do not know what they are talking about. Abortion is legalised murder. No one has a right to murder another, no matter what the circumstances may be. Many of those who promote abortion are against the death sentence, and rightly so. But they see no contradiction in fighting for a convicted murderer and then killing an innocent, helpless baby, who had no part in his/her conception and who never did anyone any harm.
Joanne Micallef
Aug 5th 2009, 20:34
@ Mr Joe Grima (Brussels) - Actually I am a mother myself ( and happily married too go figure ), just because I am pro choice does not necessarily mean that I would have an abortion myself.
This is the whole point you see, just because abortion is legal it does not mean that all women will resolve to it when they find themselves pregnant. Like I said it's not a black and white issue, there are various reasons why RESPONSIBLE women resolve to getting an abortion, you are being very narrow minded if you simply stop at the reckless irresponsible females.
I will stop here, as from your condescending comments I deduce that we’re on two different planets.
Joseph Schembri
Aug 5th 2009, 20:31
I usually write against abortion but when people like GOL take this position they just make me want to switch to the other side.
joe grima brussels
Aug 5th 2009, 19:45
Dear Joanne. Now that you have answered, 30 minutes after my comment, I presume that you have had the time to look at youtube.com, and also watch the abortion video! How do you feel now? Was your stomach upset seeing a defenseless baby being torn apart, or did you enjoy a beer and popcorn while watching the video???? Yes, I am a male, but it so happens that I am married to a female, and she has my views as well!! I am also a responsible father of two! About the 'risk' of becoming pregnant....! I believe that most sensible women are overjoyed when they learn that they are going to become a mother. I understand that in cases of rape it is a trauma, but if by 'risk' you mean living a reckless irresponsible sex life, then I can understand WHY you are in favour of abortion. Many men are in favour of abortion because it will cover their deeds; they will find more conceding girls; and it totally eliminates their responsibility for maintenance in future. In many cases, abortion is the easy way out for irresponsible actions.
vincent magro
Aug 5th 2009, 19:35
Il-kwistjoni ta l-abort ma tattakkax biss l-ordni fis-socjeta bhall ma jaghmel id-divorzju, imma tattakka l-fundament ta l-ezistenza, li hija l-hajja. Hadd ma kellu jedd ghal hajja qabel ma inaghtatlu, u hadd ma ghandu dritt inehhi l-hajja ta xi hadd qabel ma tittehidlu minn min tahielu. Id-dritt ghall-ghazla fil-hajja mhuwiex assolut, izda jrid jirrispetta id-drittijiet u l-ghazla ta haddiehor. Dik il-mara li ghandha tarbija ghandha l-ghazla li jew taghtija tixrob minn sidirha jew li taghzel prodotti tal-halib ghat-trabi u t-tarbija tikber xorta wahda, izda m'ghandiex l-ghazla li thalliha tmut bil-guh. Fil-fehema tieghi dak li jghodd ghat-trabi wara li jitwieldu, jghodd ghat-trabi qabel jitwieldu. Hija sfortuna li fid-dinja tal-lum fejn ix-xjenza kibret u qed jitfejjaq mard u kundizzjonijiet li qabel ma konniex noholmu li nfejqu, fl-istess hin hafna pajjizi "demokratici" jippermettu l-qtil ta trabi li l-anqas biss jistaw jiddefendu ruhhom. F' 35 sena li l-abort ilu legalizzat fl'Amerka, inqattlu 42 miljun tarbija, seba darbiet aktar minn kemm inqattlu Lhud minn Nazi. Hemm min jiggustifika l-abort fejn it-tarbija tkun gejja b'dizabilita.Jien nahdem ma Persuni b'dizabilita u daqs kemm japprezzaw li naghmel maghhom huma, ma japprezzawx it-tfal tieghi li naghmel maghhom aktar.
Joanne Micallef
Aug 5th 2009, 18:06
@ Mr Joe Grima (Brussels) - By Taliban way of thinking I meant whatever they say goes full stop, instead of listening to the citizens like in a democracy hence the referendum!!!! As for a more humane way of thinking, easy for you to say since you’re a man and therefore in no risk of ever being pregnant. You see if things were different you might understand that this is not a black and white situation.
joe grima brussels
Aug 5th 2009, 17:31
Dear Joanne Micallef. According to you, I am more in line with the Taliban way of thinking!!!!!!! If you can spare a few minutes, go on youtube.com, check out on Taliban, and see for yourself. You will be amazed how wrong you are! One Taliban 'way of thinking' is killing people they do not even see or know, with their suicide bombs, and roadside bombs. Isn't that in line with abortion????? It is so much easier to kill someone when you cannot look him in the face!!!!! About how they treat women, take a look at the public punishment they 'HAVE A RIGHT' to perform on THEIR OWN WOMEN. So for Taliban, violence is a way of life. Now, tell me, where do YOU see violence, in myself, an anti abortionist, or in YOURSELF, and those lobbying to introduce abortion? Have you ever had the courage to watch the video of an abortion being performed???? Have you ever looked in the bin in the clinic????? Spare a few moments for these, and I hope that you will start thinking in a more humane way.
Joanne Micallef
Aug 5th 2009, 16:55
@ Mr Joe Grima (Brussels) - Seems you are more in favor of the Taliban line of thinking rather than a civil democratic one.
joe grima Brussels
Aug 5th 2009, 16:21
Life is sacred, and starts at conception, no matter what WISE bloggers say. If not, do you mean to say that at conception, it is 'dead', then it comes to life later? How can a dead object, come to life after a few days???? And can you tell me the exact number of days, hours, minutes WHEN it becomes human, according to you?
@ Chris Mifsud
I hope you are not a minor, because from your way of thinking, that is the idea I got!
First: 'it is legal everywhere else'....is this your argument why we should introduce abortion?
'...and by doing it abroad, people are spending money in another country...' so it comes down simply to an economic problem!
'...at 5 -6 weeks' according to you, it is not human. Can you tell me what YOU were at 5-6 weeks, a plant?
'...it should simply be legalised...' so for you killing an defenceless unborn baby is a 'simple' solution?
@Joanne Mifsud
'...there are many out there who believe that life does not believe at conception...' 'many' believe in drugs, vandalism, and violence.....why not hold a referendum on these as well?
J Farrugia
Aug 5th 2009, 15:55
Ahha at last we have it from I Galea that the Labour Party of Malta is still against Malta's entry into the EU and will do its utmost to get us out of the EU. Thanks for this important confirmation that the Labour Party is hoodwinking its pro EU Labour Supporters that it is in favour of Malta's place in the EU. It is in favour of the big money which goes into the pockets of the few, but Lbabour's heart is still pinned against the EU. I suggest to one and all not to count chickens before they hatch.
Joanne Micallef
Aug 5th 2009, 15:55
@ Chris Mifsud - No matter the outcome if one is in favor of democracy one has to accept the results. Personally I think that it's such an important issue that the Goverment can only take his decision after he has consulted with the people that have elected him to represent them.
It will be up to those who are pro choice to put forward in the most effective way possible the implications of voting for pro life rather than pro choice. As unfortunately many still do not comprehend that being pro life basically also means being against any form of artificial contraception, in vitro fertilization and euthanasia.
Now in reality how many married woman with children out there even though they proclaim to be pro life do not use any form of contraception? The same applies for those childless couples off course, who although they profess to be pro life still resolve to in vitro fertilization rather than adoption.
Bryan Fiore
Aug 5th 2009, 15:31
People who are against abortion should also be against deportation of illegal immigrants. Abortion and deportation are basically the same thing – you’re basically telling the foetus/immigrant that they get in the way of our enjoyment of life, and society would be better off without them. And so they should go away, disappear, not exist etc..
Basically, people who are anti-abortion but pro-deportation are two-faced hypocrites.
K. Pullicino
Aug 5th 2009, 14:54
"It simply leaves abortion as a choice for who wants it and who doesnt"
I doubt who gets aborted would agree to "choosing" abortion.
Toni Cardona
Aug 5th 2009, 14:36
I believe in the sanctity of life.
Hence I am anti abortion and anti war.
How can anyone profess to be pro life, condemn abortion and then keeps silent on the killing of so many in Palestine, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, just to mention a few places of aborted human lives.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a Wall ...
Peter Korsten
Aug 5th 2009, 14:05
See, I don't agree that what you have at five or six weeks is not a human. What is it then, a fish?
Already at two months, you can hear a heartbeat. If you don't interfere, and nothing else goes wrong, a human child will be born after about 40 weeks. Can you say at what point exactly it becomes a human, if not at conception?
Whether or not abortion should be illegal is another matter, but I wouldn't base it around the argument "it can't be considered human", because that is, quite frankly, nonsense.
But the move to have abortion made illegal in the Constitution is not because one values life, but because of the distrust I mentioned before.
D.Caruana
Aug 5th 2009, 13:36
Who ever said that EU states are sovereign??????????????
Take a look at an indepth definition of the word sovereign:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty
karl formosa
Aug 5th 2009, 13:07
Abortion should NEVER be legalized. It is MURDER, at the most innocent stage of human life.
Who does not want a kid, should leave the child for the institutions to be looked after, not killing.
Who has to right to kill after God created? who are we to say that the aborted child could not have become the next President or a great benefit to this world.
For who is in FAVOUR please look at these photos,
http://www.100abortionpictures.com/Aborted_Baby_Pictures_Abortion_Photos/
Galea. L
Aug 5th 2009, 13:02
Chris Mifsud
The strong fight against the current however strong.
The weak are carried away to their destruction.
lgalea
Aug 5th 2009, 13:01
Ernest Vella
Pope John Paul 2 did not apply to join the eu because he did not want to be ruled or ordered by others.
Chris Mifsud
Aug 5th 2009, 13:00
@Joanne Micallef
Whilst agreeing with your comments , I must say that a referendum would not work and is also very unfair .
This is because in Malta which is unfortunatly generaly still a conservative and religious country the majority of the people will vote against abortion .
It should simply be legalised without any regard for the opinions of who are against it .
People who want it are always going to be in a minority as opposed to people against it .
People against it should have no worries because legalizing it is not forcing them or their family to have an abortion . It simply leaves abortion as a choice for who wants it and who doesnt and Gift of life should respect that choice .
Ronald Cauchi
Aug 5th 2009, 12:50
"What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."
GOL is trying to pressure and impose its will on the rest of us as much as the Swedish MEP is. Neither of them is welcome. We are all adults and are able to come to our own conclusions and do not need anyone to attempt to put pressure on us whoever they may be.
K. Pullicino
Aug 5th 2009, 12:48
You don't believe or not believe that life starts at conception.
It's a fact proved by science that life start at conception when the nuclei of the gametes fuse together.
Chris Mifsud
Aug 5th 2009, 12:42
Abortion SHOULD be legalized . It is legal nearly everywhere else in the world , so who wants to do an abortion is going to do one weather it is legal or not .
By keeping abortion as illegal people are either going to do it unsafely or else going to go abroad and do it anway . That is spending money in another country instead of in Malta .
Who is against abortion have every right to their opinion , but who wants/needs an abortion should not be told what to do by the state / church / gift of life .
Don't believe what GOL say . An abortion at 5 or 6 weeks is not killing a human being because nothing has been formed enough to be called a human .
At least abortion should be legal in cases of rape and cases where the life of the mother is at risk .
Fabian Borg
Aug 5th 2009, 12:40
Abortion is illegal in Malta today, but who is stopping a Maltese woman who has conceived a Maltese citizen from going in the UK or Italy and perform an abortion ?
If it can be done this way you might as well allow it here. Stopping it is just a joke now that there is this kind of freedom of movement.
A big thanks to all that got us in this situation. We were better off as tiny Malta than as tiny Malta in the EU.
Joanne Micallef
Aug 5th 2009, 12:37
No Goverment can ever take such a decision without holding a referendum first. There are many out there who do not believe that life begins from conception, so no matter how much the gift of life campaigns, this is a democratic country and I for one as a female citizen would like to have the chance to vote on such an important issue.
Peter Korsten
Aug 5th 2009, 12:36
Why should this be in the Constitution? How much more illegal than illegal do you want to make it?
The only reason to put it in the Constitution is that you don't trust future generations to make the right decision. Distrust is a very poor reason to change something as fundamental as a constitution.
lgalea
Aug 5th 2009, 12:32
tony abela
I also did not vote for the eu and will do my utmost so that people will understand that we can leave the eu and should leave as soon as possible to stop the continuous destruction of everything that we had built through great sacrifices and stop the endless invasion of foreigners to our greatly overpopulated island.
Ernest Vella
Aug 5th 2009, 12:31
@ Tony Abela - its a shame to you to attack the Roman Catholic Church - Pope John Paul 2 was against abortion but infavour of Malta joining EU so to be a witness of faith and morality and not to become like them. EU can make pressure but we must hold the strenght on EU for we are on the right side
@ Carmen Xerri - a clear statement was never made by the party but by persons in the party which is a great difference more and more with the slogan "progressivi" - wasn't Zappatero also a progressive - see what happened....I am sure the PL is against abortion but a clear statement will clear doubts....and even if 60% one day will be infavour of abortion...no politcal party must make his hands get dirty with the blood of the innocent
Ludwig Flask
Aug 5th 2009, 12:09
This is one reason why MALTA should have elected a fresh new team of MEPs in recent elections!
J Farrugia
Aug 5th 2009, 11:41
@ Tony abela - why not blame the Labour leader? He is responsible for the actions of his MEPs, irrelevant of whether we liked it or not. Yes, J Muscat is responsible for the NON ACTION of his MEPs and his new future MEP. And for your info. whether they vote in their millions or not, we (MALTESE will never allow abortions to be performed in our land. Otherwise we will imitate the USA>
Adrian Camilleri
Aug 5th 2009, 11:41
In all fairness, if joining the EU meant introducing abortion (and divorce) in Malta, then all the worse for the (then) MLP for not working towards Malta's accession, as any other party with secular, liberal leanings should have done.
Carmel Xerri
Aug 5th 2009, 11:38
"Again we urge Dr Joseph Muscat and the PL to take a clear position on this proposed constitutional amendment," GOL said. Your mask have fallen showing that GOL is politically biased. Dr. Joseph Muscat and the PL have stated (many times) that they are against abotion.
Sandro Agius
Aug 5th 2009, 11:33
I am really afraid with the slogan of "Progressivi" being used by the PL, were Dr.Muscat is calling for the right of the minorities?....does this implicates also abortion?....till now I feel that PL did never a clear statement that the Labour Party is against any kind of abortion and that life for PL begins from conception. I hope that in the near future a clear statement is made that if PL will be one day in govermnet they would at least be against abortion.
As a constitution, abortion must be absolutely not permited in Malta. Malta must be the flag of pro-life and the oasi were children are safe from there conception. Politicians many times play by words but I hope at least this time both sides of the parlament must be together one voice against abortion...and that no one pro-abortion must be allowed in these too major parties....life must be protected...its a human right...lets be the voice of the unborn child who is being killed without mercy in other countries...its a shame of the civilized world
tony abela
Aug 5th 2009, 11:20
It is a shame that a 'so-called' independent state has to bow its head for such foreign interference on a moral subject which is very close to our heart, believes and tradition.
But on the other hand weren't you warned about this before we joined EU. If my memory services me right GOL did not voice its concern at that time. So how you dare to blame PL and Dr Joseph Muscat for this! Blame yourself to start with and the rest who pushed to join EU, including the Maltese Roman Catholic Church.
I was and still am against abortion under any circumstances, that was one of the prime reasons that I voted against joining EU, so I do not have any remorse.