Christian Peregin
The only thing we are totally against is abortion - SDM
There is "no conflict" between the values of the majority of students and those of the Christian-democrat organisation elected to form the University Students' Council, according to the organisaton's president, Lauro Fava.
Mr Fava, who heads Studenti Demokristjani Maltin (SDM), was asked to react to a recent survey which found that the majority of University students did not oppose divorce, gay marriage, the morning-after pill, cohabitation rights and the introduction of a condom machine on campus.
The survey was conducted and published by a new "progressive" student organisation called Move, which said it too was in favour except on the morning-after pill, which it was still discussing.
The only thing that students were adamantly against (79 per cent) was abortion, which even Move disapproved of.
But even though the SDM is known for its traditional values, advocating Christian Democratic principles, Mr Fava said the only thing his organisation was completely opposed to was abortion.
He said divorce was a debate the country had to have but stressed the need to keep children in mind and to provide family-friendly measures which prepared people for marriage.
He added his organisation believed in the need for the state to regulate cohabiting couples, which may include civil unions between gay couples.
"But I don't think I would commit to the word marriage," he said.
On the condom issue, which has haunted students for the past 10 years but especially more recently, he said this was a "non-issue" and SDM was neither in favour nor against.
He said sexual education should take place in secondary schools, because by the time students came to University they knew what they should or should not do.
On the morning-after pill, he said this was being discussed internally. "If the pill is abortive then we are against it. But science is undecided about this. That's the only thing that's stopping us from saying we are in favour of it," he said.
In light of all this he was confident there was "no conflict" between SDM's values and those of the majority of students.
He added, however, that students did not elect SDM members into the students' council for the past three years just because of their values since there were other factors, such as their candidates, manifestoes and track-record.
He also had doubts about the methodology of the survey because it was carried out on random face-to-face interviews with around 400 students and he felt there could be flaws in this sample method.
Meanwhile, KSU president Carl Grech also questioned the sampling method but praised Move for their initiative and for a successful launch which got people talking.
When asked for KSU's stands on the various issues raised, he said the only official stand he knew of was the recently updated sexual health policy which focused on abstinence, being faithful and "contraceptives". The policy did not cover the condom machine issue.
He argued that all the talk about condoms had overshadowed more important educational issues like student mobility and University funding, but stopped short of saying it was not a priority.
"If there are students who care so much about this issue, it is a priority, and it will be discussed in due time," he said, adding that a simple survey did not change anything as yet.
Asked about the other issues, he said KSU developed its policies through the Social Policy Commission, which brings together students from all active organisations to make their voices heard and come up with policies. "If someone raises the issues there, the policies would be made," he said.
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Mark Mifsud
Oct 28th 2009, 08:34
I don't understand how it is possible to support the morning after pill, but be opposed to abortion. Both are equally distructive to human life in the womb. There seems to be a lot of moral confusion amongst young people in Malta! The result fascinates me and beggers belief
harry saliba
Oct 28th 2009, 08:02
Do you think anyone cares what you 'students' think , the majority hid behind your religion. You are ok with gay marriages, divorce, morning after pill, cohabitation,and a condom dispenser on campus !!!!!!!!!. contradicting your church teachings ,,,,talk about double standards ,,,correction ,, must add traditional values!!!!!!!!!.
Gerry Cowie
Oct 27th 2009, 19:58
Chris Mifsud is correct! Abortion is about the individual! It is about a child denied the chance of life! If nobody stands up for the unborn then they will continue to be killed. If the Church or anybody for that matter is prepared to stand up for life then they should be applauded! As for rape, it is worth knowing that not every woman who is raped chooses to abort her child.
Chris, the morning after pill does indeed cause abortion in cases where the human sperm and egg have joined, since the womb is prevented from allowing implantation. This is a truth which some people will not admit. Indeed it is not hidden by the manufacturers and is well publicised on the internet!
And who are you, Chris, to deny the right to life of handicapped children? Look around Malta and then say to all the handicapped people what you have said below!
Reading the blogs below so far I think you need to take another look at your opinions!
Michael Seychell
Oct 27th 2009, 15:48
@ Chris Mifsud - I do not know whether you are a university student or a nearly 70 year old like myself, who although I do not remember the Second World , being born in 1940, I have read however that the NAZIS used to experiment on handicapped persons like guineepigs, and than kill them.
Whilst I am against all forms of abortion, I may understand - although I would never condone - that a raped innocent teenager or her parents, may be tempted to abort the baby, albeit I would hope that both the family and the child would seek professional counciling before deciding, and hope that they will be convinced to change their mind.
But taking a decision that a baby - a human being - is aborted because through no fault of his/her may be born handicapped, is tantamouint to outright murder, which was a common occurance under Hitler's regime.
Although I am no saint myself and have sinned as much as anyone else, or more, I do pray God that all men - i.e. all human beings - of good sense should be against such atrocities.
Michael Seychell
Tal-Pieta
Dr John Damai
Oct 27th 2009, 13:09
Just like during the time of slavery liberals not valuing the life of people of different colour, today they refuse to value an unborn child as a human. The first question to ask any abortion activist is, how much research have they done to learn if the fetus is a human or not? In most cases one would discover that pro choice activists not only do not research such information, but do not even care. 95 percent of doctors in the United States refuse to perform any life terminating activities as they are convinced life starts at conception. Just because a child does not have the ability to speak or express feelings does not give anyone the right to terminate their life.
Adrian Gouder
Oct 27th 2009, 11:14
... and exactly which individual are you talking about. Certainly not the baby, which in any case, has nothing to blame.
Chris Mifsud
Oct 27th 2009, 10:47
Abortion is about the individual and NOT about the church , SDM , GOL etc...
It should be made legal in the cases of rape , in cases where the child may be born handicapped and in cases where the mother is in danger .
As for the morning after pill , that is NOT abortion and it should be made available over the counter like how it is in the rest of Europe .