Nils Muižnieks’s crusade (February 26) to change our laws in favour of abortion seems a colonial mentality where he feels he is entitled to dictate to a small country.
So Muižnieks, a doctor’s son, states that “very often, women… are ill-treated: by doctors, among others”. The Hippocratic Oath from 2,500 years ago, states: “First do no harm” and “I will not cause an abortion”. What is right does not change with time.
His statement that “it is clear to me that right to life does not apply prior to birth” runs counter to the existence of the crime of abortion. The Council of Europe’s Commissioner of Human rights is here saying that, he himself, one minute before he was born, had no right to life. His daughters must be so grateful that he did not decide to abort them.
It may not matter to Muižnieks but we take the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ very seriously. This forms part of the European (and Christian) ethos.
He states that Malta stands out as we do not provide abortion on demand and we are jeopardising women’s rights by not being in line with human rights standards. We beg to differ.
He is forced to admit that access to abortion is not mentioned in international and European legal standards.
The example he mentions that the courts found that some countries had violated the prohibition of ill-treatment because their laws provide for abortion are only valid for countries that have such laws in place. We do not.
He claims that a pregnant woman’s right to life can also be at stake. This is where the Maltese health service would provide first rate care.
I do, however, agree with his final points that ensuring full access to comprehensive sexuality education will prevent unwanted pregnancies. We often encounter young people who ‘know it all’ and yet disregard elementary measures of safe sex.
Finally, he states that women have a human right to a safe reproductive life, safe from coercion. Coercion will come in when the partner does not want the child and points her to the abortion clinic.
We have ignored his previous visit. Let us do the same now.