| | The Abortion Debate | | | | Modifier la taille du texte: | A | | | A | | |
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| | Par:- Touria Prayag
On 04/03/2009 |
The abortion debate leaves no one dispassionate. The passions are fueled by incidents which surface regularly…
The abortion debate leaves no one dispassionate. The passions are fueled by incidents which surface regularly, forcing people to come out of their silence to express their convictions.
Just over two years ago, three women, victims of back alley abortions, made the headlines, bringing to the forefront the debate about decriminalizing abortion. Many voices were raised to condemn the injustice meted out to them at a time when they were dealing with their physical and psychological wounds. Instead of being given help to handle the traumatic experience they have been through, in the unhygienic and even life-threatening conditions, they were dragged back to the ¨crime scene¨ for a reconstitution des faits, or to put it differently, to rub their nose in it.
Last week, another woman, even more unlucky, in the prime of her youth, lost her life while trying to be aborted in similar conditions. The lament of her colleagues, the agony her family must have gone through, has compelled many voices to come out, expressing outrage at the situation.
The emotional smoke screen erected through terminology and semantics in this debate is rather misleading. The term ¨pro-life¨ to refer to those who are opposed to abortion may suggest that those who are pleading for its legalization are anti-life. Nothing is further from the truth. Those who are for choice argue that while human life is sacred, one has to contend that there are at times circumstances which do not allow a woman to carry on with a pregnancy and that when there is no other option, a woman should be allowed to be aborted legally in hygienic conditions. This is the only way to REALISTICALLY save lives and reduce trauma and distress.
The debate is more often than not aborted by religious arguments. While we owe our religious leaders all the respect they deserve and while we do not deny them the right to hold opinions which may be rooted in their religious convictions, it would be unfair not to grant others the right to hold whatever religion, religions or set of principles they may choose, if they choose, and therefore whatever teachings emanate from them. Also, in a secular state, legislation goes beyond religious convictions and interests.
A woman has the right to lead a normal life, unshackled by the burden of repeated unwanted pregnancies, shame, stigma or prejudice. A girl has the right to put an end to the constant reminder of rape, incest or simply a costly mistake and join children her age in the classroom and school playground. The criminal justice system should go beyond religion and allow women the rights which have become unquestionable in many other countries. Those who are pro-life, should help the unaccounted numbers of women who die because of our archaic laws to live! | |
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| prince kader | | | for me abortion is another word for capital punishment as it is the kiling of an innocent being the child did not harm anyone so why kill it. Its the rapist that must sentenced to death as he has in full sense and awareness of the consequences done this shameful act. I heard many people saying that we have no right to take the life of an individual but when it comes to abortion they tell you that yes we are allowed. For me abortion must be legalised in sepecific cases only and with full government recognition. | | | deshna | | | I am against abortion but in certain conditions i really think it should be legalised !! One cannot force a woman to get pregnant!!....i think in the following conditions abortion should be legalised: in rape case i really think it should be legalised , in conditions where the woman carrying the baby is diagnosed with cancer,HIV AIDS, n even in cases of retard woman or girls...the abortion must be legalised n last i think it should be legalised if the child is diagnosed to be born in physical malformation or any kind of disease.....these i think they should legalised!!!..... | | | Eli | | | Abortion should be interdicted.
Killing an innocent life is a crime ! | | | nagovisi | | | For a minute, imagine living in a matriarchal society where politics, social organisation and spirituality are inseparably connected, women are at the head of the Law, Politics and Community development ... imagine if there would be a need for a debate. ... A man cannot know for one second what it is to bear life, to give life, to be worried of ones life because of giving life, to not want to give life .. A woman can! The change is in the social structure before everything else .. Women should not indulge in the comfort of discomfort like the artist Anjali Pyndiah denounces! | | | Kamal | | | I agree with telma, if you are ready to enjoy sex, act responsibly and play it safe. I'll just give a message to any male partner who is in an active sexual relationship: Situate your responsibility and act accordingly. Is your pleasure or satisfaction more important than your wife's or girlfriend's life at risk during an abortion? You can't be so egoistic! To any woman or girl who is sexually active I'll ask: Would you like to have the power to negotiate safe sex or take the risk of being aborted after wards? Apart from your life being at risk, there are the possible physical and psychological problems associated with it.
| | | Niyatee | | | I am sorry to say, but i am against abortion, be it legalised or not, morally i think it is a crime to abort, but it is also against the rule to force someone to have a child when they are unwilling to do so. So i personally would never abort, but at the same time, i would never condem anyone doing it. Mind you we all have to answer to GOD one day, and we shall do. What are our lawmakers going to say in response to the responsiblities of making sure that lives were shortened due to their inability to make sound judgements about whether to legalise abortion or not. These men and women have been empowered by us at the poll to work for our goodbeing, and they have also taken the oath to protect us, but they are not protecting us, but their own behind for next election. May all stand up and make sure that the law is voted and approved and then it is up to those who are pregnant to decide whether that little child growing inside them, is fated to live or to die. Please do it for the sake of all those who have died so far and those who are planning to die taking the help of backstreet Doctors. | | | bhawna | | | The government of Mauritius should make abortion legal and should stop being a nanny-state telling people how to live their lives. Forget taboos surrounding abortion. Thousands of women develop complications each year as a result of secret abortions and many other unfortunate women lose their lives. I agree some people would say that legalising abortion can mean that some people could abuse the system, especially in the cases of young girls having unprotected sex. Sex education is vitally important once a child has reached 12, by latest. However, the sex education which is actually being dispensed in secondary schools in mauritus is still a shielded version, where the instructors do not really touch the issue of sexuality and physical intimacy between a man and a woman. For instance, speaking from personal experience, the instructors do not even bring condoms to the sex education class nor teach the students how to use them! No wonder, rates of teenage pregnancies are soaring. It's high time to show the teenagers the real stuff, instead of hiding behind taboos. In the UK, students are given demonstrations on how to use condoms.
Having said that, abortion is highly recommended in cases of rape or incest. It is morally wrong to inflict on a woman the burden of carrying the foetus which has been conceived in such horrendous circumstances otherwise, with results of emotional and psychological disorders being very probable to the mother. Just think from the victim's point of view for once. Those who are pro-life do not know about what it feels to be pregnant with a child by someone who has emotionally and physically scarred you for life, by abusing you in the worst way possible. So, get off your high horses, stop thinking and be more sympathetic to the victim's plight.
I hope the government will take action quickly because illegal abortion, which is gnawing our society, will keep claiming more and more lives. | | | Mandouq | | | Touria Prayag revives a necessary debate. She makes three interesting points:
1. Mauritians (a woman alone or in concert with others) should have the legal option to abort in certain circumstances. By this I understand that Touria is rather "pro-life" but allowing for exceptional cases. The question is who is going to decide the exceptional circumstances under which an abortion is possible,within the legal framework?
2. That a woman should be allowed to lead a normal life. Would not it be quite normal, and natural, for women to bear children , for if they don't who will? This leads to a moral question, and also a political one ( a policy issue as compared to politicking), as all civilised societies should have clear ideas about who dies and at the hands of whom as well as who should be allowed to bear children ( so that we need a debate and a decision over the issue of artificial insemination)
3. That religious leaders should be ignored. But all Mauritians know, and Mr. Dulthummun has recently confirmed, that it is the Hindu religious leaders who decide who get into parliament, so how on earth can any body ignore the impact of religion on policies in our country? Presently, the moral position over the issue of abortion is quite close to the religious position.
Mr. Joel Toussaint contends that perhaps this could be a matter left to medical practitioners , who in his view are ethically bound to advise and help couples who wish for termination. Cher monsieur toussain, vous parlez d' éthique professionnelle de la part des médecins Mauriciens? Je me demande dans quelle planète vous avez pris residence! | | | D | | | nek zisse jette ene coup doeil a sa larticle la ek poz zotte la kestion du juste ou pas et savoir si la religion ena so mot a dire.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7930380.stm
et ca c juste 1 cas parmi tan dautres. alors il est grand tant de legiferer pour pouvoir proteger les jeunes filles et aussi ces femmes en danger.
mais c pas juste ca la seule solution. Improving our prevention system would really help. The sex talk shud not be taboo anymore! | | | kishen | | | Abortion has been a great debate in much of countries these recent years, but who are we to decide for the others. I do understand that a foetus is a child to be but still we have no rights to decide for the others, till it is still in the womb it is still part of the person who has the full right to decide. Most of ethic rules and law are decided on the base of religion or the belief of god. But who are they to write these law.God himself did not wrote it is it.?never. we human till it not prove the contrary god existence is in our belief, but we are not allowed to pressure the others in what we believe. | | | Tirouge | | | Every woman should have control over her own body. Government has no business in deciding whether a woman should or should not abort a foetus. | | | Zah | | | First of all its our society which requires to be educated with another mindset.It not only Abortion which making victims but the way people think and judge others without consider the pain which is within thyself.We all live in a selfish world which has to change for the well being of each n everyone.Abortion is a decision which requires respect regarding the choice of a woman. | | | agni | | | Indeed in 2009 in Mauritius are are all equal and free. Women have the right to open bank accounts, to own property, to work, pay taxes, run for office, to manage businesses... but not to decide when they want to be mothers or how many children to have! A fetus on the other hand is not recognised as any type of entity, doesn't exist until born, doesn't get citizenship until born, has no legal obligations but seems to enjoy limitless rights, freedoms and protections even the woman who carries him doesn't enjoy! Women live for there children. They shouldn't be made to die because of them on top of it too. Where is the freedom and equality in that? Stigma and ignorance due to religion and false morality have nothing to do in this debate. | | | Starbright | | | Abortion is every woman's right,may she be rich or poor, married or unmarried ; and it is a decision which she alone can make especially in this society where the responsibility for childrearing in the vast majority of cases falls directly upon the individual mother.. The laws that restrict abortion to emergencies and exceptional situations are obvious and unjust examples of the way Mauritius oppresses women. | | | alain jeannot | | | Yes to responsible sexual relationship!!! Yes to sexual education!!! Yes to contraception!!! No to abortion because life is sacred be it inside or outside a woman's womb!!! | | | ghazi-shaheed | | | Abortion is love (positive or negative)that is labor loss.
In principle, abortion is distressing, sad and should be avoided but each case should be allowed consideration on merit by the subject and family concerned. | | | sunita | | | Il est grand temps que nos decideurs prennent leur responsabilités en main et légalisent l'avortement sous certaines conditions et garde-fou. Nous avons assez perdu de temps comme cela et perdu beaucoup de vie, sans compter les familles brisées...
| | | chets | | | Thxs Touria.Ban dirigeants politik bisin agir vite. Arrete gagne peur reactions ban religieux ek pense ban femmes ki p souffert en silence ek ki p bisin ena recours a ban methodes clandestines pou kav avorter. ene referendum lor sa pas ti pou mal, laisse la population decider si ban madames victimes viols ou incestes bisin ena chance avorter ou pas. avortement encore n sujet tabou, in arrive lheure pou met li lor place public | | | bhavna | | | Excellent debate...if only those who can make a legal difference can heed the call. Abortion needs to be legalised and lives saved!!!! | | | telma | | | Abortion should be allowed only in cases on rape or when pregancy may be life threatening to either the mom or the baby. If a girl/woman is ready to enjoy sexual relationship, she must also know and accept the responsibilities. I do not think that a teenager in mauritius does not know that by having sex there is a probability of pregnancy, so either they take their precautions or just wait that the libido cools down! It is not a joke or a debate whether abortion should be legalised because bringing an innocent child cannot be considered as one. So everyone should accept and face their responsibility once and for all. For those who put their life at risk by going to 'charlatan' Dr, they are well aware of the consequences befehand. | | | roks | | | je suis d'accord avec Jeanne | | | Jeanne D'Arc | | | This is a false debate. All those crying hypocrites and pseudo-moralists should stop their nonsense. How many of them will be willing to adopt all those miserable souls? When we have orphanages and youth homes bursting at the seams due to dysfunctional families, we can hardly afford more unwanted births. Abortion should be free and available on demand 24/7. | | | Joel Toussaint | | | A qui profite le crime?
Ceux qui se réclament du « Pro-Life » estiment qu’ils doivent défendre le fœtus sur la base que cet « humain-en devenir » est sans défense. Soit. D’autres estiment que la société devrait être « pro-life » quand il s’agit de procurer une assistance médicalisée à celles qui, qu’elles qu’en soient les raisons, ne sont pas en mesure de porter une grossesse à terme. Et l’on considère alors les arguments divergents avec un débat qui tourne toujours court en raison du tabou qui le sous-tend : le sexe ! C’est l’élément relevant du domaine privé sur lequel il est considéré normal que les responsables devraient s’exprimer. En contrepartie, les législateurs se taisent, drapant leur mutisme mortifère du manteau vertueux de la « conscience individuelle ». Or, en abdiquant de leur devoir au profit de ceux qui n’ont ni la légitimité d’un mandat électif ni celle d’intervenir en lieu et place des géniteurs, nos parlementaires autorisent le crime organisé.
La notion du crime doit être clairement comprise de tous. « Nullum crimen sine lege » (Il n’y a pas de crime s’il n’y a pas de loi). C’est l’acte législatif qui fonde le crime, le définit, le sanctionne. La loi qui fait de l’interruption de grossesse un délit pénal existe. Elle provient du temps où la législation était d’inspiration religieuse et plus particulièrement chrétienne. Par leur silence même, nos parlementaires y souscrivent.
Le seul débat moralement autorisé – et que les parlementaires interdisent par leur silence condamnable – est celui qui devrait avoir lieu entre les géniteurs dès lors que cela est possible (Ce débat serait vraisemblablement compromis en cas de viol, mais tout à fait envisageable et souhaitable pour les autres). L’Etat aurait alors pu légiférer pour que ces couples puissent bénéficier autant de l’avis médical que des implications psychologiques afin de parvenir à une décision raisonnée. L’Etat se serait alors acquitté de son devoir de permettre aux praticiens d’exercer éthiquement leur devoir d’assister médicalement et psychologiquement ceux et celles qui font le choix d’une interruption de grossesse. Dans l’état actuel de la loi, les seuls à encourir des risques de sanctions sont ceux-là même qui, faute d’avoir voix au chapitre, sont contraints de recourir à des méthodes décriées en vain. Cette contrainte est imposée par des groupes qui ont pris l’Etat en otage avec le consentement abstentionniste des parlementaires. Tout débat est dès lors avorté ! C’est cette atteinte à la liberté individuelle qu’il convient sans doute de dénoncer, ainsi que ses complices. Et si ce n’est pas là le crime, il est censé néanmoins profiter électoralement à ceux qui ont consenti à se taire face aux extrémistes les plus vociférants. | | | Bhama Luchuman | | | I am not against abortion but we should not only tackle the problem after it has already surfaced in people's life. The society should go to the root cause of the situation as well. Why we are constantly having such cases where a women is forced to go abortion. Mauritian mindset towards abortion is changing but should we not also change the mentality of those at the root cause of the situation as well? | | | Abhinash | | | This debate should be followed and applied for the betterment of woman. | | | Priya Lena | | | People who are in favour of legalising abortion, should understand that there must be limits to allowing women to have abortion as and when they wish. In case of rape, it can be understood. But not when teenages having early sex life, enjoying themselves, without any responsibilty of their action taken. The parents should be more on their guard. There are so many ways of having safe sex, with precaution so as to prevent pregnancy in the first place. Abortion should only be allowed in extreme cases. | | | Jincy Dolo | | | Religion and its leaders, should have no say in the abortion debate.For one they themselves are the biggest sinners.How many man of religion have been condemned for rape. The female should be the only one to decide what is best for her body if she is of age, and in the case of under age, the parents ,should have the final say. This being said I for one would not encourage or advise any one to have an abortion. It belongs to the individual.Not to mention that I will not throw stones to whose who advocate abortion. As Touria Prayag puts it, some "patients" have had to rib their nose in it, instead of attracting sympathy. Look like our judicial system and the police takes great pride to display these victims in public. They have not only aborted and suffered, they are in turn raped by he system. And all these in the name of religion.When will our leaders wake up to reality, seems they are too busy securing votes,and pleasing a few religious leaders.There will be more victims of backyard abortion until the government come up with at least some legislation to legalise abortion. Sodomy too is another issue, but this is another debate. | | | vishal | | | abortion must be legalised in mauritius as year by year the abortions numbers pratised in secret in booming! It's time to make a decision!!!!! | |
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