BBC Program Highlights The Double Standards And Hypocrisy Regarding “The Sanctity Of Human Life”
by William Hanna, 17 October 2017.
“Mankind
Owes To The Child The Best That It Has To Give”
Owes To The Child The Best That It Has To Give”
Geneva
Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1924
Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1924
BBC Television’s broadcast of its program ABORTION
ON TRIAL highlighted the gaping chasm between what many of us
hypocritically like to think we believe, and what we actually practice. To
begin with, this writer prefers the term “pregnancy termination” because it
implies that the procedure is one of choice and the inalienable right of every
woman as set out in Amnesty International’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights
for Women:
ON TRIAL highlighted the gaping chasm between what many of us
hypocritically like to think we believe, and what we actually practice. To
begin with, this writer prefers the term “pregnancy termination” because it
implies that the procedure is one of choice and the inalienable right of every
woman as set out in Amnesty International’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights
for Women:
*Make decisions about our own health, body,
sexual life and identity without fear of coercion or criminalisation.
sexual life and identity without fear of coercion or criminalisation.
*Seek and receive information about
sexuality and reproduction and access related health services and
contraception.
sexuality and reproduction and access related health services and
contraception.
*Have access to comprehensive education on
human sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, human rights and gender
equality.
human sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, human rights and gender
equality.
*Decide whether and when to have children,
and how many to have.
and how many to have.
*Access safe abortion services in cases of
rape, incest, when the life or health of the pregnant woman is at risk, or when
there is severe or fatal foetal impairment.
rape, incest, when the life or health of the pregnant woman is at risk, or when
there is severe or fatal foetal impairment.
*Choose our intimate partner, whether and
when to marry and what type of family to create.
when to marry and what type of family to create.
*Live free from discrimination, coercion
and violence, including rape and other sexual violence, female genital
mutilation/cutting, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilisation and
forced marriage.
and violence, including rape and other sexual violence, female genital
mutilation/cutting, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilisation and
forced marriage.
Apart from the denial of the above rights to
hundreds of millions of women that according to a UNICEF report (http://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/female-genital-mutilation-and-cutting/)
also includes at least 200
million girls and women alive today who have been victims of ritual genital
mutilation, there is also the question of our very high regard for the
“Sanctity of Human Life” — which despite pompous proclamations and pious
preaching — all major religions have at varying times throughout history
barbarously disregarded. Such disregard is for example currently being
displayed even by peace-loving Buddhists in Myanmar (Burma)
hundreds of millions of women that according to a UNICEF report (http://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/female-genital-mutilation-and-cutting/)
also includes at least 200
million girls and women alive today who have been victims of ritual genital
mutilation, there is also the question of our very high regard for the
“Sanctity of Human Life” — which despite pompous proclamations and pious
preaching — all major religions have at varying times throughout history
barbarously disregarded. Such disregard is for example currently being
displayed even by peace-loving Buddhists in Myanmar (Burma)
“Buddhists develop inner peace, kindness
and wisdom through their daily practice; and then share their experience with
others bringing real benefit to this world. They try not to harm others and to
live peacefully and gently, working towards the ultimate goal of pure and
lasting happiness for all living beings.”
and wisdom through their daily practice; and then share their experience with
others bringing real benefit to this world. They try not to harm others and to
live peacefully and gently, working towards the ultimate goal of pure and
lasting happiness for all living beings.”
About Buddhism
In the meantime while we who so ardently
respect human life tolerate what is happening in Myanmar, Israel — whose establishment
as a Jewish state to prevent another Holocaust was achieved by the ethnic
cleansing of the indigenous Palestinian people — has refused to cease supplying
weapons to the Myanmar military dictatorship. One Israeli human rights activist
claimed that “Successive Israeli governments have been selling arms to the
military dictatorship in Burma for years . . . This policy is strongly related
to Israel’s oppression and dispossession of the Palestinian people. Weapons
used against the Palestinians are being sold as ‘field-tested’ to some of the
worst regimes on the planet.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-burma-stop-selling-arms-burma-rohingya-muslims-ethnic-cleansing-weapons-myanmar-army-military-a7969291.html)
respect human life tolerate what is happening in Myanmar, Israel — whose establishment
as a Jewish state to prevent another Holocaust was achieved by the ethnic
cleansing of the indigenous Palestinian people — has refused to cease supplying
weapons to the Myanmar military dictatorship. One Israeli human rights activist
claimed that “Successive Israeli governments have been selling arms to the
military dictatorship in Burma for years . . . This policy is strongly related
to Israel’s oppression and dispossession of the Palestinian people. Weapons
used against the Palestinians are being sold as ‘field-tested’ to some of the
worst regimes on the planet.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-burma-stop-selling-arms-burma-rohingya-muslims-ethnic-cleansing-weapons-myanmar-army-military-a7969291.html)
Even we in the “civilised” West have been
complicit through both toleration and participation in the war crimes against
humanity which the U.S., now led by an illiterate and insane psychopath, has
been, and still is perpetrating against the many nations who in any way resist
its agenda for global domination which in the Middle East alone — and not
counting the numerous military interventions in Africa, Asia, and South America
— has cost millions of lives.
(https://www.globalresearch.ca/americas-war-for-global-domination-the-roadmap-of-conquest/5578157)
complicit through both toleration and participation in the war crimes against
humanity which the U.S., now led by an illiterate and insane psychopath, has
been, and still is perpetrating against the many nations who in any way resist
its agenda for global domination which in the Middle East alone — and not
counting the numerous military interventions in Africa, Asia, and South America
— has cost millions of lives.
(https://www.globalresearch.ca/americas-war-for-global-domination-the-roadmap-of-conquest/5578157)
Furthermore the hysterical activism by those opposed to pregnancy termination
on the grounds of respect for the sanctity of “the unborn child” appears to be
at least misguided if not outrageously hypocritical when considered against the
reality that according to one children’s rights organisation “Almost 9 million
of under-5 children die each year, which means that a child dies every 4
seconds or 22,000 per day in the world.” In 1960 alone, the number of child
deaths exceeded the Holocaust death toll by more than three times. Yet because
there is no “child mortality industry” similar to the “Holocaust industry” with
its constant reminders, awareness of and concern for the plight of children
receives relatively little if any attention. Though child mortality has been
gradually declining, it is still at an unacceptable level and should be of
great concern to all those anti-abortion activists, some of whom incidentally
have resorted to violence. (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/29/planned-parenthood-colorado-springs-shooting-no-more-baby-parts)
on the grounds of respect for the sanctity of “the unborn child” appears to be
at least misguided if not outrageously hypocritical when considered against the
reality that according to one children’s rights organisation “Almost 9 million
of under-5 children die each year, which means that a child dies every 4
seconds or 22,000 per day in the world.” In 1960 alone, the number of child
deaths exceeded the Holocaust death toll by more than three times. Yet because
there is no “child mortality industry” similar to the “Holocaust industry” with
its constant reminders, awareness of and concern for the plight of children
receives relatively little if any attention. Though child mortality has been
gradually declining, it is still at an unacceptable level and should be of
great concern to all those anti-abortion activists, some of whom incidentally
have resorted to violence. (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/29/planned-parenthood-colorado-springs-shooting-no-more-baby-parts)
Child mortality rates: 1960: 18’900’000
1970: 17’400’000
1980: 14’700’000
1990: 12’700’000
2000: 12’400’000
There is for example no outcry by
anti-abortion activists over India’s cultural preference for a male rather than
female offspring which encouraged foeticide with the result that an estimated
60 million females have gone missing over the past century. (https://jezebel.com/where-are-indias-60-million-missing-girls-the-tragic-1091500375)
anti-abortion activists over India’s cultural preference for a male rather than
female offspring which encouraged foeticide with the result that an estimated
60 million females have gone missing over the past century. (https://jezebel.com/where-are-indias-60-million-missing-girls-the-tragic-1091500375)
And finally, let all those of us who are
righteously civilised and infinitely humane charge our glasses, raise them
high, and loudly toast our unimpeachable respect and support for “The Sanctity
of Human Life.”
righteously civilised and infinitely humane charge our glasses, raise them
high, and loudly toast our unimpeachable respect and support for “The Sanctity
of Human Life.”
William
Hanna is a freelance
writer with published books the Hiramic Brotherhood of the Third Temple, The
Tragedy of Palestine and its Children, and Hiramic Brotherhood:
Ezekiel’s Temple Prophesy which is also due to be published in Arabic, Chinese,
French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Book
and purchase information, sample chapters, reviews, other articles, videos, and
contact details at:
Hanna is a freelance
writer with published books the Hiramic Brotherhood of the Third Temple, The
Tragedy of Palestine and its Children, and Hiramic Brotherhood:
Ezekiel’s Temple Prophesy which is also due to be published in Arabic, Chinese,
French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Book
and purchase information, sample chapters, reviews, other articles, videos, and
contact details at:
