Interesting article from Nigeria

[ismnotwasm]

"Abortion: Between law and human rights

http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=12/27/2007&qrTitle=Abortion:%20Between%20law%20and%20human%20rights&qrColumn=FEATURES
• Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
Several reports by the World Health Organisations (WHO) have shown that Nigeria’s Maternal mortality rate is among the highest in the world. The statistics released about two years ago confirmed that six maternal deaths occurred per hour in Nigeria, 140 per day, 4,200 per month and 800 in every 100,000 live births. Of 550,000 annual global deaths, Nigeria, according to reports, accounted for 50,000.

Today, these figures have risen. For instance, a recent research carried out shows that of 100,000 births in Nigeria, about 1,500 maternal deaths occur. Of this figure, unsafe abortion arising from unwanted pregnancies account for a good percentage."


Ok. Here's the hypocrisy alert from later in the article;


"Investigations have, however, shown that before now, there was no body of law known as the abortion law in Nigeria. In other words, the abortion law, was a 19th century legalisation inherited from the colonial administrators.

But while the United Kingdom has severally reformed the law, Nigeria is still holding on to it even 47 years after independence.

The question now is: should the abortion law in Nigeria be outlawed in the spirit of respecting women’s human rights?

The religious leaders, especially those of the Islamic and Christian leanings say no. Most religious leaders and clerics preach against abortion, which they say, is tantamount to committing murder."


So, in a country where "illegal" abortions are practiced, causing many deaths, these church leaders, typically I'm sorry to say, can't see their opinions and this law also are "tantamount" to murder.

There is some good stuff in the article, like this comment

"According to Professor Oye-Adeniran, “until we start seeing the woman’s reproductive health as part of her human rights, these deaths (from unsafe abortion) will continue to occur.”

This, he stated, was because “every decision to make on the reproductive health of a woman should be entirely has.”

Right on Professor.