MALAWI: Health Parliamentary Committee worries Catholic Bishops, Religious bodies
By Luke Bisani.
The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) and other religious bodies namely, Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), Muslim Association of Malawi, and Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi have expressed worry over Parliamentary Committee on Health’s proposal to push for the amendment of abortion law.
According to the religious bodies in Malawi, the proposed amendment of abortion law is “immoral and sinful” because it goes contrary to God’s Commandment of treating life as sacred.
In statement released on Monday, 14th September this week, that has been signed by ECM and other religious bodies leaders has faulted the proposal to legalize abortion in the country arguing that, no institution including Parliament, Courts and the Executive arm of government has mandate of terminating life except God.
“Human Life is a fundamental value because God created them (Gen.1:27). The Islamic faith on the other hand believes that Allah created mankind for a purpose. Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority (Qur’an 2:30)” reads part of the statement.
The religious bodies in the country citing Jeremiah 1:5, have called citizens to treat life as sacred, protect and preserve with extreme care from conception. The mother bodies of religion have further urged the Malawian citizenry to continue protecting life of Children including life of unborn child as stipulated on Section 13, 22 [1], 33 of the Republican Constitution.
Faith leaders of religious mother bodies have then appealed to the people of Malawi to petition their Members of Parliament (MPs) not to approve the bill that has been described as “genocide” to unborn babies.
This is the second time for the proposed controversial amendment of Abortion Law through Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has tried to find its way to parliament for its approval.
The CSOs have been calling termination of pregnancy be at the mercy of the women arguing majoring of them are dying due to unsafe abortion.
However, faith leaders in the country shot down the proposal through national wide protests on 6th December, 2016 under the them “March for Life and Family”.
Abortion law in Malawi gives exceptional to termination of pregnancy when life of the mother is in danger and forbids procuring of abortion at the will of women and girls.
