Namibia: Anti-abortion petition picks up steam
A PRO-LIFE movement sparked by a recent surge in calls to legalise abortion in Namibia is picking up steam through a petition which by Friday morning had garnered over 9 000 signatures.
The online petition, which is being championed under the name Pro-Life Namibia, is calling for the rejection of these calls to legalise abortion. It was started one week ago, on the heels of another petition calling for the legalisation of abortion in the country.
“We are not allowing the evil of legalising of abortion to look good under the system of human rights [and] we will no longer keep silence, as it will be a sign of rejecting the biblical form of life-giving through birth,” the petition states.
Furthermore, the petition asserts that keeping silence means giving “God the approval to bring the wrath upon this nation of Namibia because of our unrighteous actions” and that those signing it “say no to Planned Parenthood abortion facilities”.
The petition is addressed to the Namibian government, the prime minister, the Churches Council of Namibia and the first lady of Namibia.
It argues that Namibia is a broken society with problems such as single mother households, absentee fathers and an unstabilised community of young people. It claims this “brokenness” as the reason for Namibia's young people following trends of the world, such as abortion.
“Let us use the opportunity now to educate and discuss with our young daughters at home what 'Pro-Life' means,” it states.
Of the more than 9 000 people that have signed the petition so far, some have provided reasons for their signing. Many of these reasons are premised on moral and religious grounds.
“I am signing this petition because I do not believe that killing one is a way of solving another person's problems,” wrote Pandu Andjamba.
“I'm signing this petition because life comes from God and he is the only one that has the power to take it. No human being has the power to decide who should live or die,” wrote Madeleine Maasdorp.
Other reasons included sentiments that every life matters, abortion is murder and that the act is a violation of the right to life.
A motion on legalising abortion was tabled in the National Assembly by the deputy minister of health, Esther Muinjangue, on Thursday. With the tabling, Muinjangue said she wanted the assembly to debate and discuss the issue of abortion and reach a decision that would benefit not only women but the Namibian nation as a whole.
This article originally appeared on The Namibian
Photo: Pixabay