A Northern Irish Minister who compared abortion levels to the Holocaust has been criticized by pro-choice campaigners.
During an Assembly debate, DUP junior minister Jonathan Bell said the Western world has “destroyed more viable human life” than Hitler put through the gas chambers in World War II, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
Bell, who works for the office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister also asked for the “forgiveness of God” after MLA’s rejected attempts to outlaw private abortion clinics in Northern Ireland.
Abortion is currently illegal in Northern Ireland, unless a woman’s life is at risk. But medical abortions up to nine weeks are available at the Marie Stopes family private clinic in Belfast, which opened in October amid massive controversy.
Bell asked MLAs last Tuesday: “Is it not the case that we in the West should hang our heads in abject shame? We have to face the truth that, in the West, we have destroyed more viable human life than Hitler ever put into a gas chamber.”
He added: “May God forgive us for what we have done in this House today — the God who said he knew us and formed us in our mother's womb. I believe that those boys and girls who are in their mother's womb are being let down.”
Dr Audrey Simpson, director of the Family Planning Association in Northern Ireland criticized his choice of words.
“I think it is unfortunate that in Northern Ireland, unlike the other legislative structures in the rest of the country, we cannot have a debate without this offensive language.
“It is also disrespectful of women who have gone through this because of their own personal circumstances which may include rape, incest or because they have been told their pregnancy is not viable.”
Alliance for Choice group spokeswoman, Goretti Horgan said Bell’s comments have caused anger.
“I find it incredibly insulting to the tens of thousands of women from Northern Ireland who have had abortions, and for reasons which are ethical, and about their own specific family circumstances.
“It is particularly insulting also to those, and there are some from the Jewish tradition living in Northern Ireland who may have family who went through the Holocaust.
“To compare the suffering of people who went through the Holocaust, who were sentient, fully realised human beings, with women who are refusing life, not taking life but refusing it, is just incredible.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.awoken32 | Mar 20, 2013, 01:54 AM EDT
He is entiltled to his opinion,sure the irish holocaust was swept under the carpet an named to tis day as a potato famine for godsake
IrelandNorth | Mar 18, 2013, 06:33 AM EDT
Fetuscide is premature capital punishment. Responsible human sexuality would resolve this issue. It's not without irony that ordinarily opposing religionists within the counties of contention are singing from the same hymn sheet on the issue. The Lord works in mysterious ways indeed. The end of history and the last waltz.
Rita Joseph | Mar 17, 2013, 05:41 PM EDT
Many children, before as well as after birth,are tragically killed in car accidents. This would never justify the State's approval for the intentional killing of selected children in deliberately rigged car accidents. Deliberate procured abortion is a psuedo-medical procedure-a lethally abusive act of violence against a defenceless unborn child. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has "recognized" that all children are entitled to "legal protection before as well as after birth". Procured abortion constitutes arbitrary deprivation of life in breach of international human rights law, as established via the Nuremberg judgments and their codification in the International Bill of Rights. The Nazi abortion programme was condemned at Nuremberg as "a crime against humanity". Responding to Nazi atrocities, modern international human right law prohibited removal of human rights protection from any group of human beings. "...the unborn children were denied legal protection" (Nuremberg Trials Record). The right to be protected by law from arbitrary deprivation of one’s life is guaranteed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The drafting history of the ICCPR makes it clear that medicalized killing is always a violation of the fundamental human rights principle of inalienability. Human beings cannot be deprived of the substance of their rights, not in any circumstances, not even not even at the request of their mothers.
IrelandNorth | Mar 17, 2013, 04:17 PM EDT
He's entitled to his opinion. Northern Ireland may not be a Free State, but we all live in a free world where freedom of speech is still extant, (despite the apparent wishes of dogmatic atheists). Still births as natural abortions may be acts of God (whatever about acts of union). But should we play at being God? Political correctionists should stop emulating Spanish Inquisitors.
JeffPeel | Mar 17, 2013, 09:24 AM EDT
Mr Bell seems to have overlooked the fact that his God - that he firmly believes in - has aborted many more. 1 in 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage or natural abortion. So his God is the greatest abortionist of all. Something needs to be done about the fact that these dark age nutters - like Bell - are being elected to office. It's a damning indictment on Northern Ireland's democratic process.