A chara, – Colm O'Gorman of Amnesty International says I and others are incorrect in our interpretation when we say there exists no right under international law to an abortion (April 20th). It is odd that he does not actually quote any of the UN human rights treaties that he claims support his position. Perhaps that is because his argument consists of nothing more substantial than heavy-duty spin. He says, for example, that the rights to privacy and healthcare add up to a right to an abortion. That may be his interpretation, and that of those who share his views, but the texts contain nothing so explicit.
He also says that various UN bodies support his position. But I note that only this week Juan Mendez, the UN special rapporteur on torture, was trying to argue that states that do not allow abortion are in breach of the UN Convention Against Torture. It requires quite a bit of imagination to argue that an anti-torture treaty equates to a pro-abortion agreement.
The fact that those who are ideologically in favour of abortion feel obliged to go to such creative lengths to make their case demonstrates quite conclusively that they can produce no clear-cut piece of international law to support their agenda.
Mr O’Gorman says it is “untrue and absurd” to say that he and his organisation promote abortion on personal and ideological grounds.
However, given they seek to deny an actual human right to the vulnerable unborn child, the right to life, in favour of an invented right, the right to an abortion, it is difficult to come to any other conclusion.– Is mise,
Rev PATRICK G BURKE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.