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Aborting Muslims from society

By Taya Fabijanic - posted Thursday, 16 February 2006


But what is most dangerous about Mrs Vale’s remark is that she not only thinks other Australians have the same fears of losing a white Australia, but also that the Liberal Party will accommodate her remarks. And so far they have.

Peter Costello said in 2004 that Australian mothers need to have more children, if we are to maintain our way of life. Danna Vale has just exposed, or maybe tainted (I hope tainted), one extrapolation of this argument.

If we are to encourage Australian mothers to have more children, we need to stop hindrances to childbirth rates. That includes another abortion drug. Then we can maintain an Australian lifestyle that maintains liberty, equality and a Christian life.

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The current political debate is about the power government should have on controlling our civil liberties. It should not be an argument that exploits people who suffer civil inequalities because of their religion.

The debate on RU486 concentrates on whether government should have a special power to make decisions on drugs that have moral and or social consequences. Or whether it is safe to leave such social decisions to the Therapeutic Drugs Administration.

The debate should encompass how an abortion drug can impact on all kinds of Australian women. From women in remote Australia, to single women, to teenagers, to migrant women, Indigenous women, women without close relatives, women with mental disabilities, non-English speaking women, working women and to stay-at-home women.

It is a debate that needs to make sure that information and services are available to all these kinds of women to make sure they are comfortable making the decision on whether to choose an abortion, and if so, in what capacity.

These are issues that could impinge on the lives of roughly half of Australia.

And this debate will also be a precedent on the amount of power the Howard Government wishes to yield in controlling our civil liberties. For it has shown how much political power the government wishes to use on a power any woman can yield, the power to control life.

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But this debate is not about the so-called birthing habits of a particular group of women. To conflate these two issues is not only a confirmation of the senseless racism towards Muslims. It obscures a debate that will shape the social liberties for all.

God forbid Mrs Vale will utter further incredible remarks.

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About the Author

Taya Fabijanic is a freelance journalist. She recently completed a Masters paper on the media representation of nation building in Afghanistan.

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