Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1313317
3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 NOVEMBER 2020 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Compassion, please THE old English phrase "Fine words butter no parsnips" comes to mind upon reading Joseph Azzopardi's latest letter (November 22). A missive of his published some weeks ago claimed that would be his last contribution on the subject of the immorality of abortion. Seems he is not quite able to let go of this particu- lar topic. And neither am I. What right does he have to say what a woman should do with her own body and her own life? How can he call himself pro-life, unless he is also doing everything possible so that men can become fathers to the children they co-create? How can he judge women for failing to use contraception, when he has no idea what their lives are really like? Who is he to throw that first stone, shaming and criminalising women for choosing not to give birth? Allowing the option of abortion in Malta does not impose that option on anyone except the woman herself. She is not a slave, she is not an incubator. Her self-ness should not be sacrificed at the altar of Azzopardi's or anyone else's morality. A claim that what he thinks is the only truth, may well lead to one that those with different views are lesser people. Pro-choice doctors such as myself will never impose our personal views on others. Would you rather see women who have had an abortion imprisoned for three years or would you rather support them? Com- passion, please. Prof. Isabel Stabile FRCOG., Ph.D. St Julian's Brussels riddles A tale of two resolutions. One Polish MEP's resolution on "deep concern about the state of media freedom" in the EU, which denounced violence and harassment of journalists, earned the accolades of all MEPs. The resolu- tion was adopted with 553 votes, and pointed out – I quote – "attempts by governments of some member states to silence critical and independent media and undermine media freedom and pluralism". MEPs said they were particularly concerned about the state of public service media in some EU countries, where they have become an "example of pro-government propa- ganda". As I understand, all Maltese MEPs voted in favour of this resolution, as so they should have done. Importantly, MEPs said they saw a "growing pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing journalists", citing the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Ku- ciak as examples. Perhaps even more crucially, they called on public figures to refrain from denigrating journalists, and insisted on the legal obligation to investigate all attacks. Then, on another resolution – this time on a decision by the Polish judges on an abortion ban – silence. In this case, only Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer voted in favour. Remarkable. Col- leagues Alfred Sant and Josianne Cuta- jar abstained, Alex Agius Saliba did not even vote. Disappointing. Nationalist MEPs David Casa and Roberta Metsola voted against. What is inexplicable is the fact that this resolution, which condemns the setback to women's sexual and repro- ductive rights in Poland, is related to a decision made by "judges who are elected by and are fully dependent on politicians from the ruling coalition led by the Law and Justice Party (PiS)"; with MEPs describing the ruling as "yet another example of the political take- over of the judiciary and the systemic collapse of the rule of law" in Poland. So it behoves one to ask MEPs, especially EPP members (PN) David Casa and Roberta Metsola, why their zeal for European values, their ded- ication for the causes that mandate transparent and meritocratic judi- cial appointments in Malta, are not extended to their EPP counterparts in Poland, and women in Poland? For in the resolution they chose not to sup- port – obviously because it concerns abortion – they refused to join MEPs calling to attention the fact the Polish Constitutional Tribunal's composition makes it unable to uphold the Polish Constitution. Why should abortion be such a convenient stumbling block, to apply consistency about one's actions at home, to similar situations in other EU member states? The mind boggles. Anthony Vella Birkirkara