"With only three weeks left to stop the imposition of Westminsters extreme abortion legislation, the political establishment has a moral obligation to safeguard the right to life" - Mullen
Welcoming the news that the leaders of the four main churches and the Irish Council of Churches have called for political parties to act now to stop an extreme abortion-on-demand regime, Aontú Councillor Denise Mullen stated:
"I strongly welcome the joint statement by church leaders upholding the right to life of preborn humans and their call for politicians to act to prevent the introduction of widespread state-endorsed ending of human life. It is important that everyone who upholds the universal human right to life, whether religious or not, makes known their opposition to chosen path of the political establishment in the north of Ireland.
"This joint statement shows a unity between church leaders on a fundamental matter of human rights. It is appalling, but not surprising that the political establishment is intent on allowing an abortion regime as extreme as, if not worse than, England's to take hold here. The fact that the majority of political parties here are content, overtly or tacitly, to allow Westminster to set the agenda in the area of abortion makes a mockery of the Good Friday Agreement and any supposed commitment to devolution.
"The unity between church leaders is contrasted by a strategic disunity within the political establishment. It is that strategic disunity that allows the parties of the establishment to beat their chests while challenges in relation to poverty, societal cohesion and economic justice and prosperity grow further out of control.
"Worst of all, due to the strategic disunity within the political establishment, innocent human beings will be stripped of all meaningful legal protections and have their lives ended as par for the course. It is morally incumbent on the political establishment to act to prevent such a horrific outcome. Time is running out.
"Sinn Féin's cap-in-hand approach towards Westminster, pleading for British abortion legislation in Ireland has been outrageous and will not be forgotten. The SDLP's decision to not support an Aontú motion in Derry and Strabane Council calling for Stormont to be reconvened to prevent the introduction of abortion-on-demand is shameful and goes against the wishes of many long-term SDLP supporters. The SDLP continues to try to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds and that is disingenuous.
"The DUP needs to decide whether it believes that rights for Irish language speakers and a respectful treatment of Irish is worse than safeguarding the lives of preborn humans. If the DUP really believe in safeguarding countless human lives, it would put whatever ill-feeling it has towards the Irish language aside to ensure that lives are not lost. The DUP has the power to stop abortion-on-demand at this late hour. But, the DUP's decision to prioritise culture wars over the right to life of the preborn speaks volumes about where that party's commitments lie."
