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Sunday Nation's STEPHEN MBURU interviewed Dr Melanie Miyanji
on the contentious issue of abortion.
Question: What emotions hit you on hearing about the dumping of aborted foetuses?
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| Dr Melanie Miyanji |
Dr Melanie Miyanji: The most abhorrent incident was the extraction of life from mothers' wombs and dumping them in garbage bags to be disposed as trash. This sent shockwaves to the whole nation but not to the criminals themselves who murder and destroy all incriminating evidence by burning or dumping in rivers. Abortionists behave exactly like all other murderers.
What was more shocking, the disposal or the fact that abortions are taking place on such a scale?
Dr Miyanji: My anti-abortion stand is moral, religious and medical. Abortion is murder and murder is a crime. A sin. The sanctity of life is a God-given gift. We doctors trained to save, protect life in every instance and circumstance.
Continuous ongoing research is there to perfect our knowledge in treating, protecting and saving life. We all took an oath to protect and save life. There are no practical medical indications to the contrary. Abortion goes against our oath, the dignity of our profession and against God. Abortion is illegal in Kenya and there should be No exceptions.
To what extent do you think doctors who undertake abortions are motivated primarily by money?
We, doctors, are looked upon by patients and society at large for advice, comfort and guidance. If we do not give proper moral guidance it would not be in the interest of the patient but greed to enrich ourselves by immoral acts.
Have you ever performed abortions, how frequently?
I have never performed, advised or contemplated abortion and will never do so no matter what the circumstance. I am not a criminal.
Under what circumstance do you, or would you, perform an abortion?
Nobody has the right to commit murder be it abortion, infanticide, homicide or suicide.
To what extent do you think the right to abort or not is solely the decision of the individual carrying the baby?
Healthcare for women cannot be translated into allowing abortion. We are talking of healthcare not 'deathcare' or murder. No woman needs the right to murder her offspring. As a woman, mother and doctor, I don't see how the right to murder would please, help or satisfy me.
The Kenya Medical Association put forward pro-abortion proposals to the constitution review. One argument was that denying women access to safe abortions amounts to refusal to provide healthcare that only women need. Is it a gender issue?
Women's rights are human rights and those are instinctively to protect and bring up their offspring with love and care. Women who have had the misfortune of having an abortion performed on them live in misery, torment and are haunted by the fact that they did not give their children a right to life. Children who have heard of others being aborted live a life of insecurity and fear that their parents and doctors will kill them as they did to their siblings or other children.
Some say that if men were the ones to carry pregnancies, abortion would have been legalised ages ago. What is your opinion?
Human rights are the rights of the unborn; children, adults, men, women, the sick and the aged. The right to live.
Did the general outrage over the recent incident serve as a bonus for the pro-life lobby?
The recent atrocity is a wake up call for all to see what pro abortionists are up – greed for money and ill-gotten wealth.
Are there any specific instances where you think abortion should be allowed?
Abortion will throw our country into moral decadence. Life begins at conception and destroying it is murder.
Should this be the decision of the mother, the doctor or society at large?
Terminating a pregnancy to save a mother's life is a cover up for a doctors murderous act. Besides, a doctor cannot predict the outcome of a situation, and when a prediction is made it is more often than not proved wrong. God decides the outcome. The solution to a situation where a mother feels she cannot care for a baby is to have the baby adopted. A childless couple would welcome a baby that somebody else would want destroyed.
There are those who believe an Affiliation Act would make men more responsible in matters of reproduction and the whole question of abortion.
I believe that men should be involved in reproduction in the way that the only acceptable method is natural family planning and it takes both husband and wife to know and follow this method. Extra marital and premarital sex is immoral.
Pro-lifers inserted a 'life begins at conception' clause in the draft constitution. Does that then make abortion murder?
Life begins at conception. Of course, abortion is murder. We cannot murder one to save another, in the case when a mother's life is at risk.
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| Dr Nzau-Ombaka |
Pro-choice advocates, as Dr Nzau-Ombaka, accuse pro-lifers of being hypocrites. As people who are not bold enough to face the reality and find a solution to the problem. What is your reaction?
The solution to a woman's, or couple's problem, if not ready to look after the baby, is to give it up for adoption. Many childless couples would be delighted to have a baby which others do not want.
Dr Nzau-Ombaka suspects the foetuses dumped on Mombasa Road could have been the work of pro-lifers in an effort to drive their anti-abortion campaign home. What would you say?
I think leaving the foetuses near the river was an attempt to expose what goes on. At least now action can be taken against criminals.
She also argues that legalising abortion would greatly help reduce maternal mortality rate in the country.
I do not agree with the argument. Often mothers die in the procedure. It is not acceptable to legalise the killing of babies to reduce maternal deaths. This makes no sense.
Why would pro-lifers, in particular the Catholic Church, spend a lot of money on wreaths and coffins to bury the foetuses, instead of using such resources to help the many living and destitute children?
Giving the foetuses a decent dignified burial is what we human beings deserve. Money spent on that is worth it.
Does a foetus have a constitutional right?
Rights of the unborn are rights of living human beings.
What is your strongest message to 'pro-choicers'?
We need to emphasise and preach morals to our people which will make our country a better place for everybody including those who have been led astray.
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