Abortion in Islam

AHMET HAKAN

Hayrettin Hodja has given the fatwa.

He has said: Abortion is “haram” in Islam.

Agreed!

OK!

According to Islam, abortion is unlawful.

In this case, let’s ask:

Is everybody in Turkey being forced into practicing this “haram?”

Let’s ask again:

Are there any obstacles in Turkey before those who want to live their lives free of this “haram?”

Let’s ask again:

Is abortion implemented on women by force in this country?

Let’s ask again:

In Turkey, any individual who wishes to, can he or she avoid an abortion?

Let’s ask again:

Is there an obstacle before a person who says, “I don’t want an abortion?”

Well, then…

What is the matter? What is the problem?

The problem is this:

Those who avoid an abortion in their private lives want this preference of theirs to be applied to everyone.

What they want is for everybody to live like them, for everybody to act like them, for everybody to believe like them, for everybody to interpret things like them and for everybody to become like them.

Attention!

They do not desire or wish that. Instead, what do they do?

They want to implement it by making laws, by unveiling bans;

In other words, by force;

What is the meaning of this?

It is this:

Once upon a time, there were people who, whenever they opened their mouths, the only sentence that came out was, “Everybody must live the way they believe and the way they want.” But now they have started saying, “Everybody must live like us.”

So?

For them, it is not sufficient anymore that they live as they wish and as they believe;

They also want to intervene in other people’s lives.

Of course, completely forgetting how upset they used to get when, once upon a time, their own lives were interfered with.

But, votes are increasing

- We say, “Uludere should not be closed.” They say: “But votes are increasing.”

- We say: “A ‘one-man cult’ was formed at the stadium congress.” They say: “But votes are increasing.”

- We say: “The abortion debate is unnecessary.” They say: “But votes are increasing.”

- We say: “What will happen on the İdris Naim Şahin issue?” They say: “But votes are increasing.”

- We say: “Is there such a thing as firing people by text message?” They say: “But votes are increasing.”

- We say: “It was not pleasant to insult journalists by calling them collar-wearing.” They say: “But votes are increasing.”

Correct, the votes are increasing.

As a matter of fact, nobody is saying any of this: Votes are decreasing, Kemal Bey is coming, tenders are slipping out of hand, strongholds are being lost and our people are extremely concerned.

What is being said is this:

Votes are increasing but some things are decreasing awfully.

Do not forget:

Those things that are decreasing do have a value too;

If not in this world, in another world.

Those who remembered abortion when Erdoğan spoke

You, Mr. Minister, who said you were against abortion;

You, Ms. Deputy, who cried that “abortion is murder;”

You, the expert medical doctor, who started a war against abortion;

You, the religious expert, who wrote that abortions were “haram;”

Since you were against abortion;

Since you considered abortion to be a disaster;

Since you believed that the topic of abortion should have been discussed in the Cabinet immediately;

Since you were so keen on planting the flag of the anti-abortionist at the very peak;

Since you were apt, to this extent, to explain the religious rules on the topic of abortion;

I now ask you:

Where were you before PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan brought up the subject?

Rape children

The minister has come out and said: “The state will take care of those children.”

The deputy – can he ever stop himself? – also said this:

“Raped women should also give birth.”

Two aspects of these words made me very uncomfortable:

First: I have noticed the mercilessness in both sentences against a woman who has been subjected to a terrifying crime such as rape. There is a tone that lacks any kind of affection. Some kind of an implication as, “What can’t be cured must be endured. What else can be done? She should then give birth.”

Second: In both sentences, I have noticed that the child that has been conceived as a result of rape is being referred to as if it were a chicken. It is an extraordinary insensitivity about what kind of a world that child would have.

Ahmet Hakan is a columnist for daily Hürriyet in which this piece was published June 1. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.

AHMET HAKAN - ahakan@hurriyet.com.tr