Abortion silences the voiceless before they can even speak. When a U.N. “expert” argued for the prenatal eradication of disabled children, a young woman with Down Syndrome refused to remain silent. Her life and words are a powerful testament to why every child deserves to live.
In a hearing before the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), Mr. Ben Achour, a UNHRC expert, testified that the right to life “does not mean that we have to accept to let a disabled fetus live.” Fumbling through his statement, he argued:
If you tell a woman your child has Down Syndrome or that he may have a handicap forever, for the rest of his life, it should be possible for her to resort to abortion to avoid the handicap a[s] a preventative measure.
Mr. Achour’s statements continue the UNHRC’s culture of death, are contrary to international law, and are nothing short of eugenics. Advocating the targeted killing of a select group of people is anathema to human rights: the right to life is not the right to kill. Sadly, this position is currently in vogue with liberal elites. As we’ve explained before, in Iceland, for example, not a single child detected with Down Syndrome has been born in the last decade: they have all been aborted.
In a short and scathing video, Charlotte Fien, a young woman with Down Syndrome, called out Mr. Achour.
I’m a human being just like you. Our only difference is an extra chromosome. My extra chromosome makes me far more tolerant than you sir. . . . If any other heritable traits like skin color were used to eradicate a group of people the world would cry out. Why are you not crying out when people like me are being made extinct? What have we done to make you want us to disappear? As far as I know my community doesn’t hate, discriminate or commit crimes. …
What you are suggesting is eugenics. It’s disgusting and evil. You need to apologize for your horrible comments. You should also be removed from the Human Rights Committee as an expert. You are not an expert about Down syndrome. You sir, do not speak for My community. … I will fight for our right to exist for the rest of my life.
The UNHRC should take Ms. Fien seriously before they decide to rid babies of their chance to grow up and live a full life. She, and countless others, are proof that the right to life is not a choice and certainly not one supposed U.N. “experts” are qualified to make.
Our European affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), was proud to sponsor Ms. Fien’s poignant testimony. She is a living testament to why we fight for the rights of the unborn; we fight to give a voice to the voiceless in the hopes that one day, like Ms. Fien, they can speak for themselves.
Yet, we do not stop there. Through the ECLJ, we just submitted detailed comments on the UNHRC’s proposed amendments to the rights of persons with disabilities. They have condemned the eugenic practices advocated by those like Mr. Achour, but they must go further. They must recognize that disabled persons have the same right to life and inherent dignity as any other person.
This is just our latest action in our continuing fight for the right to life at home and abroad. Through the ECLJ, we have exposed the UNHRC’s attempts to create a right to euthanasia, entered an oral intervention before the UNHRC on behalf of unborn children with Down Syndrome and filed a comment on the UNHRC’s proposed amendments to the international right to life.
These efforts have empowered the voices of those like Ms. Fien and have led to real change in the U.N. With your help, and your voice, we can continue to advocate for those who cannot yet speak for themselves so one day they can.
For the original article, visit aclj.org. {eoa}
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