Fighting for Life in Africa
LONDON, England (Catholic Online) - I remember
when I was about 10 years old being overwhelmed
with a sense of deep shame when I first heard my
grandmother's stories about some traditional practices
during her childhood in the 1920's and before the
missionaries came to our part of Africa.
Don't get me wrong, I am proud of my cultural
heritage which is indeed multi-faceted, rich and profound in many ways, but deep within the traditional practices of my
ancestors were some really dark patches that hearing about them even at the tender age of 10, I could classify these
particular practices as primitive, inhumane, incompatible with civilized society.
Thankfully, for almost a century now, there has been a new era ushered in with the heralds of the Gospel. For
while the beautiful bulk of our cultural heritage has been preserved, my country (Nigeria) has worked hard to eradicate
completely through laws and societal codes, the dark elements within it that hurt and harmed men, women and children in
the centuries past.
So today, my people bask in both the wonderful splendor of culture and the powerful illumination of faith.
Knowing what we know, there is no way we could ever go back to the shadows. So today, in my country we understand
that it is indeed evil to kill another human being, old or young, rich or poor, born or unborn.
To kill is evil, but to kill and cut open another human being to take their organs...now, this is an abomination. It is
the most horrific abomination from the deepest, darkest abyss where the very worst elements of the past have been
relegated.
In fact, I never imagined that in my 21st century "modern" era I will ever re-live my grandmother's 1920's stories
of killing of newborn twin babies and primitive native "medicine men" (known in my Igbo language as dibia) who in
order to "consult with the gods" would demand animal (and sometimes human) hearts, livers and lungs. These were
figments of a dark and hidden past of an African tribe and so never did I imagine that I will encounter them in this modern
day and age.
But here I am living in Europe where Abortion is raised and praised as a woman's "right to choose". And here I
am listening to the horrific words rolling off the tongue of an American abortionist who casually talked about harvesting
human hearts, livers and lungs from tender unborn babies. Barbarism now parades in broad day light. And in the light, it
looms ugly and unsightly.
Planned parenthood, the main organization implicated in a series of exposés, claim that their abortionists have
done nothing wrong despite the fact that they have been caught on camera talking about their repulsive work.
The abominable evil practices that my grandparents' generation fought and buried almost a century ago in Africa,
have somehow made it out and re-emerged in the whitewashed corridors of the western world . Still every bit as repulsive
and still every inch as recognizable but now couched in very soft and sophisticated language like "choice", "women's
health", "sexual rights" and "tissue donation program".
Barbarism now wears a beautiful robe and so can roam freely among the civilized with the help of organizations
like Planned Parenthood Federation.
The question is, can a society that is shackled by the
chains of political correctness dare to do what my "uneducated"
ancestors have done in Africa? Can we subdue and bury the
barbaric? Can we even dare to draw a line in the sand to stop an
organization which is a giant in its own rights? The first thing to
do is to defund Planned Parenthood in all their alter-egos .
Yes, Planned Parenthood has multiple forms and alteregos and is able to shape-shift at will. They are a shape-shifting
giant with many heads and hands.
Their main hub and heart is the International Planned
Parenthood Federation which has been able to extend its reach to
172 countries around the world. What is more disturbing is that
wherever they are, they are still running on the same core values
and still with the same vision and mission in mind as the Planned
Parenthood of America.
For instance their African alter-ego (International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region- IPPFAR) is
working actively in 42 African countries (regardless of the fact that most of these African countries consider abortion as a
moral depravity).
However , in their own words IPPAFAR are involved in "comprehensive" abortion care activities in 21 subSaharan Africa countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroun, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Guinea Conakry,
Zambia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Malawi, Swaziland, Benin, Uganda, Senegal and
Democratic Republic of Congo.
And according to their own website, they target rural, urban and peri-urban women and girls from low income
and the marginalized groups, as well as college/university students.
One cannot help but wonder whether their "comprehensive abortion care" services in all these countries would
include the harvesting of tiny little hearts, livers and lungs for profit.
Planned Parenthood has made inroads not only in the American society but also around the globe. And their reach
is unbelievable extensive because they are constantly powered and well-funded, notably not by our African governments
but rather by American and European governments.
Is this really the legacy that the Americans and Europeans want to leave in the developing world? Is this not a real
hindrance and obstruction to the work of development in Africa for instance?
My appeal today is that when Planned Parenthood is defunded in the USA (as I hope they will be), all their
international operations should also be defunded or better still completely
inactivated.
Because there is something truly inhumane about killing and harvesting organs
from unborn babies. And for an organization to be empowered to do that
globally on the force of funding provided by your country should be
unthinkable and unacceptable.
The world will thank you for not supporting the work of Planned
Parenthood on their soil.
So I humbly beg you dear American legislators to do what my
ancestors courageously did in Africa at the beginning of last century - bury
every single barbaric and inhumane practice together with the deceptive
language that strengthens, shrouds and shields it. Defend human life and
human dignity today around the world by defunding Planned Parenthood in all
its alter-egos and incarnations.
---Obianuju Ekeocha is an African woman, living and working in the United Kingdom as a Specialist Biomedical Scientist. She is also the founder of
Culture of Life Africa, an initiative dedicated to the promotion of a Culture of Life in Africa through the dissemination of good information,
sensitization and education. She has written several articles including the "Open Letter to Melinda Gates" and "Africa in the redefined world (An
Open Letter to President Obama)" Her passion and privilege is to continue to work in defense of the sanctity and dignity of life within Culture. Her
twitter handle is @obianuju
Let Us Pray
God of Mercy and Love we place our Families before You today. May we be proud of our history and
never forget those who paid a great price for our liberation.
Bless us one by one and keep our hearts and minds fixed on higher ground. Help us to live for you and
not for ourselves, and may we cherish and proclaim the gift of life. Bless our parents, guardians and
grandparents, relatives and friends.
Give us the amazing grace to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Help us, as Your
children, to live in such a way that the beauty and greatness of authentic love is reflected in all that we say and
do.
Give a healing anointing to those less fortunate, especially the motherless, the fatherless, the broken,
the sick and the lonely. Bless our departed family members and friends. May they be led into the light of Your
dwelling place where we will never grow old, where we will share the fullness of redemption and shout the
victory for all eternity.
This we ask in the Precious Name of Jesus, our Savior and Blessed Assurance. Amen.
Holy Mary, Mother of Our Families, pray for us.