How Abortion and Afghanistan Bring Out the Best and Worst in US #westandwithafghanwomen

Abortion has snatched center stage on media outlets across the United States of America. As usual, the Far Left and Far Right fling themselves at each other on social media, outshouting any rational debate.

Having birthed 3 of my own children, I know for myself that life begins before birth. Cognizance begins before birth. Sentience begins before birth.

I grew up in an evangelical background. Never will I forget when I was 13, a 16-yea- old girl treated the congregation to a huge scandal when she became an unwed pregnant teenager. Naturally, the women established with her immediately that abortion was murder, a great sin, and “Julie” quickly assured them that she was having her baby. Satisfied that was settled, the women turned to shunning Julie and would not even let her sister give her a baby shower at the church. “Julie” tired of being snubbed and left the church to raise her baby in a healthier environment.

At 13, I formed my opinions of women and abortion, and over 30 years later, they remain unchanged.

Around the world, throughout the ages, women usually react to news of their pregnancy with surprise, worry, excitement, and anticipation. In these times, if a woman expresses that she does not want to have her baby and wants to terminate it, this should be taken as a sign from the Divines that her maternal instincts need stimulating and maybe Nature is signaling that she should not reproduce at all — raising healthy humans involves compassion and nurturing.

I have taken more than one friend to have an abortion and have cared for them after. However, I strongly condemn substituting abortion as a means of contraception, and even more so as a political distraction from femicide and infanticide in Afghanistan. Self-proclaimed feminists in government positions and media networks on both sides of the debate are well aware of the femicide and infanticide over the past 9 months in Afghanistan, and they have either completely ignored the suffering of other women or have grudgingly coughed and sneezed a few sentences of solidarity.

Dear Western Feminists, why is it so appealing to fight for Abortion Rights but not utter a peep for Reproduction and Nurturing Rights and Women’s Rights? #supportNRF and #StandWithNRF to #StopHazaraGenocide and #StopTajikGenocide