BRUSSELS, September 16, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The refusal by Portuguese officials to allow the Dutch Women on Waves abortion boat access to their sovereign waters sparked heated debate in the European parliament Thursday, including bigoted anti-Catholic statements from a British member.
“Anything you do to those weaker, you do unto me,” Polish member of European parliament (MEP) Michal Tomasz Kaminski said, quoting from the Bible in support of Portugal’s refusal to allow the floating abortuary, the Borndiep, sanctuary. UK MEP Michael Cashman replied, “I see the fingers of the Vatican all over this. Women need no lectures from men in frocks telling them what they should do with their bodies. Please keep your religion out of our lives and please keep it out of politics.”“We feel the Portuguese government is entitled to refuse entry to a ship which would bring death,” Kaminski stated. He was strongly admonished by a socialist member of the EU for suggesting that “unborn children have a right to life.”“I find it sad that there are people in this House that want to imprison citizens and women in ignorance,” Cashman retorted.
Kathalijne Buitenweg, a Green Party member from the Netherlands said Portugal’s refusal to allow the Borndiep berth was “unacceptable.” Vasco Graca Moura, Portuguese MEP, said that the decision to allow or outlaw abortion is a national affair and of no concern to the EU. “This is a useless debate,” he said. EU Commissioner Margot Wallstrom, expressing a more moderate stance, said, “The commission intends to seek information on the precise motives and implications of the [Portugal] decision.” She said that member states can restrict freedom of movement of EU citizens if justified for reasons of security and public health. “The commission believes that any member state adopting a decision restricting the free movement of persons must respect fundamental rights, including the freedom of expression as general principles of (EU) community law,” she said. Read the related LifeSiteNews.com report: Abortion Boat Promises Return to Portugal for next Election in 2006 https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/sep/04091410.html tv