Traditional Tribal Killing Of Disabled Babies Should Be Respected, Says Anthropology Professor
Sound of Trumpet
Anthropology Professor says Tribal Killing of Disabled Babies Should
be Respected
LifeSiteNews ^ | 7/4/07 | Elizabeth O'Brien
Posted on 07/04/2007 1:43:16 PM PDT by wagglebee
BRASILIA, July 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Brazilian university
professor claimed that the practice of infanticide by indigenous
tribes should be respected as a cultural practice, the Telegraph
reports.
Dr. Erwin Frank, an anthropology professor at the Federal University
of Roraima, Brazil, is quoted in the Telegraph as having defended the
violent practice, saying, "This is their way of life and we should not
judge them on the basis of our values. The difference between the
cultures should be respected."
Certain tribes believe that some babies are "cursed" and therefore do
not have souls. Such children include those with physical
disabilities, females (or any children of an undesired gender), babies
born to unwed mothers, twins or triplets. These "cursed" children are
sometimes smothered by leaves, poisoned, buried alive by parents or
simply left to die of exposure.
Dr. Marcos Pelegrinia, a doctor working in the Yanomami tribe
district, stated that 98 children were killed by their mothers in
2004, the Telegraph reports.
The non-profit anti-infanticide campaign group Atini, also known as
"Voice for Life", noted, however, that the exact number of annual
infanticides cannot be pinpointed. Official agencies do not step in
and stop the abuse for fear of meddling in local customs. As a result,
the deaths of many babies are officially recorded as death by
"malnutrition" or "undetermined causes."
The Brazilian couple that founded Atini, Marcia and Edson Suzuki,
worked for over 20 years with the Suruwahara Indians in the Amazon
Basin of Brazil. Mr. Suzuki described their mission, saying, "We are
fighting against doctors and anthropologists who say we must not
interfere with the culture of the people."
Referring to those who defend infanticide as part of a cultural
tradition, Marcia Suzuki states on the Atini blog, "We respect the
cultures and the differences, but above all we respect the human
beings with no distinction."
At present, a new law that would abolish infanticide, called Muwaji's
law, is being debated in the Brazilian Congress, states the Telegraph.
The law is based upon the fundamental right to life that is sanctioned
in both The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Brazilian
Federal Consitution.
In an address to the President and Brazilian Congress this March, Mr.
Henry Afonso defended the law, saying, "The practice of infanticide is
not justified, however much anthropologists wish to defend tradition
and cultural practices of certain peoples. The number of sacrificed
children per year in this country is far from few; victims of a
cultural practice that many times is more important than the most
fundamental human instinct: Preserving life itself."
Read story by the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06...
Read full address to the Brazilian Congress on Muwaji's law:
http://voiceforlife.blogspot.com/2007/05/muwaji-honoured-in-...
Voice for Life blog:
http://voiceforlifewhoweare.blogspot.com/
Mark K. Bilbo
> Anth-
HO! <WHACK>
--
Mark K. Bilbo a.a. #1423
EAC Department of Linguistic Subversion
------------------------------------------------------------
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace
alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing
it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
- H. L. Mencken
Cary Kittrell
> On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:44:14 -0700, Sound of Trumpet wrote:
>
> > Anth-
>
> HO! <WHACK>
Whoa! Good shot!
And not a second too soon, either. If he gotten to another
vowel, there'd have been no stopping him.
-- cary
Mark K. Bilbo
Yah gotta nip these things in the bud...
BAM
"Sound of Trumpet" <soundof...@mailcan.com> wrote in message
news:1183729454.1...@w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1860904/posts
>
>
> Anthropology Professor says Tribal Killing of Disabled Babies Should
> be Respected
>
> LifeSiteNews ^ | 7/4/07 | Elizabeth O'Brien
>
>
> Posted on 07/04/2007 1:43:16 PM PDT by wagglebee
>
>
>
> BRASILIA, July 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Brazilian university
> professor claimed that the practice of infanticide by indigenous
> tribes should be respected as a cultural practice, the Telegraph
> reports.
What a nobleman!
BAM