Mary KennyOne of the most salient aspects of the troubling recent case in which a woman was given a Caesarean section at 25 weeks pregnancy (after she sought a late abortion for suicidal feelings) was the report that the woman herself had said she might be “killed” for being pregnant.
At the time of writing, we do not have full details about this situation. We know that the young woman is from overseas. It is understood that she may have been raped. As she has legal problems with entering Britain, it seems possible that she has no papers, or that she is an asylum seeker whose request has been turned down by the UK. We do not know why she apparently expressed the fear that “I will be murdered”.
However, moving from the particular to the general, it is a certain fact that young women in certain Islamic communities in Britain have been subjected to “honour killings” by their own families if they are judged to have behaved indecorously in any way – that might mean disobeying their father, dating a young man deemed unacceptable.
As for pregnancy outside of marriage: it is a well-founded fear that some young women might be very severely punished, if not killed, in certain immigrant communities. The pro-life organisation Life in Britain has given shelter, and even a secret hiding-place, to Asian young women who have become pregnant out of wedlock, and are terrified of their families.
This should be a feminist cause – as well as a humane one – and surely any young woman who says she fears being “murdered” when pregnant should first be afforded shelter, support and assistance during her pregnancy?
Certainly, as many experts have testified, abortion is no remedy for suicidal feelings: quite the contrary, it is more likely to induce suicidal feelings.
Quite rightly, there has been immense focus on how this case was treated: the obstetrician Dr Sean O’Domhnaill has expressed grave concerns about the outcome for the child, and Bishop Kevin Doran has called the early delivery of the baby “unethical” – although it must also come under the heading of the lesser of two evils.
Yet there should also be some examination of the woman’s background and circumstances; and if she was in fear of an “honour killing” – she seems to have been in fear of some killing – then that should be in the foreground of the story, too. “Honour killings” must be stopped: full stop.
A fable of pride and corruption
In recent months, my weekly, or sometimes twice-weekly, treat has been watching episodes from the box set of Breaking Bad, the extraordinary American TV series which is also a study of morality. I would compare it to Shakespeare’s Macbeth as a portrait of ambition bringing a man – and his wife – to wickedness.
A person who does bad things may not start out being bad: Walter White, played by the matchless Bryan Cranston, starts off as a harmless, if underpaid, chemistry teacher, with family problems, and then health problems. He could be any of us. And then comes the chance to make huge sums of money illegally. The series has you asking the question – what would I do? Would I turn away from the temptation?
Walter has the opportunity, but what really prompts the descent into evil is – pride. And pride leads him on to a dreadful tangle. Vince Gilligan, the Catholic-educated creator of the series, has said he wanted to show how a man can be corrupted, and Breaking Bad is the ultimate fable about that, brilliantly done.
Matisse exhibition is a sight to behold
There is currently a stunning exhibition of Matisse cut-outs at the Tate Modern gallery in London. Henri Matisse was a superb colourist, and the colours are truly amazing in these collage works.
But a central element of the exhibition are his exquisite designs for the Dominican Chapel of the Rosary at Vence, near Nice. These are beautiful window designs transformed into glass, showing Christ, Our Lady and St Dominic.
He began this work when he was 77, and had been near to death after a major operation. The attractive young nurse who cared for him, Monique Bourgeois, subsequently entered the Dominican Order and asked the ageing and frail artist to help adorn their chapel. It became the most satisfying endeavour of his life, and he thought of his work for the chapel as his masterpiece. Nicholas Serota, the Director of the Tate, has said that Matisseís accomplishment at Vence ranks with the Sistine chapel for greatness.
For anyone heading for the London area before September 7 (when it closes), itís well worth the visit, though itís advisable to book online for a slot. The place is heaving. More people go to art galleries these days than go to football matches, but then football can be a rather more expensive hobby.