Protest is ramping up against Amnesty International (AI) by pro-life religious groups & other organizations since the issue came under discussion in August 2005 about whether AI should reconsider its neutral stance on abortion & instead advocate abortion within the context of women's rights. At last year's conference, AI regional offices were asked to discuss the issue among their own constituencies & be prepared for discussion & decision making over the following 2 years.

Amnesty International's current policy on abortion states: "AI takes no position on whether or not women have a right to choose to terminate unwanted pregnancies; there is no generally accepted right to abortion in international human rights law."

According to the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children in the United Kingdom, 4 options are being discussed: (1) Take no position at the 2007 international conference, but continue discussions & fact-finding; (2) that the AI Executive Committee develop a policy that would affirm the right to abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, & incest; (3) that AI internationally should affirm the general legal status, that is, decriminalizing abortion & allowing it in medically approved settings, circumstances, & procedures; or (4) that AI adopt the position that the right to terminate a preganancy is a fundamental right of all women & should not be restricted legally, morally, or financially for any & all women.

"This is completely inconsistent with what Amnesty has been all about," complained John-Henry Westen, a board member for the Campaign Life Coalition. Other pro-life groups warn that AI will lose a substantial amount of support & income if it changes its traditionally neutral stance on abortion.

For the full story: Religious Groups Upset about Amnesty International Abortion Proposal.