Thousands mark Roe anniversary
WASHINGTON — Thousands of anti-abortion-rights activists marked the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion across the country Jan. 22.
As they have every year since the Roe vs. Wade ruling in 1973, the abortion opponents held a rally near the White House and then marched down Constitution Avenue, past the U.S. Capitol, to the Supreme Court building.
This year, however, for the first time in many years, anti-abortionists can point to a major legislative victory. Last fall, President Bush signed a bill banning certain late-term abortion procedures that opponents label “partial-birth abortion.”
Bush addressed the marchers via telephone from New Mexico, where he was making an appearance. “During the past three years we've made real progress toward building a culture of life in America,” Bush said. “In the Declaration of Independence, our founders stated this self-evident truth: The right to life does not come from government; it comes from the creator of life.”
Bush also touted the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which the House Judiciary Committee approved Jan. 21. That bill would allow prosecutors to recognize fetuses as victims when a pregnant woman is attacked or murdered. (ABP)
Muslim group leaves anti-gay-marriage coalition
WASHINGTON — After an anti-gay-marriage coalition came under withering criticism from many Jewish and Christian conservatives, a Muslim group that some say has terrorist ties has left the Alliance for Marriage.
The alliance announced Jan. 15 that the Islamic Society of North America had resigned from its advisory board. The ISNA is currently the subject of a congressional investigation.
The Alliance for Marriage is an umbrella group for organizations supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would add a provision to the Constitution banning gay marriage nationwide. Several Southern Baptist leaders have endorsed the amendment.
The Islamic Society's involvement in the coalition became a point of controversy after a series of articles on the conservative website JewishWorldReview.com reported the connection. The site repeated a terrorism expert's accusations that ISNA has conducted fund-raisers for Palestinians accused of terrorism and has hosted conference speakers who defend radical Islamic terrorists. (ABP)
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