Dutch Christian fundamentalist’s ‘Akin’ on abortion

This satirical video from the USA is called Todd Akin Rape & Abortion Apology: NewsyToons.

Remember United States Republican politician Todd Akin, claiming that there is a thing called “legitimate rape“, and that supposedly raped women don’t get pregnant; so, in banning abortion, there is no need no make an exception for rape cases?

Well, the Netherlands now has its own “Todd Akin”. In the campaign for the September 12 Dutch general election, Kees van der Staaij now says, with the same lack of medical science knowledge as his United States ‘hero’, that raped women supposedly have just a small chance of getting pregnant.

Van der Staaij is wrong on this, medical scientists say.

Who is Kees van der Staaij? He is the leader of the fundamentalist Calvinist Protestant SGP party. That party has two seats in the 150-seat Dutch parliament. They are a bit comparable to the “Reverend” Ian Paisley‘s party in Northern Ireland.

The SGP does not have women candidates in elections. They say that Dutch women have the right to vote since the 1920s, but that this right should be abolished. They are the only party in parliament which wants to bring back the death penalty (abolished in the Netherlands in 1870).

The SGP wants the government to persecute “false religions” (meaning religions which are not fundamentalist Protestant, like Roman Catholicism). A predecessor of Van der Staaij as SGP leader, C.N. van Dis, said in an interview that gay people will burn and freeze in hell.

If “moderate conservative” Dutch parties will not get a majority of their own in parliament, then they may make deals with Kees van der Staaij’s SGP. Like already happened under the old Dutch Rightist government coalition, which collapsed this spring.

At least 30 people from the Dutch Bible belt have so far been diagnosed with measles in the first outbreak of the sometimes fatal disease in 13 years. The infections are largely based around strict Protestant schools in a broad sweep across the country from the Veluwe area to Zeeland province, the public health institute RIVM said in a statement. Fundamentalist Protestants in the Netherlands do not believe in having their children vaccinated: here.

USA: Last week, Paul Ryan gave an interview in which, defending his position that there should be no excuses for abortion, he referred to rape as a “method of conception”: here.

Paul Ryan Defends Use of ‘Forcible Rape’ Terminology: here.

GOP Congressman Channels Todd Akin: ‘The Incidence Of Rape Resulting In Pregnancy Are Very Low’: here.

Catholics and church at odds on contraception, divorce and abortion. Survey in 12 countries finds 78% of Catholics support contraception and 65% think abortion should be allowed: here.

SGP financial scandal: here.

Related articles

• Rep. Trent Franks is no Todd Akin. He might be worse, though. (dailykos.com)
• Texas Republican finds cure for rape! (dailykos.com)
• Non-Todd Akin GOP congressman: ‘The incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low’ (dailykos.com)
• 7 Other Great Ideas From Todd Akin’s (Real) Expert Source (buzzfeed.com)
• Rep. Todd Akin Says Women Can Shut Down Post-Rape Pregnancy [Updated] (buzzfeed.com)
• Certain Republican politicians’ theories about rape and pregnancy stem from Nazi experiments (blogs.e-rockford.com)
• Republicans think they’re winning the abortion wars now (salon.com)
• Akin In 2008: Doctors Give Abortions To Women “Who Are Not Actually Pregnant” (buzzfeed.com)