A Belfast Mural Obliterated by the Ugly Face of Abortion
Euronews have released an article entitled “The Changing Faces of Northern Ireland’s Murals” on Wednesday 29th March. ‘Abortion Rights Now’ can be read on The Sunflower Public House on the corner of Kent Street and Union Street, just around the corner from Belfast Central Library. This graffiti was placed alongside a mural of a modern take on the legendary work of Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring by David Creative.
The article alludes to the abortion law in Northern Ireland and highlights that it is ‘the only nation within the UK where abortion remains illegal’.
Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, the leading pro-life group in Northern Ireland, questions whether permission was granted for this unsightly graffiti advocating for the disgusting destruction of innocent unborn children and the subsequent damage to their mothers. Precious Life are urging Belfast City Council to take action against this vandalism as graffiti is illegal under Article 9 of the Criminal Damage (NI) Order 1977 and the law must be respected and upheld.
The artistic nature of murals have been used in Northern Ireland for many years to express political views and to dedicate to those who lost their lives during the Troubles. According to Euronews, ‘Few countries in Europe, in fact, value their mural paintings quite like the Northern Irish’. Therefore, the graffiti undermines the importance of these murals by defacing the striking painting of Vermeer's iconic masterpiece and it is visually unappealing for the citizens of Northern Ireland and tourists among the hustle and bustle of Belfast City Centre.
The famous painting, often referred to as the “Mona Lisa of the North”, is one of over forty images of women created by Vermeer and thus it is obvious that he had a keen interest in women's socio-cultural, moral value and importance. Ironically, the graffiti promotes abortion rights that hurt, violate and exploit women for industrial profit. Women deserve better than abortion. They need emotional and medical support throughout and after their pregnancy.
This illegal graffiti addresses a controversial, divisive issue in a biased, vandalising way. The black paint mirrors the dark, inhumane poisoning and dismemberment of vulnerable unborn children. Without the right to life, all other rights are meaningless and society becomes a heartless, dysfunctional realm where murder of children is legally and socially right. Abortion, the intentional killing of an unborn child isn’t a right. It is morally wrong.
Precious Life emphasises that Belfast City Council should get rid of this defacement as this illegal scrawl shouldn’t be taken lightly as it refers to an extremely emotive issue, a life and death matter.