• Introduction
Today, I am going to talk about the topic “Legalization of Death with Dignity”, which also known as mercy killing. It is actually a physician assisted death, in which your physician helps you or aids you in different ways to commit suicide. If we define death with dignity, we can say that “Death that is allowed to occur in accordance with the wishes of a patient with the aid of some other person. An individual may choose to withdraw from chronic medical therapies, when there are remote chances of recovery. These are the individuals suffering from very serious problems, and are suffering from poor performance in recovery, major depression, poor social support etc. Countries, which are allowing it, have to amend the Hippocratic Oath for their doctors, allowing them to perform this act.
• Statistics of suicide across the world and in America.
If we talk about the number of people committing suicide globally, we come across some horrifying figures. 1.8¬% of worldwide deaths is suicidal every year, which are about 1.5 million people. Every 40 seconds a person dies anywhere in the world due to suicide. & worldwide suicide rates have increased by 60% over the last 45 years. If we talk specifically about America, where this bill is proposed and implemented in some states, the situation is grimmer. Every year, 1 million people try to commit suicide and 40000 dies out of them. Every 12.95 minutes, an American dies due to a suicide and now when there is a bill protecting them and giving them the right to do so, the numbers are expected to increase multiple times.
• People’s comments.
Now, what is the opinion of American national on this sensitive issue? According to a national survey, people have 50 50 opinion in this particular case. Some have the opinion that it is the basic human right according to the American laws and should be granted to the people of America, but others are of the opinion that this is a sensitive issue and should not be handed over to the people, as there are more chances of it to be abused.
• Islamic Point of view
If we are seeing this issue in the context of Islam, then to commit suicide is strictly prohibited in Islam. We as a Muslims are not permitted of mercy killing. Islam is a religion of dignity and it teaches its followers to be patient, as Allah is with the one who observes patience. I Quran, Allah says in Suarh Al Nisa that “And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allah is, most merciful to you”. & according to Holy Prophet (SAW), a person who commits suicide renders himself liable for punishment in the world hereafter.
• Other countries following this law
4 states of USA have passed the bill and legalize the death on dignity namely, Washington, Oregon, Vermont and California. Many other countries like The Netherlands, Colombia and etc have laws permitting the mercy killing. But many major countries like UK, France, and Germany etc have rejected this concept and it is construed as a criminal offence in these countries.
Many organizations are raising their voices for the mercy killing namely EXIT, Final exit Network, Dignity in Dying etc and many are working against it like British medical Association, Care not Killing, Not Dead yet etc.
• Conclusion
In my opinion, mercy killing is not the right way to end anyone’s life. When we were not given the right to be born, then why we should be given the rights to take our lives. It’s just like handing a knife to a baby without any surveillance. There is no logic to legalize death with dignity, as medical science is progressing day by day, and every disease is becoming curable. So instead of this, patients should be given some social support and there psychology should be changed, otherwise this step would have drastic effects on the suicide rates globally.
