The British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) has issued a statement expressing its strong concerns with the proposed change to legislation on assisted suicide, highlighting that it goes against the “Muslim moral compass”.
The organisation also, strikingly, and in what may be a first among the various groups to speak out against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill being put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, cites the experience of minority groups during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns as offering further evidence of the inherent dangers posed by the legislative change for more marginalised communities and vulnerable people.
BIMA is an organisation representing almost 8,000 Muslim health care professionals in the UK serving in the NHS and amongst communities nationwide.
Its <a href="https://britishima.org/advice/assisted-dying-assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia-position-statement/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">statement</mark></a> follows a “snap-shot survey” of Muslim healthcare professionals that “demonstrated a strong opposition to assisted dying based on ethical, practical and social concerns rooted in their professional ethical values, and lived experience and understanding of the wider healthcare context”.
As a result, BIMA says it "reinforces" its position of opposition to the introduction of "Assisted Dying" – which it notes as covering assisted suicide and euthanasia – across the UK.
“Care of the dying is a core responsibility within the health care professions represented by BIMA, and we view this as a hallmark of compassion within any society – this aligns strongly with the Muslim moral compass,” BIMA says.
"Assisted dying (umbrella term for assisted suicide and euthanasia) has paradigm-shifting implications for how healthcare is delivered in the UK, and our role as healthcare professionals.
"Alongside religious objection, many of us will have objections based on professional ethical code of conduct. We also see how this can be dangerous for vulnerable individuals and marginalised communities who already struggle to access healthcare, in a system that is not able to respond to complex healthcare needs efficiently.
“We have been closely following developments around the introduction of Assisted Dying into the UK, and are extremely concerned with the proposed change to legislation with the resultant risks to vulnerable patient groups who already suffer from poorer healthcare experiences, disparities and barriers around access to end-of-life care.”
BIMA also notes that the Covid-19 enquiry has highlighted the "reality" for ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups "who are least listened to”.
At the same time, and echoing recent comments from the <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/uk-health-secretary-breaks-ranks-to-vote-against-assisted-suicide/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">UK Health Secretary and Catholic bishops</mark></a>, the organisation notes that the UK healthcare system and palliative care organisations are suffering from years of under-funding with significant shortages of healthcare staff.
“Hospices up and down the UK are in financial distress and cutting back services. Traumatic care experiences, particularly in marginalised communities and those with high socioeconomic deprivation, will contribute to the fear of suffering at the end of life."
It concludes: “The solution is not to legislate state-endorsed assisted suicide and euthanasia that is delivered by a healthcare system in crisis.
"Instead, we must demand that healthcare staff and services are adequately supported and funded to deliver high quality, responsive healthcare and palliative care, and give patients and families the choice they deserve.”
<em>Photo: A community health day involving members of the British Islamic Medical Association; screenshot from <a href="https://britishima.org/work/community-health-days/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">britishima.org</mark></a>.</em>
