Should We Legalized Euthanasia?

SHOULD WE LEGALIZE EUTHANASIA?

   What is Euthanasia? People nowadays did not take this issue as a serious matter. Euthanasia is originally belongs to the historian Suetonius who described how Emperor Augustus dying without suffering in the arm of his wife. Currently, Euthanasia has been defined as the painless inducement of a quick death. This which is also known as Physicians-Assisted Suicide may be classified into several types. The first one is voluntary Euthanasia which is conducted with the consent of the patient and in contrast if there is no consent of the patient avail is called non-voluntary Euthanasia. Other than that, there is also passive Euthanasia that entails the withholding of common treatments such as antibiotics for life continuity.  Active Euthanasia entails the usage of lethal substances or forces such as injection which could lead to crime.

   Euthanasia can be achieved by several methods such as usage of drug, injection to render the patient comatose, starvation and dehydration and the use of ‘peaceful pills’. West's Encyclopaedia of American Law states that "a 'mercy killing' or Euthanasia is generally considered to be a criminal homicide and is normally used as a synonym of homicide committed at a request made by the patient. However, some governments around the world have legalized voluntary Euthanasia but most generally it is still considered to be criminal homicide. In the Netherlands and Belgium, where Euthanasia has been legalized, it still remains homicide although it is not accused and not punishable if the doctor meets certain legal conditions. ‘’Belgium’s Euthanasia Act restricts the practice of mercy killing to adults and ‘emancipated children’ who are suffering intolerably and who are able to consent. It remains officially illegal for doctors to kill patients who have not given their consent to death. The study found, however, that many GPs are killing their patients without consent and that lack of consent may be more mutual than officially-approved deaths. ‘Given that ending patients’ lives without request is more common than euthanasia, it is suggested to urge the Belgian medical profession to put this issue high on its agenda’’ (Professor Cohen-Almagor, 2015). In Islamic-based countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, Euthanasia is not legalized because of religion concerns. Although there are differs in view about this ‘mercy killing’, there are numerous advantages and disadvantages of this serious issue.

  First of all, is human having the right to die? In general, we know that people suffered a lot to bear the pain from chronic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer and cardiovascular diseases. Many think that it is better if we can kill those pains through Euthanasia. Terminally ill person has a protected right interest in choosing to end intolerable suffering by taking his or her own death to get dignified death. The patient's right to die does not mean the physician's right to kill. The Hippocratic Oath states that “I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel” However, in Islamic view, we had been taught that we should rather rely on Allah when suffering those pains or we will be punished by committing suicide. “Prophet Mohammad taught: "There was a man in older times who had an infliction that taxed his patience, so he took a knife, cut his wrist and bled to death. Upon this God said: My subject hastened his end, I deny him paradise," as reported by Al Bukhari in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 669. During one of the military campaigns one of the Muslims was killed and the companions of the prophet kept praising his courage and efficiency in fighting, but, to their surprise, the Prophet commented, "His lot is hell." Upon inquiry, the companions found out that the man had been seriously injured so he supported the handle of his sword on the ground and plunged his chest onto its tip, committing suicide.

  People believe that Euthanasia should be legalized because if monitored properly it can put a person out of intolerable suffering in which they will die in more pain anyway.  At the present moment under some circumstances the community also agree that a patient should be able to request voluntary Euthanasia to be practiced on them.  It is also that a person should also be able to select his or her own time of death if we are to be living in a fee society.  If a person is allowed to legally refuse treatment that will in a consequence end in their life, well why cannot a person just be put out of intolerable suffering and achieve the same fate? On the other hand, Islam had taught us there is still another dimension to the question of pain and suffering. Patience and endurance are massively regarded and highly rewarded values in Islam. "Those who patiently preserve will truly receive a reward without measure" (Qur'an 39:10). "And bear in patience whatever (ill) maybe fall you: this, behold, is something to set one's heart upon" (Qur'an 31:17). Prophet Muhammad taught "When the believer is afflicted with pain, even that of a prick of a thorn or more, God forgives his sins, and his wrongdoings are discarded as a tree sheds off its leaves’’ Hence, we must believe that Allah would not bear us with something that is beyond our abilities.