Four Muslim physicians filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Illinois officials over the state’s new assisted-suicide law.
The complaint, brought by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, names Drs. Akbar Ali, Asim Babar, Omar Hussain and Umar Shakur as plaintiffs in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The doctors argue that the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, commonly called Deb’s Law, forces them to violate core tenets of their Muslim faith.
The law took effect on Sept. 12. It permits Illinois residents who are at least 18 years old, mentally capable of making medical decisions, and diagnosed with a terminal illness expected to cause death within six months to obtain medication they can self-administer to end their lives. While the statute explicitly says physicians are not required to participate in providing aid-in-dying care, it mandates that doctors involved in end-of-life care furnish patients with information about the option.
The lawsuit zeroes in on provisions covering referrals and the transfer of medical records. The physicians contend that complying with these requirements would conflict with their religious convictions and Islam’s teaching “that human life is sacred.” They maintain the state has compelled them to choose between violating those beliefs and facing penalties.
The doctors are seeking court intervention to block enforcement of the challenged provisions or to have them declared unconstitutional.
The Becket Fund, a nonprofit public-interest legal institute that specializes in religious liberty cases, is representing all four physicians in the action. The organization has previously litigated similar challenges on behalf of health care providers who object to participating in procedures on religious grounds.