Muslim doctors sue Illinois over new assisted-suicide law

Four Muslim physicians have sued Illinois officials, alleging that the state's new assisted-suicide law, "Deb's Law," violates their religious beliefs. The lawsuit, filed by the Becket Fund in federal court, contends that the law's requirements for doctors to provide information about medical aid in dying and facilitate access to related drugs conflict with their Muslim faith, which holds "that human life is sacred." The End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, effective September 12, allows terminally ill adults to self-administer medication to end their lives. While the law states physicians are not required to participate in providing aid-in-dying care, it mandates that doctors involved in end-of-life care inform patients about the option and includes provisions for referrals and medical record transfers. The physicians are seeking to block enforcement of these provisions or have them declared unconstitutional.