With an unprecedented coordinated front, 9 leaders of the major religious faiths in Great Britain (Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Sikhs) have joined their forces to launch an appeal against voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. The religious representatives sent an open letter to the members of both houses of Parliament (Commons and Lords) on 6 October, in view of the debate due to take place in the House of Lords on 10 October on proposed new legislation the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill which would change the existing law on euthanasia. The nine religious leaders remind Parliament that legalizing assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia would alter “the ethical foundation on which our society is based”. “We signatories says the appeal consider that each human life is sacred and worthy of the highest respect and denounce with concern the fact that repeated attempts are being made to persuade Parliament to change the law on intentional death and permit assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill”. The religious leaders recall, in this regard, that the countries that have legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia are having “serious problems. In Holland, for example, 1 death out of 32 is caused by legal and illegal euthanasia”. In their joint appeal they also underline the fact that “the majority of doctors are contrary” to this practice and that public opinion polls conducted in the country have been formulated in such a way as to induce people to respond in favour of a change to the law with questions that do not permit the public to “understand the complexity” of the problems at issue.
