End-of-life medical dilemmas in Muslim countries

Pr. Ali Benmakhlouf

Center for African Studies (CAS)- UM6P

Cheikh Zaid Ethics Committee
“Ethics in healthcare: challenges and innovations”.

Rabat on May 14, 2024

It’s a good sign of our society that the end of life has become a topic of public debate.
How can we think about the end of life in a spirit of solidarity? There are dilemmas like this one: Those close to the patient want the end of life not to be prolonged, but at the same time they don’t necessarily want euthanasia. The Moroccan proverb “Death is a golden blanket” is used in such cases. We are made up of narratives, and these narratives play a part in the acceptance of the end of life and the death that follows. What messages does society send to people at the end of life? Some people feel they are not needed anymore. People at the end of life, like those around them, are fed up with the never-ending process of dying. Care must not mean relegation or failure to consult the wishes and desires of people who have become dependent. Society has entrusted medicine with the task of dealing with death. Contemporary medicine cannot meet alone this social demand. Society must assume its responsibilities.