Assisted Suicide Study Questions Its Use for Mentally Ill by Benedict Carey

Raneem Baalbaki

Carey, Benedict. “Assisted Suicide Study Questions Its Use for Mentally Ill” The New York Times, 10 February 2016.

In this newspaper article by Benedict Carey, a former science reporter for The Times and a health and medical writer for The Los Angeles Times, a freelance journalist, and a staff writer for Heath Magazine, he begins by explaining how assisted suicide for those with psychological disorders is becoming something talked about more and more. At least three countries — Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland — allow assisted dying for those suffering mentally and places such as Canada are debating whether to take that step. Carey goes to on explain cases of patients who had different types of mental disorders that coexist with each other, and they described living with the disorder.

– “The depression was often mixed with other problems, like substance abuse, mild dementia or physical pain. More than half had received a diagnosis of a personality disorder, like avoidant or dependent personality, which are typically bound up with relationship problems. The group also included people with diagnoses of eating disorders and autism spectrum conditions. Many reported being intensely lonely” (Carey).

– “A team of doctors…reported that most people who sought doctor-assisted death for psychiatric problems had depression, personality disorders or both” (Carey).

On The Basis of Suffering: The Legal and Ethical Reasons Why Persons with Unbearable Suffering from Psychiatric Illness Should Be Eligible for Assisted Dying Under the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019 by Kieran Courtney Berry

Raneem Baalbaki

Berry, Kieran Courtney. “On The Basis of Suffering: The Legal and Ethical Reasons Why Persons with Unbearable Suffering from Psychiatric Illness Should Be Eligible for Assisted Dying Under the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019” The University of Auckland, 2021.

In this academic article the main idea is revolved around the end-of-life choice act (EOLCA). Courtney Kieran Berry, a Master of Law graduate who works as a legal and research counsel for the office of the chief coroner in New Zealand, explains how assisted dying is permissible if: a competent person requests it, they already have a terminal illness likely to end their life within six months, and they experience unbearable pain. She then goes on to explain that EOLCA unlawfully discriminates against people who have psychiatric illnesses because there is no reason to turn someone suffering from mental disorder away if they are suffering just as much. This academic article will be helpful for me in my paper because Berry exhibits how there is no legal or ethical reason to prohibit people with unbearable suffering from mental disorders from assisted suicide.

– “If the primary justification for assisted dying is to relieve suffering, then there is no justification for Parliament to exclude people with unbearable suffering from a psychiatric illness” (Berry).

– “Consequently, persons suffering unbearably from a grievous and irremediable psychiatric illness cannot access assisted dying to end their suffering. The exclusion occurs, not just by application of the eligibility criteria but, is also Parliament’s express intention” (Berry).

Young Adults and Their Families Living with Mental Illness: Evaluation of The Usefulness of Family-Centered Support Conversations in Community Mental Health Care Settings by Aass et al.

Raneem Baalbaki

Aass, Lisbeth Kjelsrud et al. “Young Adults and Their Families Living with Mental Illness: Evaluation of The Usefulness of Family-Centered Support Conversations in Community Mental Health Care Settings” Journal of Family Nursing, vol. 26, no. 4, November 2020, pp. 302-314.

In this journal article, four experimental psychologists from Norwegian University of Science and Technology studied how mental illness effect young adults’ self-esteem, optimism, confidence, and just going about their everyday life. They explain that while the patients are suffering mentally their families and those around them feel the effects of it too. Families and friends close to the person suffering mentally must not only watch as the person they care about loses a different battle repeatedly, but they must have the mental capacity and strength to be there when they ask them to help them get back up. This article can be of use for my final paper because it helps further prove the point that living with a severe mental disorder effect everyone. If a third person can feel the effects of a disorder imagine what the diagnosed person is feeling.

-“The well-being of siblings of an individual with a severe mental disorder like psychosis has also been shown to be negatively affected as they experience challenges in relation to be a sibling” (Aass et al. 303).

-“Relatives of inpatients with depression report that health problems, burdens, and worries in everyday life are challenging. Their lives are often very intertwined with the life of their severely mentally ill family member” (Aass et al. 302-303).

Personal Interview with Donya Ishaq

Brandon Digman

Donya Ishaq is a fellow classmate of mine in our college English class. She is a long standing practitioner of Islam, allowing me to choose her as testimony for Islamic practices and its teachings. In our conducted interview, I asked her a variety of questions related to Islam and how it affects her. Donya is a revered individual in her religious practices. She believes that discovering the true meaning of Islam can shape her life in a way that has meaning. She has never been made to be inferior or oppressed in her time as a practitioner. In fact, Donya argues that Islam actually gives women better rights and power. If she ever felt oppressed by Islam, she would not follow it at all. Islamic teachings such as dressing modestly helped her realize that her body is sacred and is not meant to be paraded around for others to see. She concluded by saying, as a woman, she has been given a sense of empowerment and respect. I believe this interview is crucial to include because it provides an outsider perspective. Donya is a practitioner of Islam in the United States, a country that has more religious tolerance than Iran. Her lifestyle can be used to provide an alternate practice when compared to Iranian Islam, which will allow me to further set the notion of my thesis, and therefore reinforce it.

  • 1 – “I have actively sought to discover the true meaning of Islam and how it can shape my life in a meaningful way. One of the ways I have done this is by researching Islamic teachings and principles, which has had a significant impact on my lifestyle choices” (Ishaq)
  • 2 – “I have never felt oppressed by my religion. I mean why would I follow a religion that treats me as inferior. Looking through an outsider’s perspective, I can see why they may think women are oppressed. When you only listen to the media and don’t research about the religion itself, Islam can look like a misogynistic religion. When in reality, Islam gave women basic human rights centuries before the West did” (Ishaq).

In the Eye of the Storm by Erika Friedl et al

Brandon Digman

Erika Friedl is an award winning author and the professor of anthropology at Western Michigan University. Many of her publications and contributions revolve around women and religion, specifically Islam. She and her contributors wrote the book, “In the Eye of the Storm: Women in Post-revolutionary Iran,” which highlights, as the title states, women’s lives in post-revolutionary Iran. The scope of this book takes place after 1979 and into the late 1900s, providing key factors of change to women’s lives that inadvertently decreased their social standing in many areas of life such as domestic life, life in the workforce, life in the media, etc. A significant thing to note is that the content also examines women’s protest in Iran post-revolution, and how their demands for more freedom in society have been answered to an extent. The main takeaway I want for this source to highlight in my essay is to provide post-revolutionary details, and any positive or negative outcomes. This source is also helpful as it contains information that is universal in the sense that it can be included in either my thesis or the counter-thesis to support it. 

  • 1 – “Since an Islamic society needs women in occupations such as medicine, education, and law, and since the Constitution calls on the government to facilitate and provide for the development of women, this bill would permit women to work and look after their families at the same time. Mr. Forughi believed that if women wanted fully to accept their responsibilities as described in the Quran, they should not work outside the house” (Friedl et al).
  • 2 – “On the other hand, comparison over time indicates that the situation has been improving during the decade of the Islamic Republic. The gender age gap in literacy has decreased from 23 percentage points to 19 percentage points overall, and among youths of 15 to 19 years of age it has decreased from 26 percentage points to 16 percentage points. The female proportion of the school enrollment has also increased in the last 15 years, and figures for the last five years show that the increase has continued quite steadily under the Islamic Republic” (Friedl et al).

Populism and Feminism in Iran by Haideh Moghissi

Brandon Digman

Moghissi, Haideh. Populism and Feminism in Iran. Cuny-Si.primo.exlibrisgroup, 2016

Hadieh Moghissi is an Iranian-Born sociologist, working as an Emerita Professor for York University in Toronto. She was also the founder of the Iranian National Union of Women, and had experienced the Islamic Revolution first hand. She wrote the academic journal, “Populism and Feminism in Iran,” which discusses the timeline of the women’s question in the country around the time of the revolution. The content of the journal addresses many instances of changes to law that had affected Iranian women, female counter-attacks of such laws, and analysis/explanation of them. Moghissi argues that the hindrance towards female progressiveness in Iran is attributed to the dictatorial power of the Islamic Regime. As such, the revolution had sparked many gender awareness ideas to fly around the country as women were being stripped of so much in society. This source will be important to include during the analysis and pre-analysis of my thesis as it shows the female reaction toward the revolution, as well as providing some reasoning as to why the Islamic Revolution changed women’s social life the way that they did.

  • 1 – “Both Islamist and socialist forces engaged in frequent criticism of feminists and feminist ideas. In these areas, the left contributed to the saliency and acceptance of Islamic populist themes. So male-centered were their views of social change and their definitions of democracy that they left no space for women’s democratic rights and voices” (Moghissi 2)
  • 2 – “A key factor in understanding this pattern, I will argue, is the central importance of female sexuality and sexual control in Islamic culture. It helps explain why the homogenizing forces of Islamic culture  are expressed with utmost clarity and strength in the assertion of male control and authority over women’s lives and in the uniformity of policies in the areas of women’s rights and status” (Moghissi 13).

Iranian Women Burn Their Hijabs as Hundreds Protest Death of Mahsa by Jessie Yeung et al

Brandon Digman

Yeung, Jessie, et al. “Iranian Women Burn Their Hijabs as Hundreds Protest Death of Mahsa 

Amini.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 Sept. 2022 

Jessie Yeung is the Asia Pacific Writer for CNN, a renowned media company that covers multinational news, in Hong Kong. She and her fellow writers wrote this article, which covers the multiple protests in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini. The article recounts that in September, 2022, Amini was violently beaten as punishment for improperly wearing her hijab in public, resulting in her death 3 days later while being held in police custody. As a result of this incident, many women took to public protesting in Iranian streets. Such acts of protests describe these women revealing their hair to the public and cutting it off, which is considered a violation of hijab laws in the country. However, this article also highlights the consequences of protest as some women were killed by Iranian security forces for their defiance. This article holds value as it lends direct support to my thesis and not of the opposing, The content of this article shall be used as an example of how women in present day Iran feel about a particular restrictive law, which can therefore be used to show the bigger picture about many other laws placed onto them. 

  • 1 – “The death last week of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in Tehran by morality police – a dedicated unit that enforces strict dress codes for women, such as wearing the compulsory headscarf – has sparked an outpouring anger over issues ranging from freedoms in the Islamic Republic to the crippling economic impacts of sanctions” (Yeung et al).
  • 2 – “Footage shows some protesters chanting, ‘Women, life, freedom.’ Others can be seen setting up bonfires, scuffling with police, or removing and burning their headscarves – as well as destroying posters of the country’s Supreme Leader and shouting, ‘Death to the dictator’” (Yeung et al).

True Islam – Women’s Dress Code

Brandon Digman

“True Islam.” True Islam – Women Dress Code, 2001

True Islam is a non news, online version of the Quran, the holy book of the Islamic religion. Its principles have been translated to English with background information on its principles provided. Within this chapter of the book, the content provides the actual teachings set in place for the attire of women that practice the religion. The chapter preaches on women dressing absolutely modestly, covering private areas for the body, and being humble as God, also known as Allah, is always with them and watching. This source provides vital information to the teachings and practices of women’s wear, which is seen in Iran’s regulations placed onto women. This source can be used to enforce the opposing side of the argument as it can be beneficial in aiding the justification of women’s rights in that country. 

  • 1 – ““Revering God is the most important guideline for women when they choose their dress. The righteous reverent woman will know that God is always watching her, she will therefore dress modestly and in line with God’s requirements for decency and morality. Any woman knows full well what clothes are considered decent and what clothes are revealing, she will not need to be told. This is why God set the rule of reverence as the first rule” (True Islam)
  • 2 – “The third rule can also be found in 24:31. Here God commands women not to reveal their beauty spots except what is normally apparent such as the head (face and hair), arms, lower legs, etc” (True Islam).

Part 3: Iranian Laws on Women by Andrew Hanna

Brandon Digman

Hanna, Andrew. “Part 3: Iranian Laws on Women.” The Iran Primer, 10 Dec 2020

Andrew Hanna is a legislative and policy analyst for the U.S Senate, as well as a member of the Committee of Foreign Relations. He wrote the article, “Part 3: Iranian Laws on Women,” for the Iran Primer, a news website dedicated to all things related to Iranian affairs. In this article, Hanna provides a timeline of the many rules and regulations set in place by Iran’s government for its women to abide by whilst living in the country. Afterwards, notable activists that have tried to resist these regulations are listed. As Hanna states these rules, he labels them to be discriminatory laws, and then goes in depth on each one for the rest of the article. This article is beneficial for providing claims that can be used for the thesis and even the opposing thesis, given the content of the quote used. This source will also provide a deeper understanding on what women’s rights are like in Iran. 

  • 1 – “The second constitution, written by Islamic revolutionaries and passed overwhelmingly in a referendum in 1979, specifically stipulated that women were “equally protected.” But in practice, it gave women fewer social rights and personal liberties” (Hanna).
  • 2 – “Female activists and civil society organizations faced “harassment, intimidation, detention, and smear campaigns,” the State Department reported in 2019. Iranian courts have imposed harsh sentences on dozens of activists who challenged compulsory hijab laws” (Hanna).

Inside the Islamic Republic by Mahmood Monshipouri

Brandon Digman

Monshipouri, Mahmood. Inside the Islamic Republic. Google Books, Oxford University Press,  

15 Dec 2015

Mahmood Monshipouri is an Iranian-Born author and educator. He teaches international relations as a professor at San Francisco University. His book, “Inside the Islamic Republic,” discusses Iran after the 1979 Revolution in the new Islamic government. Mainly, he states and analyzes the major changes in Iran’s post-revolution, and how it has led to dramatic shifts within the society. Monshipouri also makes arguments that changes during post-revolution Iran have been deleterious on many occasions. This article is useful as it can provide a more broad context of Iran’s background, which will first generate an understanding that will eventually lead to the conflict surrounding women through the use of other sources. It is important for this source to be used in the beginning of my essay for context.

  • 1 -“It is worth noting that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini depicted the 1979 Revolution as an Islamic rather than an exceptionally Iranian one, conferring further legitimacy on it as an anti-imperialist and anti-West movement capable of spreading. Both symbolically and substantively, this moved fueled pan-Islamism throughout the region and led to an increased disdain toward foreign influence” (Monshipouri 2).
  • 2 -“More broadly, these factors have led to cumulative uncertainties and policy failures in the wake of the dramatic socioeconomic, cultural, and political changes that the country has recently undergone, making it increasingly imperative to define and understand the broader contours of social and cultural change in Iran” (Monshipouri 2).