Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 09, 2009 News
Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy firmly believes that anyone attempting to commit suicide should not be treated as a criminal; saying “we (the Ministry of Health) will not criminalise our brothers and sisters because they are unable to deal with their life challenges.”
And this view is supported by many in the main religious organizations in Guyana; the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), several representatives of the Christian community and the Hindu Dharmic Sabha.
Fazeel Feroze, President of the CIOG, in an invited comment yesterday, said that he agrees with Dr. Ramsammy’s assertion that society should be sympathetic to those who attempt to commit suicide.
Committing suicide, according to Islam, is showing that one has lost faith in the Creator, therefore being one of the biggest sins, according to Feroze, who describes an attempt to commit suicide as a desperate call for help from the individual.
The success of the act, Feroze said, was as a result of society’s failure to answer that call.
He believes, that the law should be amended, adding that the intentions of the law makers was to send a strong message to the public as to say that this kind of behaviour will not be condoned.
Support mechanisms are one of the things Feroze highlighted as topics that should be discussed as it relates to the suicide law.
Reverend Kwame Gilbert of the Church of God and Reverend Dale Bisnauth of the Burn’s Memorial Presbyterian Church, both ministers of different Christian denominations, also agree with Ramsammy, believing that those who attempt to take their own lives should not be treated as criminals because charging them would not help their situation.
According to Rev. Gilbert, anyone who commits the act would be undermining divine authority, “only God has the right to take life.”
Rev. Simon Harris of the RLIC Assembly of God Church says that, “our bodies belong to God,” as such, “we should respect our bodies as objects of God.”
With respect to the legal point of view, however, Rev. Harris feels that charging the individual would not help, because the suicidal person, if unsuccessful in their first attempt would only continue to pursue their endeavour in prison.
President of the Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, opined that suicide cases need to be treated with sympathy and compassion, adding that there is a need for more community workers, adding that counseling should be made available to those suspected of suicidal behaviour before an attempt is made, and made available during and after suicide attempts.
(Andrunie Harris)
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