GLOBAL DEAF MUSLIM LITERACY & COMMUNITY INTEGRATION dba Global Deaf Muslim

  Global Deaf Muslim (GDM) is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 by Nashiru Abdulai, GDM’s Deaf President. As you may be aware, Deaf Muslims struggle to learn about Islam because of the limited availability of information in American Sign Language (ASL). They can't benefit from khutbahs, lectures, events, taraweeh prayer (an Imam suggested that since we can look at a Quran during taraweeh, the Deaf can look at an interpreter), etc because few masajid and Islamic organizations provide ASL interpretation. Consequently, the Deaf have not only been excluded from learning about Islam, but they have been excluded from the Muslim community all together. Furthermore, some Muslim parents do not take it upon themselves to learn ASL to communicate with their Deaf children. Thus, not only is the most important connection to mankind, the one between servant and Master compromised, but oftentimes, Deaf children lack familial support as well. Many Deaf Muslims end up converting to other religions because other faith-based groups accommodate the Deaf.  

 

Translating the meaning of the Qur’an into American Sign Language

 

 The majority of Deaf individuals that use ASL as their primary language cannot read or write efficiently in English, which hinders their ability to understand the English translation of the Quran. Their struggle with English becomes quickly evident when one interacts with Deaf individuals virtually via email, facebook, and other online networks. Our Deaf brothers and sisters need the visual images of ASL in order to gain access to the Quran. This project works to overcome this issue by making the Quran available in ASL.