Qur'an in American Sign Language

Zafar Siddiqui
March 8, 2011

The Qur’an has been translated into well over 100 languages; however, American Sign Language (ASL) is not one of them. The Minnesota chapter of Global Deaf Muslim (GDM-MN) is working on a project to translate the Qur’an into American Sign Language (ASL). GDM-MN is holding a fundraiser on March 12 to help raise funds for this project.

According to Mallerie Shirley, an ASL interpreter and GDM-MN board member, the scarcity of Islamic educational material for deaf Muslims is acute. Deaf Muslims do not have access to Islamic educational programming, which puts them at a great disadvantage when it comes to learning about their religion and practicing its tenets.

GDM-MN has also been instrumental in helping mosques in Minnesota initiate interpretation of Friday prayer service into ASL. There are an increasing number of Muslim organizations that now use ASL interpreters at their programs.

Currently deaf people across the United States and in parts of Canada, and other places in the world that use American Sign Language, have no access to the Qur’an. With the translation of the Qur’an into ASL, the deaf and hard of hearing will now have access to the most widely recited book in the world.

The Minnesota chapter of Global Deaf Muslim was started in 2010 and is located at 1821 University Ave. Suite S340 and is open Monday through Friday from 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.

Source: Star Tribune.
Link: http://www.startribune.com/local/yourvoices/117561913.html.