Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Sermons no longer obstacle for deaf!!!! |
|---|
| jannah |
| 02/22/01 at 01:33:57 |
| Sermons no longer obstacle for deaf Ahmed Yunes, head of the Egyptian Organization for Rights of the Disabled, said no one should get in the way of a person wanting to be closer to God. July 01, 2000, 09:41 AM CAIRO (Agencies) - Friday prayers at Cairo's Sayyida Zeinab Mosque were translated into sign language this week - a first in an Egyptian mosque. Hundreds of deaf Egyptian Muslims were among those worshipping at the mosque, where a sign-language interpreter is to be a regular feature. Sign language translator Alaa Eddin Ismail, 28, stood at the foot of the preacher's minaret gesturing to around 500 deaf worshippers sitting cross-legged on the carpets of the Sayyeda Zeinab mosque as the voice of the preacher resounded around the vaulted chamber. Ahmed Yunes, head of the Egyptian Organization for Rights of the Disabled, said no one should get in the way of a person wanting to be closer to God. "The deaf and the mute, all over the world, are living in a prison of isolation," he said. "We are opening the way, and we hope it will never be closed again." Egypt's ministry of religious affairs approved a recent proposal from Yunes to improve the lives of Egypt's handicapped. Yunes, who is blind, said the Ministry of Religious Endowments gave his organization approval to start with sign-language interpreters in three Cairo mosques and to expand in the future. Some churches in Egypt also have started to provide sign-language interpreters at Sunday services, he said. "The important thing is that the deaf and mute - no matter what their nationality, social class, wealth, position, color or religion - know their way to God," Yunes said. As the imam spoke from a pulpit Friday about the good deeds of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, hundreds of people watched as Alaa Eddine el-Sayyed delivered the sheik's remarks in sign language. "I wasn't able to sleep the past two nights for being so excited and happy that I would be the first person to translate the Friday prayers," said el-Sayyed, who works for the Egyptian rights group. "The happiness that I saw in the faces of the deaf and mute made me even happier." "I used to try desperately to follow the lips of the imam, but he was too far away and I could never see him clearly enough." "When my students read the news in the papers, they were brimming with impatience," said Ismail, who learnt sign language to be able to communicate with his two deaf and mute brothers. Thirty-year-old Hassan, another deaf Egyptian who sat amid around 3,000 hearing Muslims with his eyes fixed on Ismail's hands, said the experience made him 'feel normal' for the first time in his life. The prayers took place in the mosque of Cairo's patron saint, Sayyeda Zeinab, the granddaughter of the prophet Mohammed, who lived in Cairo for around a year before she died here in 680. "This is a positive step for us on the long path towards a normal life," said Hassan. "It's through simple improvements like this that we can begin to feel integrated into daily life." Mohammed Abdel-Fattah, who is deaf, has attended Friday prayers every week for decades. This Friday, he was finally able to follow every word. "I used to get angry about attending the prayers and not being able to understand," Abdel-Fattah, 60, said through a translator. "I am very happy that something like this is happening." |
| Re: Sermons no longer obstacle for deaf!!!! |
|---|
| Kathy |
| 02/23/01 at 09:09:23 |
| Humdil Allah- this is wonderful. Perhaps if I learn sign language- I will be able to hear the Eid Khutba! |
Individual posts do not necessarily reflect the views of Jannah.org, Islam, or all Muslims. All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster and may not be used without consent of the author.The rest © Jannah.Org |