Project: Sign Islam

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If you want to help improve the status of Islamic education for the Deaf, then this is the project for you.

Introduction

The hearing are blessed with many avenues by which they may gain knowledge of Islam using audio materials, such as mp3 lectures, Islamic online video and DVDs, and even specialist satellite/cable television channels. However, without signs, subtitles, or accompanying transcripts, they are pretty much useless for our Deaf neighbours. The good news is that many of these can be easily adapted in order to be more accessible to the hearing-impaired, who naturally have just as much right to learn about the religion as the rest of society.

Transcription Project

SignLabs.org has partnered up with Al-Qasas, the Muslim Transcription Society, in a sincere attempt to make Islamic audio and video more Deaf-friendly, God-willing.

The general aim of Al-Qasas is to transcribe popular and interesting lectures about Islam into essays and/or summarised notes. This benefits both the hearing and hearing-impaired each, in two different ways:

• Lecture notes make great study aids, as one can often learn more from reading at a comfortable pace, than when listening to a speech at an uncontrollable speed; especially as we are all prone to ‘zoning’ in and out during the course of a long talk.
• The benefit for the hearing-impaired is obvious: they finally can make use of all the fantastic resources that the hearing are so accustomed to.

What Can You Do to Help?

Do you have:

• an ability to comprehend, read and write English fluently?
• the flexibility to work well in a team environment?
• the passion to use your time and skills to serve the community?

If so, please consider joining Al-Qasas’ team of transcribers. Remember, you will be rewarded greatly for every person that benefits from the knowledge that you have shared:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When a person dies, all his deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge (which he has left behind), or a righteous child who will pray for him.” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi with a good chain of transmission)

To express interest in joining the team, or to ask for more information, please e-mail: transcribe[@]signlabs.org

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We hope to run more projects under the “Sign Islam” banner in the near future, both on and offline. For example:

• Encourage producers and distributors of Islamic videos and DVDs to subtitle their material. This can now be easily be done using YouTube’s new closed captions feature. We may even produce our own series of special videos, with the help of trustworthy Muslims who can sign, and possess a good knowledge of Islam.
• Produce an Islamic prayer e-book illustrated in sign language, aimed at both adults and children.
• Work towards getting more trained Muslim SL interpreters into mosques and community centres.
• Request the Islam Channel in the UK, to subscribe to a regular closed caption service.

If you have any of your own suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Alternatively, if you can assist with the existing proposed projects, please contact us asap.