Sign language interpreter on site
Fallujah mosque enhances sermon accessibility for deaf community
FALLUJAH – In the city renowned as the “city of mosques,” a transformative effort has made Friday sermons accessible for over 70 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Ahmad Al-Amiri, a dedicated interpreter, has been translating these sermons into sign language at the Sayyidna Uthman ibn Affan mosque.
Al-Amiri began providing sign language interpretation in mosques in 2017, following the liberation of Fallujah from ISIS control. Despite the city’s recent turmoil, he learned sign language from his deaf and mute friends and through the Anwar Fallujah Association for the Deaf and Mute. “The translation is instantaneous and relies heavily on the interpreter’s skill, facilitating better comprehension and participation in religious life,” Al-Amiri explained.
The initiative is also planning to expand to accommodate deaf women, a separate concern due to gender-segregated seating arrangements in mosques.
Technological aids like images and videos have significantly boosted the learning capabilities of the deaf community, according to Al-Amiri.
Community members, including Mustafa Sharif, stress the importance of such inclusive practices. “Integrating sign language interpretation during sermons and religious events like Ramadan helps us understand and engage with Islamic teachings,” Sharif noted. He hopes for more structured learning opportunities in sign language for both disabled individuals and the broader community to foster better integration and skill development.
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