Global Deaf Muslim (GDM) held the first ever Deaf Muslim Expo (DME) at the Diyanet Center in Lanham, Maryland on Nov. 24-25 2018.
Hundreds of Deaf Muslims from Chicago, New York, the DMV, and even Canada registered for DME, some bringing their families. Attendees had an opportunity to socialize with other Deaf Muslims over lunch, get their hands painted with henna, and enjoy a talent show featuring poetry, comedy and performances by Deaf presenters. There was also a fashion show representing nationalities around the Muslim world. Exhibits provided resources and support services for the Deaf community, as well as a career fair for those seeking potential employment opportunities.
Perhaps one of the most exciting segments in the program included the first matrimonial event for Deaf Muslims seeking to find a spouse. On the last of the two-day event, participants also got the chance to explore DC on a bus tour provided by DME.
The event was hosted by Global Deaf Muslim, a non-profit organization registered in the United States in 2005. GDM is dedicated to serving the global Deaf Muslims by addressing the rights and needs of this community.
Nashiru Abdulai, President and Founder of GDM, grew up in Ghana and became deaf at the age of 10, due to an illness. He struggled finding resources and getting access to Islamic information as a deaf person. Masajid, for the most part, spread religious knowledge through the spoken word. And because the Deaf cannot hear, they are often left with someone else’s interpretation of this knowledge. There is no one catering to the Deaf community in the masajid. This is what inspired Abdulai to found GDM. He hopes that one-day masajid will provide resources to the Deaf community, allowing them to learn about Islam in a way that they could never before. The inclusion of Deaf Muslims in the Ummah and religious institutions is the end goal.
One of the highlights of the expo was having hadith and their meanings signed in American Sign Language by deaf presenters. Sign language is a visual language and seeing the stories and meanings conveyed in American Sign Language, something rarely done at public events, was truly a remarkable moment for many attendees.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 360 million people worldwide have a disabling hearing loss. The WHO website also claims that deafness is the number one birth defect in the U.S. and only 4% of deaf children attend college.
Andaleeb Elayan, Executive Director of GDM USA, began her work with GDM as a volunteer in 2014 and officially joined the executive team in 2016. She spoke about the struggles of being a Deaf Muslim. “Every day is a challenge, many deaf people feel frustrated or isolated from family members who cannot communicate with them,” she says. GDM, she says, is family for many of these people.
Elayan talked about how getting married is one of the many challenges she faces as a Deaf Muslim. She has seen many Deaf female colleagues graduate from college and seek higher education, but says that the number of Deaf males with that same level of education is much lower. This, she says, makes it much harder to seek a spouse who is equivalent in education and career aspirations, and limits their options. Elayan says she understands that it’s not always the Deaf person’s fault, however, as they don’t always have the same opportunities as hearing people and many people are reluctant to hire a Deaf person.
Elayan says that communication is also a struggle for many Deaf people seeking marriage. Many just want someone who they can communicate with in sign language. GDM recently partnered with Half Our Deen (a popular Muslim Marriage Site) to offer matrimonial services to the Deaf and/ Hard of Hearing Muslims. This came in response to a high demand for these services. Half Our Deen has added new features, which ask for interests, hobbies, and languages spoken, including sign language, as well as a required personality test before creating a profile. The aim is to make it friendlier to the Deaf and/ Hard of Hearing Muslims. Despite all of this, some Deaf Muslims still find it easier to meet in person because of communication barriers.
The first matrimonial event at the expo this year was also a response to many requests asking for it. Less than 20 people registered this year. Attendees varied in age and gender. Although the turnout was much lower than they hoped, Elayan says she understands that many couldn’t attend because of the distance. She hopes to get feedback from participants on how to improve the matrimonial event in the future, which would allow for more successful matches.
Overall, the first ever-Deaf Muslim Expo had a great turnout and participants enjoyed a welcoming environment that was catered to their needs. While the DME was a great opportunity for Deaf Muslims to meet others just like them, there is a great benefit in it for hearing Muslims too. Many Deaf Muslims brought friends along with them who were welcomed to ask questions. Elayan says that there are many misconceptions about Deaf people that just aren’t true; for instance, many are shocked to learn that she drives and has a job. She says that often time hearing people will look down on Deaf people or treat them as disabled because they can’t communicate with them. Global Deaf Muslims encourages these people to come and meet Deaf Muslims at expos like this. Elayan believes that hearing and Deaf Muslims can find ways to communicate, and relationships with hearing and non-hearing people can work.
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