By Harun M. Hassan
We live in a harsh world where people are increasingly facing various challenges, many of which affect their well-being and lifestyles. Unfortunately, Muslims with disabilities are sometimes faced with barriers within their own Muslim communities.
In Nairobi and major towns in Kenya many magnificent and sumptuous mosques are being built. It is fascinating to see this, not only because Islam loves beauty but because the main goal of a mosque is to make people feel comfortable and serene.
The mosque is a symbol of unity, the hallmark of pristine Islamic culture where Muslims stand shoulder-to-shoulder, united in their love for Allah and their desire to please Him–the poor and the rich alike, the young and the old alike, the able and the disabled alike.
Unfortunately, the structure of many of our mosques pay little attention, if any, to accessibility for disabled persons. Many mosques have steep stairs with no ramp or even a handrail. The toilets are small and inaccessible.
The ablution area is often tiled and slippery, but with no handle or rail. In Nairobi, for example, the Hurlingham Mosque is the only accessible one; and how many of us will afford to go to this far and downtown mosque?
As someone with a disability and a wheelchair user, it bothers to see of all places our mosques are “locking” us out. Again, it is particularly a big bother for disabled Muslim women; while places of worship for men are usually located on the ground floor, for ladies it is on upper floors.
The deaf Muslims, across Kenya, feel too left out of the Friday sermon, lectures, classes or other gatherings due to lack of sign language interpreters. Similarly, there are often no braille Qurans for the blind community.
According to Islamic teaching, the mosque should be a place for everyone regardless of color, social status or physical condition. In the eyes of Allah, humans are all equal; the only thing that makes one better than the other is the individual’s consciousness of Allah (taqwa).
Harun M. Hassan is the author of ‘Behind the Wheels’. He is also a social justice advocate and commentator.
