A screenshot of the portal.
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has launched a new Ramadan portal for people with hard-of-hearing, adding 130 visual materials in the sign language.
The portal is part of Islamweb.net, which aims at providing religious materials to all segments of the community.
Addressing the launch ceremony at the headquarters of the ministry yesterday, Assistant Director of the Department of Religious Call and Guidance Jassim Abdullah Al Ali said that the Department is constantly developing the portal for people with hard-of-hearing by adding dozens of visual materials regularly.
He said that the initiative aims at providing more information to the targeted group as contribution from the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to serve the community.
Al Ali said that the ministry has taken important steps in developing religious and guidance services, including launching the new version of the Ramadan portal for people with hard-of-hearing, adding 130 visual materials.
He said that the islamweb.net is considered one of the advocacy projects that has been supported and financed by the Department of Endowment Funds at the General Directorate of Endowments since its establishment in 1998 until today it has become a global website with a huge followers from all continents of the world.
Director of the Endowment Funds Department at the General Directorate of Endowments Jassim Hassan Bu Hazza said that Endowment Funds for Scientific and Cultural Development supports such large projects that serve the local and foreign community in all its categories, especially people with disabilities, including those hard-of-hearing.
He said that the Islamweb.net is run by the Department of Religious Call and Guidance in six languages (Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, and Indonesian), in addition to the portal for people with hard-of-hearing.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Qatari Centre of Social Cultural for the Deaf Abdullah Al Mulla said that the portal is distinguished by its diversity, beautiful style, and interest in sign language, which has become a companion for hard-of-hearing people, hoping that this model will be achieved and applied to Friday sermons and lectures in the country.
Adviser to the Qatar Society for the Rehabilitation of People with Special Needs, Tariq Al Issawi, said that the portal is a valuable and indispensable treasure for hard-of-hearing category, hoping that the achievement will continue to include other topics and programmes that benefit such people in all fields.
Professor Tariq Hamza from the Audio Education Complex suggested to the ministry that the Sharia materials approved in the school curriculum be translated for students so that the efforts can be unified to reach a reliable curriculum and language that provides students with an easier approach.
Professor Osama Al Ghoul, a researcher in the Research and Innovation Department at the Mada Centre, pointed out the importance of involving sign language and standardising it at the Arab level and integrating it with electronic programmes in light of the tremendous and rapid development in the field of information technology.
Within the framework of Qatar’s initiative to digitise the Unified Arabic Sign Dictionary, the Sokoon application was recently developed and represented by the Ministry of Social Development and Family (MoSDF) in cooperation with the League of Arab States, which aims to enhance inclusiveness and digital access for hard of hearing people in the Arab world. MoSDF launched the Sokoon application to digitise sign language in cooperation with the Mada Center last month.
