History was made in Jammu and Kashmir’s Banihal with the region’s first conference on the Braille Qur’an for visually impaired people. The two-day event, held at Darul Uloom Noomaniya, was organized by the J&K Handicapped Association, Madrasah Noorul Qur’an (Maharashtra), and Darul Uloom Noomaniya.
Maulana Fareed from Madrasah Noor-ul-Qur’an said the conference aimed to empower the 75,000 visually impaired people in J&K. He noted the rise in numbers from 58,000 in 2011 to 75,000 in 2016, with many lacking education and employment.
Maulana Muzamil, a teacher at the same institution, emphasized the need for better Qur’anic education using the Braille system and desired to establish a Madrassa for specially-abled people in the region.
Mohammad Saqib, a blind proofreader of the Braille Qur’an from Bihar, highlighted how education has transformed lives, enabling visually impaired individuals to stand equal with others. Advocate Khursheed Ramzan, moved by the spirit of the 150 specially-abled participants, stressed that blind people are not a burden.
Participants showcased their skills in reading Braille, operating computers, and learning about Artificial Intelligence. Mufti Zulfiqar Ahmed, chief of Darul Uloom Noomaniya, urged parents to provide their specially abled children with both Qur’anic and worldly education.
Among the participants was Irfan Ahmed, a Para-athlete and star cricketer from Kashmir, who shared his experiences overcoming the stigma attached to blindness.