I am in a little behind in posting this as the Eid Feast is upon us now, but I found this article really interesting. The article comes from the BBC and is written by a Muslim Woman with multiple Sclerosis.

The article is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, for its explanation of Ramadan as more than a call to go without food and second for it explanation of reasonable accommodations made for Muslims with disabilities during Ramadan.

The author is clear that the call of Ramadan is about a call to a disciplined life.  She also writes about the flexibility in Islamic practice that provide a pathway to authentic practice for those who have disabilities.

I have learned much from my Muslim friends with disabilities and one of the biggest surprises to me about Islamic practice are th multiple paths of Islamic practice for those who are unable to practice in typical ways.

I would love to get some feedback from Muslims with disabilities regarding the article and the practices of Ramadan?

Interfaith Disability Connection

The Shepherd Center and

First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta

Present:
That All May Worship: Beyond The Ramp

A Discussion of Religion, Acceptance and Inclusion

August 3,2008

Shepherd Center Atlanta, GA

Interfaith Disability Connection (IDC), The Shepherd Center and the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta will present this educational conference Sunday, August 3 at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Titled, That All May Worship: Beyond the Ramp, this one-day event will focus on how religious communities can make their houses of worship even more accessible to those with disabilities. Topics will go beyond eliminating physical barriers and discuss creating services and programs in which all members can easily participate.

The event will be led by Rabbi Lynne Landsberg, Reverend Al Mead, Imam Furqan Muhammad and Ginny Thornburgh; four leaders in religion and disability education.

Leaders in religious communities and disability communities, advocates and friends are invited to take part in this conference on religion, acceptance, and inclusion. Attendees will gain the knowledge, resources and motivation to make positive changes in their religious communities.

Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg is Senior Advisor on Disability Issues for the Union for Reform Judaismâ??s Religious Action Center and Department of Jewish Family Concerns. She is currently a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) Justice, Peace and Religious Liberties Committee and chair of the CCAR Committee of Disability Awareness and Inclusion.

Reverend Al Mead is the Associate Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church and believes â??God has given us all the ability to Transcendâ?. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the 1996 Paralympic Organizing Committee and as a CBS Sports commentator for the Games. A Paralympic gold and silver medalist Mead was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Imam Furqan Muhammad is the Resident Imam at Masjid Al-Muminun in Atlanta. He possesses personal experience that has made him a tireless advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the Islamic community. Imam Muhammad currently serves as a member of the Board of the Interfaith Disability Connection

Ginny Thornburgh is Vice President and Director of the Religion and Disability Program at the National Organization on Disability in Washington, DC. Mrs. Thornburgh is a nationally recognized authority in matters at the intersection of religion and disability. Thornburgh is the author and editor of many insightful guides that focus on the inclusion of people with disabilities in congregational life. These guides include That All May Worship: An Interfaith Welcome To People With Disabilities (written with Ann Rose Davie), Loving Justice: The ADA and the Religious Community, and From Barriers to Bridges: A Community Action Guide for Congregations and People with Disabilities (Written with Janet Miller Rife).

Conference Agenda*

12:30 - 1:30 Registration and Box Lunch (Kosher lunches available)

1:30-1:40 Welcome and Invocation

1:40- 2:20 Reverend Al Mead

2:20- 3:10 Rabbi Lynne Landsberg

3:10- 3:40 Breakout Sessions led by Speakers

3:40- 3:55 Break

3:55- 4:40 What I Wish I Could Say to My Congregation About Welcoming a Person Like Me - Facilitated by Ginny Thornburgh

4:40-4:55 Break

4: 55- 6:00 Interfaith Worship with Challenge and close from Ginny Thornburgh

*Schedule subject to change

Registration details and fee information coming soon.

For more information visit www.interfaithdisability.org or email idc@bobbydodd.org.

I just received this article from an IDC Board Member from the Atlanta Jewish Community. The article seems to be a mother with a child with autism writing to another mother who has written for advice. The questioner wants to know what the Koran and Islamic law have to say about disability and Autism.

The crux of the response is that Islamic leaders have offered words or encouragement and strategies for teaching Islam.

The respondent  says we must continue to do all we can to work together to spread the awareness of disabilities and autism in our congregations and communities. I agree completely. The end of the letter also provides a good list of articles and web sites to learn more about autism.

The letter is very heartfelt. It is easy to tell that both the mother writing the question and the mother answering have been on difficult journeys. It is my hope that this exchange and others like it provide much food for the journey.

We are not alone, my friends. We have companions on this journey. May we have the courage to write a letter and to answer a letter for it is in this simple act that we begin to make our world more whole.

This article is  written by the Imam at the Islamic Council of Victoria in Australia. He writes about disability and the tools that Islam provides for interpreting the experience.

I would love to hear from members of the Islamic Community concerning this interpretation.