Editorial photo #11090403 Religion and Belief
Indonesia's Islamic Boarding School Helps Students Recite The Koran In Sign Language
Azizaul, an Indonesian deaf student also known as 'Santri', is posing for a photo at the Islamic deaf boarding school Darul Ashom during the holy month of Ramadan in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on March 14, 2024. Islamic boarding schools are an integral part of life in Indonesia, with 4.85 million students residing in 39,167 institutions across the country, according to the religious affairs ministry. However, this Islamic boarding school is one of the few that offers religious education for deaf students in the world's largest Muslim-majority country. Darul Ashom, the Islamic deaf boarding school, was founded in September 2019 by Abu Kahfi. It serves as a religious school for deaf children, where the students are currently learning to recite the Koran in Arabic sign language, gesturing rapidly with their hands. The school now hosts 155 deaf boys and girls from across the archipelago who are experiencing deafness and hearing loss. (Photo by Garry Lotulung/NurPhoto)
