By: Florence Ndagire – Includovate/ Senior Disability Researcher
Introduction
This blog is a result of the webinar on Disability and Religion on March 19th 2024. Cultural norms, traditions, values, and religion have a role to play in promoting the diversity that disability brings to religion and analyses the exclusion and inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Christian and Islamic faiths. By The two holy books have been chosen because they attract a wide range of readers, and provide a brief account of both the Islamic and Christian views of disability and a comparative analysis of the Islamic preachings following the Quran and the Christian(Good News Bible) perspectives of disability hope to catalyse thought reflection and reaction. There are positive and negative impacts of religion in promoting exclusion or disability inclusion. The reflections offer directions for the role of religious leaders in contributing towards disability and inclusion. It highlights levels of discrimination and stigma that limit the participation of persons with disabilities in church life and ends with a conclusion.
The webinar highlighted different perspectives on how Christian and Islamic religions view disability. The objectives of the webinar were to understand our beliefs, attitudes, and practices towards people with disabilities and their families. To learn and discuss the teachings of the Bible about disability and the way we relate to them. To understand the barriers people with disabilities face when participating in church and community life. To become aware of our church’s responses, roles, and responsibilities towards people with disabilities. And to develop action plans that promote disability inclusion in church life and ministries. The main speakers at this webinar were Esther Mambo, Huib Cornielje, Sisay Mammo, and Paulien Bruijn. Each shared experience provides relevance to the need to engage religious leaders in promoting disability rights and inclusion.
Reflections of the webinar on disability and religion
Persons with disabilities constitute up to 15%, of the world’s population, the largest minority who have been marginalised and excluded from society across the globe. Religion has contributed to exclusionary societal beliefs that perceive disability as a result of sin and punishment from God, leading to inequalities, stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities (1).
Both Christianity and Islam have a rich history of interpretation of their scriptures. Christian interpretations of the Old and New Testaments have evolved throughout the centuries. Islam, with its own set of scriptures, emphasises a rights-based approach within its legal system. While both religions grapple with issues of inclusion, some argue that the Islamic approach offers valuable insights and has more commonality with modern disability conventions. Within the Christian and Islamic faiths, there are widely varying views on disability, its causes, and how people with disabilities should be treated and approached. Some aspects promote exclusion through discrimination and stigmatisation; others support inclusion. Theological interpretations of disability are very significant in shaping the way society relates to persons with disabilities (2).
The Bible, especially the Old Testament, contains texts that continue to reinforce the oppression and marginalisation of people with disabilities. In Christianity, disability is viewed as a disease (3). The most common diseases mentioned in the Bible are deafness, blindness, dumbness, leprosy, and paralysis. Those with disabilities are regarded as less able to participate in church life, and it is rare to find a church leader with a disability. Disability is also viewed as virtuous suffering; a suffering that must be endured to bring purification to the righteous. This teaching is criticised for encouraging passive acceptance of social barriers in the name of obedience to God.
Disability within Christianity has typically been viewed as an object of charity. Although charitable activities have good intentions of rendering supportive services to persons with disabilities to bring justice to them, justice is denied when persons with disabilities are segregated from society and hidden from the public eye. Ultimately, if religion wants to be truly inclusive of people with disabilities, it must treat them as people with needs just like everyone else and not disclude them from opportunities because of their disability. In Islam, the Qur’an guides on how persons with disabilities should be cared for and has a solid social responsibility for Muslims to take care of persons with disabilities. Giving Zakat to people with disabilities is not charity; instead, it is a means of implementing the will of God. The Qur’an emphasises that no one should be ridiculed, which prohibits prejudices based on disability. Persons with disabilities are rights holders and not objects of charity. They need to be empowered to participate meaningfully in social and economic life. Segregation of persons with disabilities in itself is discrimination based on disability, which is also prohibited under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The webinar participants shared their experiences and told stories about disability, culture, tradition, and religion. Though participants came from different parts of the world, most lived in Africa. The stories related to traditional and religious thinking about disability and the causes of disability, as well as stories of exclusion, acceptance, respect, belonging, and hope. These stories had both positive and negative connotations that promoted disability inclusion.
Exclusionary and prejudicial interpretations surrounding disability and religion
Different interpretations of preachings suggest that disability has a connection with sin and a punishment from God, which explains the reasons many societies leave persons with disabilities behind in most of the social and religious constructs. The Bible portrays disability as a curse. In Zephania 1:17, God promised to bring distress to the people because they had sinned against him: “They will walk like blind men.” God strikes his servant’s assailants with blinding flashes. linking God as the cause of disability. The sudden paralysis that occurred to King Jeroboam confirms this. In Zechariah 11:17, a curse is invoked upon the “negligent shepherd.” God’s judgement is severe; Jeroboam’s arm shrivels up completely. Associating disability with a punishment or a curse limits people in society’s ability to render support to persons with disabilities since they believe that the curse might be passed on to them. To this end, people are less likely to help those with disabilities since they presume that they are being punished for bad behaviour.
The Bible makes prejudicial pronouncements on different categories of disability. According to Isaiah 44:8-10, those who speak up for the idols are warned that they are blind and ignorant. In Isaiah 56:10, blindness refers to negligence, “Israel’s watchmen are blind; they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs; they cannot bark, they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.”. These statements are not only prejudicial to persons with disabilities; They are abusive, discriminatory, and exclusive. The references made to persons with disabilities as ignorant, mute dogs who love to sleep reflect aspects of non-performance and explain the reasons for the failure of religion to recognise their contributions to church life.
The Bible exempts persons with disabilities from religious responsibilities, as they are believed to be unworthy and unclean to hold the role of the priesthood and, after that, perform the sanctuary of God. However, the Islamic faith does not exempt persons with disabilities from religious responsibilities, but exceptions can be made according to the individual’s abilities. Persons with disabilities are involved in the pilgrimage to Mecca, the fasting month of Ramadan, and the five daily prayer (4). Sharia law requires believers to do what only lies within their abilities.
Aspects of exclusion continue in the New Testament even adding a negative stigma and attribution to disability. In the gospel of John, sight and light are symbols of truth, while blindness and darkness are symbols of sin and unbelief. In John chapter 9, Jesus said: “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin.” Such statements promote norms of stereotypes and stigma associated with disability. Without deconstructing the stigma related to disability through religious preachings, achieving disability inclusion in religious life will take so long to be realised.
Physical disability is even listed as a limitation towards the attainment of the role of priesthood. Leviticus sets out the requirements of the ministry: physical imperfection impedes the exercise of the priestly office. Persons with disabilities are regarded as unworthy and unclean, a perception that excludes them from religious communities and services.
In contrast, the Islamic faith is accommodating and interprets disability as a function of humanity. In the textual traditions of Islam, disability is considered to be a part of human nature. “We have honoured the children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and we have provided them with good things, and we have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference” (Quran 17:70) (5). This consideration emulates the principle of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls for acceptance of disability as part of human diversity and difference. However, the origins of the theology of Islam are disputed. Some view disability as a punishment in the same way as the Bible, while others consider it a test.
The Islamic tradition contains the concept of Qadar, which is the belief in preordination. Disability is, therefore the will of God, a phrase of recognition that calls for respect for their inherent dignity. In a related development, the Qur’an promises rewards to those who are disadvantaged.
Religion and disability-inclusive practices
The Great Banquet parable is significant in the quest for disability inclusion (6). Jesus Christ’s objective is to unite persons with disabilities. Within the circle of the church, the Kingdom of God is incomplete without them. “The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and he healed them” (Matt. 21:14) (7). Jesus heals the paralysed man in Luke 5:17-26. Despite opposition from the Pharisees, the man was healed because of his faith. The paralysed man couldn’t walk, and the only way he could have earned a living was by begging on the street. Disability is manifested in several ways; to some, it may be temporary; to others, it may be permanent or severe. Imagine the barriers the paralysed man experienced. He was dependent on support from others like many persons with disabilities do. Inclusion calls for removing barriers to create a friendly environment for all.
Jesus’s instructions to the disciples to go out into the world and preach to every creature are a manifestation of the inclusion of persons with disabilities (Mark 16:15). This implies that Jesus Christ recognised persons with disabilities in all aspects, including their inheritance of the Kingdom of God and the features of the body of Christ.
In addition, recently, one of the Islamic Faith advocates, Kabira Masotta, appealed for a more spiritual approach to disability based on the teachings of Sufism. The Sufi tradition emphasises vulnerability and servitude, both spiritually and physically (8).
The transformation of disability inclusion calls for a spiritual journey that transforms the individual, a process accessible to everyone regardless of disability. Reflecting on the above discussion, it is critical to engage religious leaders in society to equip them with knowledge of disability inclusion to create lasting change. At the same time, religious interpretations may be motivators of respect, and oblige communities to support people with disabilities. Religion plays a central role in people’s public and private lives, especially in Africa and religious actors have played a key role in supporting the poor and fighting injustices and human rights violations. Religion continues to drive care for the needy, especially through education and health services. Religious leaders can effectively communicate messages that promote disability inclusion. Because of their legitimacy, the local community and decision-makers can hear them. Religion encourages and provides hope to persons with disabilities during challenging circumstances to think positively through spiritual support.
Conclusion
This blog highlights the levels of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes from a religious point of view, and tries to parse out some of the barriers to equality and inclusion and possible reflections to advance inclusion.
Religious leaders have a role to play in promoting disability inclusion. Their preaching and interpretation of the scriptures in the Bible and the Qur’an provide moral authority, which helps change the communities’ mindsets regarding disability inclusion and even learn from interreligious sharing. They are very influential in the eyes of community decision-makers and leaders when advocating for support and deconstructing stigma. However, to bring about meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in religious life, people with disabilities should be viewed as those who make an effective contribution to society and should be allowed to be ordained as priests, as emulated by the Islamic faith.
It is essential to involve persons with disabilities in the preparation of summons. They should be allowed to provide input. Sharing their experiences will go a long way in raising awareness in the community about disability inclusion. During summons in churches and mosques, always think about the terminologies used, as these may be interpreted to be abusive and discriminatory towards persons with disabilities.
While religions may preach the importance of inclusion and acceptance of individuals with disabilities, the actual practices within religious communities may not always reflect these beliefs. It is important for religious organisations to actively work towards promoting inclusion and accessibility for individuals with disabilities within their communities.
Florence Ndagire is a lawyer and senior disability researcher at Includovate. As Uganda’s first visually impaired female lawyer, she holds a Master of Laws in International and European Human Rights Law from the University of Leeds and a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University. Florence is currently a PhD finalist at Makerere University, focusing on access to reproductive health services for persons with disabilities in Uganda.
Florence has extensive experience in civil society, having worked in various capacities, including as a program officer and human rights policy advisor at the World Blind Union. She has served as the chairperson of the UN Women Regional Civil Society Advisory Group of East and Southern Africa and is currently the UNPRPD advisor. Her work has involved supporting reports on support services, legal capacity, and independent living for the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Florence has also contributed to significant policy and advocacy efforts for disability rights in Uganda. She was involved in the project “My Story, My Rights,” which provided evidence for Uganda’s review of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She has worked with the Uganda National Association of the Blind, ADD International, and the Uganda Society for Disabled Children, advocating for legal and policy reforms to benefit children and adults with disabilities. Florence is the primary author of the paper “Will the proposed reforms in the mental health treatment act be consistent with Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Uganda?”.
References :
(1) Eiesland (1994:73-74)
(2) Otieno P.A. Biblical and theological perspectives on disability: implications on the rights of persons with disabilities in Kenya. Disability Studies Quarterly vol.29:no.4 (2009).
(3) The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible: 1962; Encyclopaedia Judaica: 1972).
(4) Arseli Dokumaci, “Performance of Muslim Daily Prayer by Physically Disabled Practitioners,” in Disability in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Sacred Texts, Historical Traditions and Social Analysis, ed. Darla Schumm and Michael Stoltzfus (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, n.d.), 131
(5) Al-Aoufi, Al-Zyoud, and Shahminan, “Islam and the Cultural Conceptualisation of Disability,” 208–209
(6) Rayan (1991:29)
(7) Matt 21: 12-14
(8) Kabira Masotta, “Disability in Islam: A Sufi Perspective,” Journal of Disability and Religion 25, no. 1 (2020): 79