Muslims Use AI to Preserve Centuries-Old Ibadi Manuscripts in Tunisia

On the Tunisian island of Djerba, 74-year-old librarian Said al-Barouni is racing against time to safeguard his Muslim community’s little-known heritage, NDTV World reported yestersay.

According to the article, the Barouni’s family library holds over 1,600 ancient Ibadi texts and books, some dating back to 1357. Now, Barouni is using technology and AI to digitize and preserve these invaluable documents.

The manuscripts are dusted and scanned for digital copies, which Barouni believes is “today’s only solution” to preserve the old texts.

The Ibadi faith, an early divergent branch of Islam, faced persecution for centuries, forcing adherents to practice in secret and scatter their manuscripts among families.