Dubai: The Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates, has been renamed “Mariam, Umm Eisa,” which translates to “Mary, Mother of Jesus,” for promoting brotherhood in Islam and Christianity.
Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi crown prince and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces had given orders to make the change, with an aim to “consolidate bonds between followers of different faiths.”
Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of state for tolerance thanked Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed for taking the initiative to set up an example of mutual tolerance and coexistence of different religions, reports IBT.
“We are delighted that we are celebrating something that we have in common between both our faiths,” said a senior chaplain of St. Andrews church on hearing the news.
“Mary, as the mother of Jesus, is, of course, a holy, special figure in our communities. She is a woman who symbolises obedience to God. We look forward to growing in deeper understanding with our neighbours, and we celebrate with them the new name of the mosque,” he explained.
Another senior pastor of the Evangelical Community Church also welcomed the news and said that it was a very generous gesture by the crown prince.
Moreover, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi also met the Pope in September 2016 and discussed the importance of religious tolerance.