Beauty of Religious Tolerance: Behold Mosque Renamed ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus’ in Dubai
Dubai, UAE- The Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque renamed ‘Mariam, Umm Eisa’ — Arabic for ‘Mary, the mother of Jesus’ signifies the beauty of religious tolerance to the rest of the world.
The ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus' Mosque was renamed in 2017 and it is located in Al Mushrif, a district in the capital of Abu Dhabi.
Source: UGC
According to Gulf News, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, ordered the renaming of the mosque.
The initiative was to “consolidate bonds of humanity between followers of different religions”.
Behold the beauty of ‘Mary, the mother of Jesus’ Mosque
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Commendation for ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus’ in Dubai
Speaking about the initiative, Minister of State for Tolerance, Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi said:
“Wise directives in carrying out this initiative that set a shining example, and a beautiful image of the tolerance and coexistence enjoyed by the UAE.”
Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Mohammad Mattar Al Kaabi, said, the UAE has always been keen on tolerance and peaceful coexistence “that is based on justice and brotherliness among all those living in the UAE”.
The senior chaplain of St Andrew’s Church, Reverend Canon Andrew Thompson, said that he was “delighted” with the news.
“We are delighted that we are celebrating something that we have in common between both our faiths,”
“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.”
The senior pastor of the Evangelical Community Church in Abu Dhabi, Jeramie Rinne, said:
“His Highness Shaikh Mohammad has made another generous gesture of religious tolerance in renaming the mosque.
“The UAE continues to set the pace in this region for peaceful coexistence and cooperation. We are very encouraged and feel blessed to be a part of this nation.”
Religious tolerance at its best in UAE
A church in Al Ain opened its doors for Maghrib prayers for more than 200 Asian Muslim workers.
The church workers lay down carpets on the wooden floor to enable the Muslims to perform prayers.
Several senior Emirati officials in Al Ain called up the church to express their appreciation after the news got to them.
A worker at the St George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Simhasana Cathedral, Bobin Skariya, said:
“It was the first time, at least in the UAE, that a church opened its doors for Muslim prayers.”
Christians join Muslims to clear grass at Eid praying ground
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that in an attempt to strengthen peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance, Christians have joined the Muslim faithful to clear grass at the Eid praying ground in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna state.
Daniel Bitrus, the Community Peace Observers (CPO) team leader, said the exercise was done to promote religious tolerance and better understanding among faith adherents.
Source: Legit.ng
