Abu Dhabi mosque renamed after Mary, mother of Jesus

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince orders change of name to promote religious tolerance

A mosque in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been renamed after Mary the mother of Jesus Christ.

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Al Mushrif, a district in the Abu Dhabi, was renamed to “Mariam – Umm Eisa” (Arabic for “Mary – the mother of Jesus”) on Wednesday.

The change, ordered by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, aims to “consolidate bonds between followers of different religions," according to Gulf News.



The Minister of State for Tolerance Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi thanked the crown prince for his “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.”

Thanking the Shaikh for the initiative, chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments said UAE had been keen towards tolerance and peaceful coexistence “based on justice and brotherliness” since days of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, being carried forward by President Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Shaikh Mohammad.



Senior pastor of the Evangelical Community Church in Abu Dhabi, Jeramie Rinnie welcomed the news while emphasising the importance of the religious figure in both Islam and Christianity. “She is in a prominent way present in the Bible as well as in the Holy Quran, and constitutes an important bond between Christians and Muslims,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Gulf News.