The Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Al Mushrif, a district in Abu Dhabi, was recently renamed ‘Mariam, Umm Eisa’ “ Arabic for ‘Mary, the mother of Jesus’. The change was ordered by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to “consolidate bonds of humanity between followers of different religions”. Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, thanked Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed 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”. Mohammad Mattar Al Kaabi, Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, also thanked Shaikh Mohammad for this initiative. Just steps away from the newly-renamed mosque is St Andrew’s Church, an Anglican parish. Its senior chaplain, 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,” he said. “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.
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