Prince Mohammad Bin Zayed, The crown prince of UAE ordered the renaming of the mosque in order to consolidate bonds of humanity between followers of different religions.
According to our sources, Christian leaders in UAE have expressed their utmost delight at the gesture.They Christians view the development as another generous gesture of religious tolerance. Crowned Prince Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, June 14 ordered the renaming of the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed mosque in Al Mushrif, a district in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to ‘Mariam, Umm Eisa’. Mariam Umm Eisa is an Arabic name which translates to ‘Mary, the mother of Jesus’ in English. The Cable reports that the crown prince ordered the renaming in order “to consolidate bonds of humanity between followers of different religions.
Andrew Thompson, a senior chaplain at St Andrew’s Church, reacted with excitement to the news, stating: “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 symbolizes obedience to God. “We look forward to growing in deeper understanding with our neighbors, and we celebrate with them the new name of the mosque.” The news was also hailed by Jeramie Rinne, senior pastor of the Evangelical Community Church in Abu Dhabi, who said: “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.”