By the decision of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, one of the mosques in the capital of the United Arab Emirates changed its name to the name of the Virgin Mary.
Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Al Mushrif, an area in the capital of Abu Dhabi, was renamed Wednesday as Mariam, Umm Eisa, which translates from Arabic as "Mary, the mother of Jesus."
The renaming was initiated by His Highness Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahain, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in order to "strengthen ties between followers of different religions."
Sheikh Lubna Al-Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, thanked Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed for his "wise orders to implement this initiative, which served as a vivid example and excellent image of tolerance and coexistence useful for the UAE."
Muhammad Mattar Al Qaabi, chairman of the General Administration for Islamic Affairs and Donations, also thanked Sheikh Mohammed for this initiative. He added that since the time of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE has always been interested in tolerance and peaceful coexistence, "based on justice and brotherhood among all who live in the UAE."
A few steps from the recently renamed mosque is the Anglican Church of St Andrew's Church. Senior Clergyman Rev. Canon Andrew Thompson said he was "thrilled with the news."
