A mosque have been renamed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by the crown prince, Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, June 14.
The mosque in Al Mushrif, a district in Abu Dhabi, UAE, was renamed to ‘ Mariam, Umm Eisa’.
Mariam Umm Eisa is an Arabic name which translates to ‘Mary, the mother of Jesus ’ in English.
According to reports from the Cable, 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.”