Reno Omokri sheds light on the surprise expressed by Nigerian Christians and media outlets like Punch regarding a mosque named ‘Mary the Mother of Jesus’ in Dubai.
The former aid to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan took to his Facebook to argue that those advocating for Nigerian Muslims to learn from Dubai are themselves unaware of the rich Islamic traditions in Nigeria.
He said:
“It is somewhat surprising that Nigerian Christians, and even a newspaper like Punch, are surprised that there is a mosque named after Mary, the mother of Christ, in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
“Those asking Nigerian Muslims to learn from Dubai, are actually the ones who should learn from Nigerian Muslims. They are relatively ignorant of Islam.
“The most Islamic state in Nigeria is Sokoto. And one of the most common names in that seat of the Islamic Caliphate is actually the name of Christ. Isa is not a Hausa name.
“Isa, or Yisa, or Issa, is the Arabic version of Yeshua in Hebrew and Jesus in Greek. So revered is the name in Sokoto that a Local Government Area is named after Him-Isa Local Government Area, Sokoto.
“As a matter of fact, you cannot be a true Muslim if you do not believe that God sent Christ. When prophet Muhammad, Salla Allahu alayhi Wasalaam, had his first revelation of the Quran, he went with his wife, Khadijah, to consult a man named Waraqah ibn Nawfal. Waraqah was a monotheistic Christian, who revered Maryam (Mary).
“When the Quraysh wanted to kill prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the first Muslims, the Muslims escaped to the Christian nation of Ethiopia, where they were protected by the Negus, which was the first hijrah before the hijrah to Medina.
“Christ is mentioned by name in the Quran more times than almost anybody except prophet Muhammad (SAW), and Moses, and His mother, Maryam, of whom the Dubai mosque is named, is the only woman mentioned BY NAME in the Quran. (Other women were mentioned but not by name).
“So, if Al-Quran mentions Maryam, why is it surprising that a mosque is adorned with her name? Christ Himself is described in the Quran as Al-Masihu Isa (Yeshua The Messiah) in Quran 4.157, 4.171.
“So, it is only people unfamiliar with Islam in general, and with Islam as practiced in Nigeria, that will marvel at the Dubai mosque named after Maryam (Mary).
“How can you ask Nigerian Muslims, who named a whole Local Government after Yeshua (Jesus), to learn from Dubai, because they named a mosque after Maryam (Mary). Who should learn tolerance from who?”
