The Virgin Mary Mosque


It's not a typo. There is actually a mosque in Melbourne called the Virgin Mary mosque. The article http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/islam-in-australia-a-diverse-society-finds-a-new-voice/2007/04/27/1177459982288.html tells of Sheik Isse Musse who named the mosque. He says "Let us prove that Christianity and Islam have many things in common. We both revere the Virgin Mary. He also says "...generally Muslims name their Mosques, their streets, everything after men. Let us show there is nothing wrong in naming a mosque after a person like Mary?" His reasons included that she was mentioned in the Koran and that the was very pious. The article http://australianetwork.com/focus/s2015868.htm says that "one mosque in Australia has taken the interfaith message to heart and is seeking to highlight the similarities between Islam and Christianity." "The Virgin Mosque is next door to a church, it's congregation includes people from East and West, and it's the only Mosque in Australia with a woman on it's board."
It's heartening to hear of integration and understanding instead of stories about segregation and dissention.

Anna Simonaitis