Ammon News - "The Mosque of Jesus Christ" is the exact name given to a mosque in the city of Madaba, south of the Jordanian capital Amman, founded in 2008.


AMMONNEWS - "The Mosque of Jesus Christ" is the exact name given to a mosque in the city of Madaba, south of the Jordanian capital Amman, founded in 2008.

This mosque is presently being hailed by the international news media as the first an only mosque in the modern Arab world to ever be named after Jesus Christ (peace be upon him).

In fact, it is not the only or even the first mosque in the Arab world to be named in Christ's honor. There is the Isa Bin Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) Mosque in Tripoli Lebanon, the famous Jesus Mosque in Giza Egypt, and countless other small mosques carrying the name without any claim to fame.

This is not to mention a number of mosques named "Jesus" in reference to the mosque's founder, since Jesus is a common first name for Muslims throughout the Arab world.

It may be true, however, that the mosque in Jordan is the first in the Arab world to be specifically called the "Jesus Christ Mosque" (Masjid Isa al-Maseeh), since it is more common for Muslims in Arab countries to refer to Christ as Isa Bin Maryam (Jesus the Son of Mary).

The naming of the "Jesus Christ Mosque" was a jesture noticable enough in Jordan to be appreciated. According to the newspaper Al Quds Al Arabì, what makes the new Jesus Christ Mosque so special is that both Muslims and Christians have shown appreciation for it.

The mosque of Jesus Christ is situated near a famous Church in the city of Madaba. According to ANSA reports, the idea for the name came from Jamal Al Sufrati, the mosque's imam, who also believed the mosque to be the first of its kind. "It occurred to me", the imam stated, "that the Arab world is full of mosques that are named after all prophets except Jesus."

The imam explained that "the mosque wishes to send out a message of togetherness and tolerance, particularly after the tensions between the two religions over two offensive caricatures of Prophet Muhammad."

Jesus is one of the major prophets of Islam and is recognized by Muslims to be the Christ (al-Maseeh in Arabic). There are in fact mosques named in Jesus' honor all over the world. Among more recent additions are the Isa Bin Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) Mosque in Stratford Connecticuit, and another in Columbus Ohio.




*Ahlul Bayt News Agency