Trump’s Tweet on Virgin Mary Condemned by American Muslim Leader
Daisy Khan, Executive Director of the Women’s Islamic Initiative for Spirituality & Equality Calls Tweet “Defamation Against All that Muslims Hold Sacred”
NEW YORK CITY, NY, DC (Nov. 29, 2017)
– In response to President Donald Trump’s decision to retweet a far-right video claiming that Muslims would tear down a statue of the Virgin Mary, Daisy Khan, Executive Director of the Women’s Islamic Initiative for Spirituality & Equality made the following statement:
President Donald Trump’s choice to retweet a far-right organization’s video that defames Muslim religious beliefs is reprehensible. The Virgin Mary is someone that Muslims around the world hold as sacred and as a symbol of all that Muslims stand for.
We have issued a new report,
WISE Up: Knowledge Ends Extremism
, in which we make clear how Muslims view the Virgin Mary. The report features a robust FAQ section on the most common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims; a partial list of those questions can be found on the report’s website,
www.wiseupreport.org/faqs-about-islam/
On the Virgin Mary, the report states:
'Muslims believe that she is the Virgin Mother of [Jesus]. An entire chapter in the Qur’an is named after her. The chapter called Mary (“Maryam” in Arabic) and other verses in the Qur’an emphasize her piety, righteousness, and status as an exemplar for all people, male and female.’
‘Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mentioned more times in the Qur’an than in the New Testament.’
‘Maryam (Mary) is described in the Qur’an as “chosen above all women” and is regarded as one of the most righteous and pious women: “The angels said, ‘Mary, God has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above all women in the world. Mary, be dedicated to your Lord; bow down and kneel with those who are kneeling in prayer” (3:42–43). As testament to her righteousness, a chapter (surah) of the Qur’an is named after her, making her one of only eight people to have a surah named after them. For her steadfastness and purity, God chose her to give birth to Jesus, “the spirit of God.” The Qur’an calls her the truthful one (5:75) who followed God’s commandments, fulfilled her covenant with God, and endured many hardships. That the story of Maryam appears in the Qur’an is deeply significant for interfaith relations, as it is through her that we find a key connection between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.’
