The Facebook post made by a couple from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has gone viral after they posted it on Friday, three days ahead of Christmas.
Gulf News spoke with the husband-and-wife team of Khalid Al Ameri and Salama to ask how and why they did the video which has taken the world by storm.
The couple shared that the video’s main message was on the theme of tolerance in the UAE, with the video highlighting how Christmas is openly celebrated in the Muslim country which has a minority Christian population, mainly comprising Asian and African migrant workers.
“I always wanted to do something that shows our part of the world in the best light.
“The good things usually get overshadowed by the bad news and so I felt that it was just a beautiful time to share how good things are in some parts of the world,” Khalid told the Dubai-based daily.
“We face a lot of challenges, but there is still a lot of positivity happening in our region, and the more we highlight it the more hope it gives people that things can get better, and there’s no better way of moving forward than with tolerance.”
The video speaks of how a mosque in Abu Dhabi is surrounded by four churches and also about how there is a giant Christmas tree in the middle of the city as well as Christmas-themed activities in the open.
“We have a mosque that is called the Mary Mother of Jesus Mosque and it is in an area right beside four churches, that sends a very powerful message of tolerance and coexistence between the different communities.” he told Gulf News.
Khalid was referring to the mosque which was originally named Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed”, until the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered the renaming of the mosque “to consolidate bonds of humanity between followers of different religions”.
The renaming of the mosque, located in the Al Mushrif district, to “Mariam, Umm Eisa”, which is the Arabic name for “Mary, the mother of Jesus”, was done on June 14 this year.
Minister of Tolerance, Happiness
“It’s also very important to point out that it wouldn’t have been possible to make such a video without a leadership and government making tolerance a priority,” Khalid was quoted as saying by Gulf News.
He added that it helps that the UAE has a Minister of Tolerance and a Minister of Happiness.
“So, all of these things have been put in place to bring people together and to highlight our similarities.”
Khalid told the daily that the feedback has also been very positive so far, with viewers from around the world watching the video.
“I look at the comments and there’s been a lot of positivity, a lot of people have been like ‘Wow! I didn’t know about this’.
So, it’s really good to show people around the world about how we live here and what it’s really like. When I read comments saying that this is what true Islam is what Muslims are really about, it warms my heart,” he said, according to the daily.
Khalid said that as someone who lives in this part of the world, he cannot be silent anymore.
“It is not an option for us. We need to share positive stories about this part of the world, and to put these stories out there in a way for people to engage with,” he said.
https://www.facebook.com/khalidalameri/videos/506074586438592/