The Muslim Mary (Ottawa Citizen)

[eppur_se_muova]

No ax to grind here ... posting for informative purposes only.

If you are looking for the religious text with the most references to Mary, the mother of Jesus, look no further than the Koran, Jennifer Green writes.

Jennifer Green, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Thursday, December 21, 2006

Islam and Christianity revere Mary above all other women, a human divinely appointed to bear Jesus in a virgin birth. But the Koran mentions Mary 34 times, and names an entire chapter after her -- more than she gets in the Bible, according to Cruden's Complete Concordance. She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Koran, and some scholars say Muslims actually revere her more than Christians do.

"Without a doubt, she is the most spectacular female figure that appears in the whole of the Koran," says Bruce Lawrence, Islamic scholar and author of The Qur'an: A Biography. "That's quite something extra for Christians to have to deal with."

Robert Moynihan, editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, agrees. In one sense, "I would say Muslims have more veneration of Mary -- those who are believing Muslims -- than most Christians today. That's because of the decline of Marion veneration in Christianity."

Pockets of worshippers around the world still pray extensively to Mary, especially among Catholics, but her influence has waned in the last generation. As women struggled to be heard, in church hierarchies and society at large, exhortations to follow Mary's example of chastity and acceptance of God's will started sounding like clerical spin designed to keep the ladies in line.

"She is not out of the picture, but she is not woven into the warp and woof of the faith," Mr. Moynihan said from his office in Rome. "That shattered with the confrontation with the modern world."

more: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/features/story.html?id=a3146ea8-5c72-4be2-b9ce-f688c0cf6b49&k=37391

Discuss amongst yourselves.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I like to post

from the sura Maryam, especially around Christmastime, on other boards. It is amazing the positive reactions I've gotten from Christians.

[bryant69]

2. Interesting article

Thanks for posting.

Bryant

[MistressOverdone]

3. When I see Muslim women

in their robes, often looking so very graceful and feminine (not saying I am comfortable with the whole concept) I always think of Mary.

And I also wonder why people who live in such heat and sandy conditions wear such heavy robes. And have for centuries, I guess.

[TRYPHO]

4. Reminds of the ultra-orthodox Jews who wear the ...

great big black heavy coats and fur hats to protect against the cruel winters of the Steppes of the Russian hinterland or the Polish gulags, they still resolutely wear exactly the same in the boiling heat of Jerusalem.

Not COOOOOOOL!

TRYPHO

[MistressOverdone]

5. Do you think the long robes

protect against sand, maybe? Dry heat? I'd like to hear from someone who has lived there.

[TRYPHO]

6. Sand and dry heat in Jerusalem?

Jerusalem is more like Manhatten* than Nevada! Eilat is VERY hot (140 degrees) and no fool would be religious there!, whilst Tel Aviv has lots of sand, but in the Florida way, not the Sahara style.

Chassidic Black-Coats and hat are only good for Russian and New York winters.

TRYPHO
* - no it isn't, its more like, err....well "google pictures" and see for yourself, but its a BUSY place, with lots of buses, markets, noise, people, guns, smells and stuff - a market town. Maybe even a donkey or two!