The Virgin Mary in a Tehran Subway Station?

 

Iran's new metro station honours Virgin Mary

Tehran (AFP) – Shiite Islam may be the official religion in Iran, but entering Tehran's brand-new Maryam Moghaddas metro station, you could be forgiven for feeling as if you're stepping inside a Christian church.

I was surprised and intrigued when I saw this headline and wondered if was misleading or even "fake news", to quote a certain politician. Iran is a Muslim country, so why would a subway station honour Mary, the mother of Jesus? It's not widely known that Islam reveres Jesus as a prophet and holds Maryam or Mary in high regard as well. Both are featured in the station. 

According to a France 24 report:

In Iran, a vast multicultural country, Shiite Islam is the official state religion. However, the Constitution recognises Sunni Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity as minority religions, each of which has its own representatives in the Iranian parliament.

Christianity was present in this part of the world long before the rise of Islam during the Arab conquest of Persia in the 7th century AD.

"This station recalls the divine woman who awakened the world through her purity and by nurturing a great prophet," said Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani on X.

He added that the building was designed to "showcase the coexistence of divine religions in Tehran."

Although it's difficult to establish exact figures for the number of Christians in Iran they may be as few as less than half a percent of the 94 million people. Those who are part of religious minorites in Iran must tread lightlly in daily life and there are reports of persecution, including executions. While this odd recognition of Mary may seem to be a positive step it isn't reflected in the way Christians and others are treated under this repressive regime.

I will not be putting a visit to Iran on my non-existent bucket list but it the metro station does rank high on the wacky world of religion list.