Saudi governor turns to the Mother of Jesus to overcome the coronavirus
ʿAsīr governor is urging people to learn from Mary's perseverance. Trust in God, strength to survive and courage in difficult times make her a "true victor". Saudi Arabia has the highest number of cases among Arab Gulf nations.
Riyadh (AsiaNews) – In the middle of the emergency caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, “numerous success stories" have been recorded, linked above all to “perseverance, courage, strength and finding strength in faith,” writes Turki Bin Talal, governor of the province of ʿAsīr (southern Saudi Arabia) in a long editorial in the Saudi Gazette.
The governor, a Muslim, calls on people to turn to Our Lady to find strength, courage and a path to overcome the COVID-19 outbreak.
If we look at the Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus, in the Qurʼān, “we’ll find one particular story that tells of perseverance” in the quest for “a road map” to “combat struggles and pandemics.”
“In her story, she had faced the struggles of her pregnancy, self-purification, family and history against a harsh society that had shown her no mercy. It was only through Divine directives that she was able to see the path to survival and success.”
Among the directives that Our Lady faithfully followed, Turki Bin Talal points to the first, which is to “ascertain the belief in divine judgment”. Others include finding “the strength to survive no matter how weak one felt” and ultimately the power to "face the struggle with courage and determination".
“The story of Mariam (Mary),” the governor notes, “tells the story of every true victor [. . .]. The moral of her story is clear; it’s through these directives [from God] that success against all struggles and pandemics can be achieved.”
So far, Saudi Arabia has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Arab Gulf nations. In view of this, it suspended the minor pilgrimage and asked the faithful from all over the world to stop booking for this year’s Hajj, which now is in doubt.
Saudi Arabia, Governor Turki Bin Talal notes, is “at the forefront” of the fight against the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
He explains that “The fate of humanity has raised a global citizens response, the realization that we all must live as modern societies, awakening leaders into seeing the bigger picture”.
“It is only through living in harmony will we see the power of the strength that lies in coming together as one.” Only “through the story of Aaron’s sister, Mariam the Virgin, [that] will we find the lessons of survival.”
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10/04/2020 12:21
