“Turkey has again confused faith tourism and religious freedom in the announcement that the Imera Monastery has been partially restored,” reported International Christian Concern (ICC) on November 19. “It is acknowledged that the Imera Monastery is an important Christian site in the eastern Black Sea region, but the fact that Christians in this area suffered […]
Archbishop of Albania: Conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque is a ‘cultural jihad’
The archbishop is right. The conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque is for Erdogan a symbol of Islam’s triumph over secularism, just as its conversion to a museum in 1935 was a symbol of secularism’s triumph over Islam, and its original conversion to a mosque in 1453 was a symbol of Islam’s triumph over […]
Turkey: Religious Affairs top dog says ‘the goal’ is for Hagia Sophia to become a center of knowledge about Islam
The conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque is for Erdogan and Ali Erbas a symbol of Islam’s triumph over secularism, just as its conversion to a museum in 1935 was a symbol of secularism’s triumph over Islam, and its original conversion to a mosque in 1453 was a symbol of Islam’s triumph over Christianity. […]
Turkey: Nine Churches Named Hagia Sophia Have Now Been Converted to Mosques
Much of the international community has been shocked by the news concerning Turkey’s conversion of two historic Hagia Sophia churches into mosques in Istanbul and Trabzon. The famous Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul was originally founded as a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the sixth century CE. It was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman […]
Erdoğan’s Cultural Genocide Against Turkey’s Christian Heritage
In July, the Turkish government under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan turned Hagia Sophia, the most iconic church of the Orthodox Christian world, into a mosque. In August, the historical Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora was also turned into a mosque. With these initiatives, Turkey has decidedly declared its aspiration to confront the Western […]
Turkey’s economy plunges as tourists stay away after conversion of Hagia Sophia, Chora church to mosques
“A gesture to Muslims is [a] much more immediate [political gain] and preferable and the [gains from the] touristic side of Hagia Sophia can be negligible,” Sonmez argued. “That’s why he didn’t take it into consideration.” That is, the benefits of asserting Islam’s superiority over both secularism and Christianity outweighed for Erdogan any economic considerations. […]
Video: Robert Spencer on Hagia Sophia; Biden and the Coronavirus; and more
A wide-ranging interview with ex-Muslim Steve Mashni, streamed on Tuesday.
Turkey: Muslims screaming ‘Allahu akbar’ unfurl Taliban flag inside Hagia Sophia
Erdogan’s conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque has encouraged and emboldened Islamic supremacists and jihadists around the world. #AfghanTaliban flag was raised in #HagiaSophia, #Turkey by pro #Taliban activists. The conversion of Hagia Sophia was a motivational message of #MuslimBrotherhood to the world’s Islamist #extremists and #terrorists. Soon, pro #ISIS activists will raise their […]
Muslim prof: ‘Conversion of Hagia Sophia has handed right-wingers an excuse and impetus to demonise Islam’
Shahid A Abbasi is Emeritus Professor at Pondicherry University in India. In this article, he hits on the real why Erdogan should not have converted Hagia Sophia to a mosque. Not out of respect for the Christians of Turkey and for the country’s Christian heritage. Not to demonstrate his commitment to Kemalist secularism. Not because […]
Syrian Regime Emphasizes Its Protection of Christians By Building Miniature Hagia Sophia
The story is here: The Syrian regime under President Bashar Al-Assad has announced that it will build a miniature replica of the Hagia Sophia, in opposition to the Turkish government’s reversion of the building from a museum into a mosque. “The construction of this mini Hagia Sophia, taking place in the central province of Hama, […]
In slap at Turkey, Syrian government to build replica of Hagia Sophia with help from Russia
This move further highlights the new formations of strategic alliances in the Middle East. It is sure to infuriate and humiliate Turkey, which has been bursting with pride over its new “conquest” of Hagia Sophia, which was first built in 537 as a Christian cathedral. The reconversion of this Christian jewel into a mosque grieved […]
How a Turkish Journalist Sees the Transformation of Hagia Sophia
Memri.org has published here the summary of a debate between Syrian political analyst and a Turkish journalist, on the turning of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, followed by a transcript of excerpts from their debate. Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) aired a debate about Turkey’s recent decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Syrian political analyst […]
Muslims Scream ‘Allahu Akbar’ as Hagia Sophia Officially Becomes a Mosque
My latest at PJ Media: Hagia Sophia, the foremost cathedral in the entire Christian world for nearly a thousand years, officially became a mosque today, and the party is on in Istanbul. According to Middle East Eye, there was a festive atmosphere as thousands of Turks thronged to the city to take part in the […]
Turkey’s religious affairs chief brandishes sword during first Hagia Sophia sermon, “Hagia Sophia: Sign of conquest”
“Hagia Sophia: Sign of conquest, our trust in Fati̇h (Sultan Mehmet).” The Turks are making no secret of what the conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque means. What is coming should be clear to everyone, but isn’t: in February 2018, Erdoğan declared his desire to reconquer the lands the Ottoman caliphate once ruled: “Those […]
Turkey: Thousands of Muslims screaming ‘Allahu akbar’ celebrate ‘reconquest’ of Hagia Sophia
“Allahu akbar” means Allah is greater, i.e., greater than your god, and Turks today are making no effort to hide their supremacist delight. “Videos of the Greek dismay were circulated gleefully among the crowd in Istanbul.” This is no surprise, since Hagia Sophia as a mosque from 1453 to 1935 stood as a symbol of […]
After Hagia Sophia, Muslim Ruler Wonders, Why Not the Cordoba Cathedral?
The ruler of Sharjah, among the lesser of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, has apparently been so impressed with Turkish President Erdogan’s turning Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque that he has “demanded” – not asked, but demanded – that the cathedral in Cordoba be turned again into a mosque. […]
Hagia Sophia turned to mosque: majority of Greeks want EU financial sanctions against Turkey
As the U.S. Catholic bishops joined the Greek Orthodox Church in proclaiming July 24 a day of “mourning and manifest grief” over Turkey’s decision to convert the Hagia Sophia cathedral to a mosque, the majority of Greeks want action. “Greeks have expressed dissatisfaction with the international response to the Turkish regime,” and the strength of […]
Today, We Mourn Hagia Sophia
As dark a day as any since May 29, 1453. “Today, We Mourn Hagia Sophia,” by Claire Evans, International Christian Concern, July 24, 2020: 07/24/2020 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – A sword will pierce her heart, yet she ponders. Such is the legacy of Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is a legacy re-encountered […]
Muslim writer wants Christian mosaics removed from Hagia Sophia so Muslims don’t have to pray under image of ‘whore’
Zaimoglu was likely referring, as Sofuoglu did, to “images of the Byzantine empress Zoe. The Christian ruler married several times and is said to have had different lovers.” But doctrinaire Muslims don’t approve of images of Jesus, Mary, and the saints either, so if Zaimoglu and Sofuoglu are heeded, the historic Byzantine icons in Hagia […]
Turkish Supreme Court: Mehmet the Conqueror Bought Hagia Sophia, So Of Course It’s a Mosque
My latest in PJ Media: No one should be concerned about the conversion of Hagia Sophia, the foremost cathedral in the Christian world for nearly a thousand years, into a mosque – at least according to Shahid Qureshi, writing Monday in a Muslim publication known as the London Post. Why not? Because Mehmet the Conqueror, […]