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. Note also that Erdogan says that Hagia Sophia has been returned to “its original identity.” Its nearly thousand years as a cathedral before it was a mosque don’t count. That’s just jahiliyya, the society of unbelievers, which in Islamic theology is worthless trash.
“Hagia Sophia to be Turned into a Center of Knowledge About Islam,” translated by John Sanidopoulos, Orthodoxy and World Religions, October 7, 2020:
The President of Religious Affairs in Turkey, Imam Ali Erbas, presented his plans last weekend and those of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding Hagia Sophia, which he promotes as a Symbol of Conquest and the Sovereignty of Islam. At the same time, the Turkish President describes the decision on Hagia Sophia as “a harbinger of a new era in world politics.”
“After 86 years of longing, we have experienced the happiness of returning Hagia Sophia to its original identity,” Erdogan told the Clerics….
“The goal is for all our mosques and especially Hagia Sophia to become centers of knowledge about Islam, as before,” [Erbas] added.
Boycott Turkey says
Yes the knowledge that Theft of Churches is allowed in Islam only thing the free world sees is how Islam doesn’t respect others religion by turning Agia Sophia into a mosque but what does this Nazi iman know they have no morality when it comes to Islam and what it teaches give it back you thieve Turks don’t take what’s not yours also how comes all those holy places in Islam are stolen properties like the Kaaba Agia Sophia and I could go on.
mortimer says
Al Azhar University told them not to do it.
gravenimage says
Mortimer, I think this is more because Al Azhar doesn’t want to see the reestablishment of the Ottoman Empire than their actually defending Christians. After all. Christians are persecuted in Egypt.
mortimer says
Pope Francis should listen to priests working in Muslim-dominated areas to get the real picture. He should listen to distinguished Roman Catholic authorities on jihadism (there are several) to get the picture about the CANONICAL HATRED that authentic Islam commands against Jews, Christians, Hindus, atheists and other Muslims of the ‘wrong’ sect.
At one time, Turkey had a secularist government. Not now. It’s a government of religious fanaticism that the pope cannot fathom with his delusional, wishful thinking.
Who can change the pope’s mind? What will it take beyond this ideological declaration of war from Imam Ali Erbas?
Can the pope not tell which way the wind is blowing? If not, what good is such a blind guide?
James Lincoln says
mortimer says,
“Can the pope not tell which way the wind is blowing?”
Perhaps Bob Dylan had it right in his “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
“You don’t need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows.”
somehistory says
The simple fact that moslims stole the church, slaughtered those who took refuge there, and have now, after wars and other upheavals, begun again preying…yes, preying,…there provides enough “knowledge of islam” that any thinking person can see just how very slimy evil islam is and how worthless any lies moslims may tell to the contrary.
The “devil is in the details” when it comes to the Truth about islam. satan is the god of moslims and he teaches them to be as he is.
FYI says
Knowledge and Wisdom are different things.muslim ‘scholars’ love to boast about the koran’s ‘knowledge’
But the koran has no Wisdom source behind it as there is in the Bible nor are allah’s ‘scholars’ able to see that.
If the koran has errors in it,it cannot be the ‘perfect’ book.
If the koran has demonstrably false statements in it,it cannot be True.
If allah mistakenly thinks MARY is in the Christian Trinity{koran 5:116}or that the Jews believe ‘Ezra is the son of allah’ {koran 9:30} then allah cannot be omniscient as an omniscient god would KNOW Christians don’t have Mary in the Trinity and Jews don’t believe in anyone called Ezra is the son of allah.
Had islamic ‘scholars’ followed allah’s advice of koran 10:94 and checked the Bible they would have noticed that it is the koran that is in ERROR,not the Bible.They have had centuries to find that out.But their ‘knowledge’ did not give them the Wisdom to see that islam is a false creed,with a false prophet,a false god and a false plagiarized scipture.
DavidR says
Muslims may be the people most in denial about their own religion’s claims.
FYI says
unfortunately their imams and ‘scholars’ are lying to them.There is also the fact that islam has a death penalty for apostasy.Fear is used to control.
It is not easy to abandon islam but it is good if muslims can figure out how bogus islam is and leave to do something else.
islam’s greatest nemesis is surely the internet.
mortimer says
HUH? ‘ORIGINAL IDENTITY’???
Hagia Sophia was commissioned to be the central church in the Roman Empire in 532 AD.
Choose another wonder
Completion Date: 537
Diameter: 102 feet
Type: Ribbed
Purpose: Christian cathedral was dedicated to the worship of the eternal DIVINE WISDOM of the WORD OF GOD, JESUS, the SECOND MEMBER OF THE TRINITY … The ORIGINAL PURPOSE of the cathedral is denied by Islam.
ORIGINAL IDENTITY: LARGEST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF ITS TIME for about 1,000 years.
Materials: Concrete
Engineer(s): Anthemius of Tralles, Isidorus the Elder
SAFI says
The Turks are not that stupid, they know the truth, they just cynically choose to ignore it and brazenly lie to your face. The fact that their lie is so obvious and unashamed can have a demoralizing effect on their opponents. They’ve also figured a long time ago that acting crazy and dumb can often make the West cut them even more slack than usual, so it’s a win-win for them and it’s worked great so far
mortimer says
Hagia Sophia cathedral was intended to be a center for the PROMULGATION OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE … and no other.
When the church was completed, Islam did not even exist.
Keith O says
Hagia to become a Centre for Islamic knowledge?
It will either become an empty room or a bomb making factory with sex slaves in the lunch room.
gravenimage says
Turkey: Religious Affairs top dog says ‘the goal’ is for Hagia Sophia to become a center of knowledge about Islam
……………………..
Just knowing that Muslim invaders raped, enslaved, and slaughtered the poor people who took sanctuary in Hagia Sophia in 1453 during the Islamic conquest of Constantinople gives me a lot of knowledge about Islam and its horrors.
Ade Fegan says
Indeed .. “knowledge” is that that thing it’s about !
Mafya says
Good old secular days of Turkey are gone. Just like the secular Iran under Pahlavi Dynasty. These were two beautiful secular, westernized countries on the Middle East. It’s so saddens me this has to be happen. Look at the photos of former secular Iran and Turkey. There were no women with hijab, just some of them are wearing headscarf and that’s differrent than that oppresive thing named hijab. Without women being free no one can achieve nothing.
Boycott Turkey says
I don’t think those days will be gone for long I think Erdogan will fall soon as a result of this war his sponsoring on Armenia also corona virus hitting the Turkish economy when Turkey becomes even more poor and the Turks get poorer they will get fed up with him
Mafya says
Sometimes I despair but I guess you’re right, BT. Erdogan could lose in the next presidential and general elections which will held in at most 2023 but it probably will be sooner. Thanks BT for the hope, we should not lose it so we can fight for human rights and freedom.
gravenimage says
I hope so–but I think Erdogan has a pretty strong lock on things in Turkey at this point. He has been President or Prime Minister there since 2003, and has eviscerated the military which has been the traditional curb on power there.
Ade Fegan says
Completed 37 years before the false prophet muhammad’s alleged birth
Hagia Sophia is all about in your face islamic conquest
“A centre for knowledge about islam” ? .. That’s the last thing they want
Try “centre for the propagation of islamic lies”
FriendofTruth says
Knowledge of all the inconsistencies and differences in koran versions would expose islam to misguided followers so good idea to get this truth center.
gravenimage says
Of course, that is not what would be taught there. No room for the truth.
Jayell says
“Erdogan says that Hagia Sophia has been returned to “its original identity.” Its nearly thousand years as a cathedral before it was a mosque don’t count”….because Erdogan is unaware of that fact because he’s plain pig-ignorant; or because he’s a liar. Or both. Either way, he’s fooling nobody.
gravenimage says
Oh, he is unaware of this, Jayell.
Here he is, celebrating the brutal Muslim conquest of Constantinople:
“As Erdogan joins Hagia Sophia Muslim prayers, ‘2nd conquest of Istanbul’ hailed”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-erdogan-joins-hagia-sophia-muslim-prayers-2nd-conquest-of-istanbul-hailed/
“Erdogan holds mass celebration on Ottoman conquest anniversary”
https://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-holds-mass-celebration-on-ottoman-conquest-anniversary/a-19292255
sidney penny says
“V,S. Naipaul recounted that some Pakistani Muslims, far from valuing the nation’s renowned archaeological site at Mohenjo Daro, saw its ruins as a teaching opportunity for Islam, recommending that Qur’an 3:137 be posted there as a teaching tool.”
gravenimage says
Muslims consider all pre-Islamic or non-Islamic work to be either “worthless Jahillya” or else something to be used to laud Islamic conquest, as here.
sidney penny says
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2020/07/pakistan-ancient-buddha-statue-discovered-muslim-construction-workers-destroy-it-as-un-islamic
“Besides removing supposed temptations to idolatry, Islamic jihadists want to destroy the artifacts of non-Muslim civilizations because doing so testifies to the truth of Islam, as the Qur’an suggests that the destroyed remnants of ancient non-Muslim civilizations are a sign of Allah’s punishment of those who rejected his truth:”
gravenimage says
Yes–that’s how supremascist Muslims view the world.
OLD GUY says
The goal of islam is to rule the world. Make no mistake about it Islam will destroy all other religious sites and heritage in that quest.