Hagia Sophia back as a masaajid

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

A Turkish court officially ruled Mustafa Kamaal's degree a century ago was illegal to make Hagia Sophia (or as I call it Xaajiya Safiya) as a museum. Now it is back as a Muslim place of prayer.

Turkey reconverts Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared Istanbul's Hagia Sophia open to Muslim worship after a top court ruled that the building's conversion to a museum by modern Turkey's founding statesman was illegal.

Erdogan made the announcement on Friday an hour after the court ruling was revealed, despite international warnings not to change the status of the nearly 1,500-year-old monument, revered by Christians and Muslims alike.

"The decision was taken to hand over the management of the Ayasofya Mosque ... to the Religious Affairs Directorate and open it for worship," the decision signed by Erdogan said.

Erdogan had previously proposed restoring the mosque status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, a focal point of both the Christian Byzantine and Muslim Ottoman empires and now one of the most visited monuments in Turkey.

Earlier, a top Turkish court revoked the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia's status as a museum. The Council of State, which was debating a case brought by a Turkish religious organisation, cancelled a 1934 cabinet decision that defined the sixth-century building as a museum.

"It was concluded that the settlement deed allocated it as a mosque and its use outside this character is not possible legally," Turkey's top administrative court said in the ruling.

"The cabinet decision in 1934 that ended its use as a mosque and defined it as a museum did not comply with laws," it said.

Erdogan shared on his Twitter feed a copy of the decree he had signed which said the decision had been taken to hand control of the Ayasofya Mosque, as it is known in Turkish, to the country's religious directorate and reopen it for worship.

Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said the decree was not a surprise as Erdogan had previously stated that he would like to see Hagia Sophia open for Muslim prayers on July 15, the anniversary of a failed coup attempt.

Koseoglu said that in four hours Erdogan was expected to make a speech on the importance of the Hagia Sophia, and its status being altered to a mosque again.

"There are dozens of people in front of Hagia Sophia museum. As soon as the court decision was announced ... they have been here chanting, they have been celebrating since then, and we spoke to them, they are very impatient to be able to pray inside Hagia Sophia," Koseoglu said.

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[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Erdogan rejects global criticism over Hagia Sophia decision

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected international condemnation over the decision to change the status of Istanbul's landmark Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque, saying it represented his country's will to use its "sovereign rights".

In the past, he has repeatedly called for the stunning building to be renamed as a mosque and in 2018, he recited a verse from the Quran at Hagia Sophia. 

"Those who do not take a step against Islamophobia in their own countries ... attack Turkey's will to use its sovereign rights," Erdogan said at a ceremony he attended via video-conference on Saturday.

The colossal Hagia Sophia was built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral and was converted into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, now Istanbul, in 1453. The secular Turkish government decided in 1934 to make it a museum.

Erdogan on Friday formally converted the building back into a mosque and declared it open for Muslim worship, hours after a high court annulled the 1934 decision turning it into a museum. He said Muslim prayers would begin at the UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 24.

International reactions

The president went ahead with the plan despite appeals from NATO ally the United States and from Russia, with which Ankara has forged close relations in recent years.

Greece swiftly condemned the move as a provocation, France deplored it while the US also expressed disappointment.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko on Saturday said Moscow regretted the decision.

"The cathedral is on Turkey's territory, but it is without question everybody's heritage," he told the Interfax news agency.

The World Council of Churches wrote to Erdogan expressing "grief and dismay" over the move and urged him to reverse his decision.

As a World Heritage museum, "Hagia Sophia has been a place of openness, encounter and inspiration for people from all nations," interim secretary-general Ioan Sauca said in the letter released on Saturday.

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[Tallaabo]

This must be the worst decision president Erdogan made so far. Istanbul is not without enough mosques for Muslims to use and converting the Orthodox Christianity's most important cathedral into a mosque was and is still probably more offensive to Almighty Allah than not building a mosque. It is not allowed in Islam and is against the spirit of dacwa to mistreat other religious groups because of what they believe. 

Hagia Sophia belongs to the Greek Orthodox Christians and should be given back to them. 

[Peace Action]

This is excellent Turkish court decision to correct the illegal conversion by Mustafa Kamal of Hagie Sophia into a museum. It will still be open to turism but now Muslims can pray in it as they have for more than 500 years. As usual Recep Tayib Erdogan shows leadership where it matters. Those who are complaining, let them while millions of Muslims have a change to pray at this magnificant mosque there by honoring Sultan  Mehmet II (Mohamed Al-Fatih.)

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

1 hour ago, Peace Action said:

This is excellent Turkish court decision to correct the illegal conversion by Mustafa Kamal of Hagie Sophia into a museum. It will still be open to turism but now Muslims can pray in it as they have for more than 500 years. As usual Recep Tayib Erdogan shows leadership where it matters. Those who are complaining, let them while millions of Muslims have a change to pray at this magnificant mosque there by honoring Sultan  Mehmet II (Mohamed Al-Fatih.)

True, boqolkiiba boqol waa run. What did Hindiya's Modi's Hindu-ruled higher court rule on last year regarding the destroyed Ayodhya masaajid? They gave the land the masaajid stood to their Hindu extremists. Where were kuwaan maanta dacaayadeenaayo markaas?

What about the whole annexation of Daanta Galbeed on this very moment by the Zionists?

Reer Galbeedka filinkooda only weak-minded awalba iyaga dabanaageys u ahaa ayaa raaco.

[Peace Action]

19 minutes ago, Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar said:

True, boqolkiiba boqol waa run. What did Hindiya's Modi's Hindu-ruled higher court rule on last year regarding the destroyed Ayodhya masaajid? They gave the land the masaajid stood to their Hindu extremists. Where were kuwaan maanta dacaayadeenaayo markaas?

What about the whole annexation of Daanta Galbeed on this very moment by the Zionists?

Reer Galbeedka filinkooda only weak-minded awalba iyaga dabanaageys u ahaa ayaa raaco.

Here are 22  Mosques converted to churches.  We don't care for those who always side with the colonisers.

Category:Mosques converted to churches - Wikimedia Commons

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

 

[Duufaan]

2 hours ago, Peace Action said:

Here are 22  Mosques converted to churches.  We don't care for those who always side with the colonizers.

Category:Mosques converted to churches - Wikimedia Commons

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

 

Not only that, Greek which was a recently part of Ottoman empire, converted all mosque either churches or something else. The crusades completely destroyed all Islamic cultures in Spain, France. Italy and Switzerland after 700 years of Muslim rule. There is even not single trace of the old  Islamic culture in the west of east Europa that muslims ruled 700 years. Even today you can not build a real mosque in west, there only few symbolic ones without loud speaker. Islamic centers are not mosques, they are simply nonprofit organizations. I even remember the moqdisho church was allowed ring its bells. 

Far more the Muslim civilizations has been the most tolerance. In Iraq and Syria and the whole middle east, 2000 years of cultures was preserved and protected by Muslims. Recently, historic cities Aleppo and Mosul  were destroyed, the cultures that Muslims saved for many years. In fact a pocket of the none Muslim  indigenous people who never became Muslims are still around and live Iraq and Syria peacefully.

Ergdon is not Mustafe Camel or Sissi. He is proud Turkish and Muslim leader who understand the contribution of  Muslim civilizations to world and wants to revive the muslim civilization so the world once again can benefit. The hypocrisy of declining the western liberal world, is not something no one should pay attention. 

 

 

 

[Peace Action]

Oodka and Timacaddeh you have no argument to oppose the action of Turkish court to nullify Mustafa Kamal's illegal conversion of a Majid into a museum. What is wrong with Aya Sophia becoming a masjid again? Name calling will not help you win arguments nor giving allegiance to anti Muslim enemies. 

[gooni]

Maxamed faatax raximulaah wuu ka iibsaday kaniisada asagoo awoodi karay inuusan iibsan, waxaana lagu tukanayay 500 sano.

Muslinku ma ogola in meelaha cibaadada xoog laysaga saaro waa dulum laga digay.

Sheekhaan wuxuu leeyahay matxaf yaa masaajid loo badelay ee kaniisad masjid looma badelin.

Dhanka kale ilaa iyo hadda waxaa turkiga ku taal, ku dhawaad 400 ilaa 500 macbud oo aan waligood la taaban. 

Halka wixii taariikh iyo masaajid muslinku ku lahaa  Europe aan waxba laga reebin wax kaniisad laga dhigay iyo qayb nightclub loo badelay.

Wuxuu sheegay in dalalka carabtu ay kala saari waayaan arrimaha diinta iyo siyaasadda kala dhaxaysa Erdogan.

[maakhiri1]

4 minutes ago, gooni said:

Maxamed faatax raximulaah wuu ka iibsaday kaniisada asagoo awoodi karay inuusan iibsan, waxaana lagu tukanayay 500 sano.

Muslinku ma ogola in meelaha cibaadada xoog laysaga saaro waa dulum laga digay.

Sheekhaan wuxuu leeyahay matxaf yaa masaajid loo badelay ee kaniisad masjid looma badelin.

Dhanka kale ilaa iyo hadda waxaa turkiga ku taal, ku dhawaad 400 ilaa 500 macbud oo aan waligood la taaban. 

Halka wixii taariikh iyo masaajid muslinku ku lahaa  Europe aan waxba laga reebin wax kaniisad laga dhigay iyo qayb nightclub loo badelay.

Wuxuu sheegay in dalalka carabtu ay kala saari waayaan arrimaha diinta iyo siyaasadda kala dhaxaysa Erdogan.

Waxa diintu ogoshahay iyo waxa muslimiintu sameeyeen waa kala labo.

 

[maakhiri1]

Majority of Mosques in  Europe and North America are churches bought freely and repurposed as mosques.

[galbeedi]

38 minutes ago, Oodweyne said:

n other words, it's easy to go down that road, and say we are converting anything we like back into mosques, or back into churches, or back to Indian's temples. For that road lies nothing but "sacrilegious vandalism", as I said it already.  

For Israel will be well within its power to ignore UNESCO's regulation by turning Al-Aqsa's Mosque into a museum.

OOdweyne,

This is not your cup of tea, and I would suggest you leave these issues for those who know. This is not Shakespeare. Al.Aqsa is inside west Jerusalem which will be the capital of future Palestinian state and the logical conclusions of  two state solutions. It is also against the international law for an occupied power to change the legal status of the occupied land. 

So, before you open your colonial water carrying mouth check things and learn history. Furthermore , we do not give a hoot about the Russian butcher called Putin or his former communist archipelago, or the dirty Greeks who denied its MUslim community of Athens a place of worship for the last hundred years. 

THese so called Orthodox guys are not the civilized western Christians ( Protestant and Catholic) who are the foundations of freedom and faith. Have you seen anyone migrate to Russiia , Greece or Serbia? no one does. Go and check how many Masjids these creatures razed to the ground.

. I like and welcome the statement Talaabo made about MUslims refraining changing the legal status of churches and places of worship. It was the second Khaliif of Islam Umar Ibn Khataab who told the conquered Christians of Jerusalem that their churches would remain the way  they were before Islam. That is why the church of nativity and many old churches are still standing in Jersulam while Muslims ruled the for over thousand years. That is why there  are Coptic Christians in Egypt for thousands of years. 

The Ottoman Empire was a place were cultures and people of different faith thrives and prospered. It was Suleiman The magnificent who welcomed the the persecuted Jews in Spain after they were ordered to either convert or die. Despite the advent of Wahanism and other forms of Islam created by colonial powers to saw discord, Islam has been always tolerant of people of different faith. That is why we have tens of millions of Christian communities living in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine for .centuries.

. In nineteen twenties and early thirties Bolshevik communists and secular nationalists had banned religion and transformed Masjids, Synagogues and Churches in  to Museums, especially in Russia. Mustafa Kamal the great Turkish nationalist who is the founder of the republic of Turkey  jumped this band wagon and changed many Majids to museums. HAgia Sophia, a place where the conqueror of Istanbul , Mohamed Fatih, opened as a Masjid and as a symbol of Ottoman power and seat of the Khilaafa. It has been a Masjid for over 500 years. The Turkish higher court just answered the petition of private citizens who wanted to overturn that decree by Attaturk in 1935.

The Ottomans never changed the interior of the Masjid even after 500 years. When foreign dignitaries, especially women visit Haggia Sophia,  they cover their head o respect the place where MUslims worshipped. Nothing is changing, and people could still visit.

In Turkey, prime ministers were beheaded by allowing symbols of Islam including Mendes. For those generation of Muslim Turks , who have to preform their prayers in fear, this a great symbolic achievement, and it shows  of how far the nation came.

In the mean time, I would say to  the small minded separatists boys who measure things on tribal council minds, to grow up and leave Sultan Erdogan and seek favors from others like the stinking Greeks. Everyone knows that Erdogan had built and renovated old churches and Synagogues throughout Turkey. THeir over 400 churches and places of worship for small tiny Christian community which is less than 1%.

Why would these fools root for the debacle of the Sultan.?

 

 

 

[Dahireeto]

If Turkish state didn't convert this into Museum 100 years, we wouldn't be debating this. It was a mosque for centuries. 

Good move by Erdogan. Erdogan just delivered a blow against the French crusaders crying about Libya. This is all double play politics. Erdo is sending an indirect message. 

[galbeedi]

28 minutes ago, Dahireeto said:

Good move by Erdogan. Erdogan just delivered a blow against the French crusaders crying about Libya. This is all double play politics. Erdo is sending an indirect message. 

LOok at the hypocrisy of the French. They bombed Libya to remove the so called dictator Khadaffi  whom Sarkozy was the beneficiary of millions of in illegal campaign finance. In order to hide his crimes, the French leader pushed everyone , including reluctant Obama.

Yet, he want to bring now another worse butcher to steal the resources. Today democracy and representative government is a threat to old colonial forces. Under the new Libyan government, the National Oil Company which is state owned and the national bank would control all oil revenue. UAE and their corrupt oligarchs will no longer steal resources. 

Furthermore, the French will have to give their stronghold of North Africa and Sahel region. A stable and free Libya will change the Arab world. THeir population is well educated and they already have enough infrastructure to move to the next level. For the last century or more, the Arabs never had anyone who cared about their well being, they have been exploited by everyone. 

Labeling democrats as Muslim brotherhood or other names will not stop the people to seek representative democracy. the GNA had fought ISIS and others in Sirte and TRipoli in 2016 and defeated them with help of Americans, and now to accuse them of being terrorists sympathizers will cut it.

 

 

 

[Che -Guevara]

Turkey is a sovereign nation and Istanbul is not a disputed city hence the Turks have the right to exercise their sovereignty over any institution in their country.

Besides, these Europeans are hypocrites.  They stole historical artifacts from every nation in the world, converted mosques into churches (Andulisia, Balkans, etc), and destroyed whatever they could not get their hands on.

Donald Trump made a trip to Mount Rushmore for a campaign photo-op, a sacred place for Lokata, and where Sioux Indians were massacred by the US Army.