Converting Hagia Sophia: Erdogan sticks thorn in religious coexistence and peace

Fatima Abdul Ghani

The European Union has condemned the decision of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s regime to convert the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque. This came during a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, July 13 to discuss a number of urgent files, particularly Turkey’s aggressions against the sovereignty of Mediterranean countries and Ankara’s interference in the Libyan crisis.

On Friday, July 10, Erdogan announced the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque, following a judicial decision that was widely rejected and criticized at the international level.

The Greek government criticized the Turkish judicial decision, describing the move as a “provocation against the civilized world.”

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a statement that the “nationalism shown by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking his country back six centuries.”

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom condemned the Turkish court’s decision, saying it constitutes a “frank politicization” of a facility with a “complex history and rich diversity”.

Tony Perkins, vice-chairman of the commission, said that the Turkish move regretted and irritated religious minorities in Turkey.

The independent commission added that Turkey’s decision comes in light of a growing attack on marginalized minorities under Erdogan.

Meanwhile, US Senator Bob Menendez condemned the Turkish move, calling on Erdogan to reverse the decision so that the Hagia Sophia remains a legacy for all people of different religions.

In the same context, the German government expressed its dismay over the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque.

“Hagia Sophia has great historical and cultural significance, and it has great religious significance, whether for Christianity or Islam, and we place great importance on this interfaith dialogue,” said German government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday, July 13 in Berlin.

Seibert mentioned that the status of Hagia Sophia as a museum had given followers of all faiths the opportunity to freely enter this wonderful masterpiece and world cultural heritage. He wondered how the decision will affect this.

Meanwhile, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jan Asselborn condemned the Turkish court’s decision, saying that Turkey’s decision to re-designate the building, which had been a museum since 1935, is a setback in the country’s relations with the European Union and Turkey’s standing in the world in general. “It is a blow against the Alliance of Civilizations,” he said.

For its part, the World Council of Churches, which includes 350 churches, called on the Turkish president to reverse the decision.

According to Tele1, World Council of Churches General Secretary Dr. Ioan Sauca sent a letter to Erdogan saying that the decision to convert the Hagia Sophia to a mosque would open the fires of separation and divergence.

“The World Council of Churches is extremely saddened by Turkey taking such a decision without paying attention to the opinion of UNESCO,” Sauca said.

“The Council is concerned that the Hagia Sophia decision will inspire groups that want to change the status quo and fuel the idea of ​​dividing religious communities,” he added.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko also expressed concern over the Turkish judiciary’s decision, expressing his hope that Turkey will be responsible to protect this historic edifice, which has been classified by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.

Grushko added, “There are not many historical edifices that have remained steadfast over the years and witnessed many human events and developments like that museum, so we must respect these historical edifices and their civilized value to the utmost degree.”

The Russian deputy minister stated that the presence of the Hagia Sophia on Turkish land does not mean that it is only Turkish property, but rather it belongs to the whole world, in addition to its religious and spiritual value in the hearts of many people worldwide.

He pointed out that he was hoping Turkey would be more responsible to protect this historic edifice and make it easier for tourists to enter.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Najm, adviser to the Grand Mufti of Egypt, said that the Turkish decision is a “dangerous political game”.

According to Turkish newspaper T24, Najm confirmed in an interview with Russian press that converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque is a measure that must be considered in the context of Erdogan’s political goals.

Najm explained that the timing and circumstances of this event indicate that this decision bears only a political character and can be considered an attempt by Erdogan to present himself as a hero claiming to protect Islamic sites and revive their greatness.

Many are now talking about the historical and legal aspects of Erdogan’s step, Najm noted, but all of this represents an unhelpful historical debate, because it distracts attention from the “real context of this dangerous political game.”

In the same context, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan said that her country is very concerned about the decision to convert the Hagia Sophia Museum, which represents a world cultural heritage. She emphasized that Western and international public opinion is united against the decision.

Naghdalyan said that the Hagia Sophia is not only a historical and cultural edifice, but that it carries within it the fragrant history and enjoys a great cultural and political standing, adding that placing it on the list of global cultural heritage sites is a message that humankind will unite in order to preserve historical heritage, not to ignite the fire of hatred between peoples.

The recent decision adopted by Turkish officials towards the Hagia Sophia sadly marks the end of its true historical landmark mission, Naghdalyan said, appealing to the world community, especially UNESCO, to closely track sites on the World Cultural Heritage List.