Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the decision by Turkish leader Erdogan, and Turkish courts, to convert the Hagia Sophia, a global symbol of Christianity and Orthodox faith, into a mosque.
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Dark day for Christianity, dark day for Greeks. Hagia Sophia to become mosque by The Duran
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 589. Dark day for Christianity, dark day for Greeks. Hagia Sophia to become mosque The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the decision by Turkish leader Erdogan, and Turkish courts, to convert the Hagia Sophia, a global symbol of Christianity and Orthodox faith, into a mosque.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday night denounced Turkey’s decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia into a mosque, saying it was an affront to the monument’s global significance and that the move would not only adversely impact Turkey’s relations with Greece but also with the EU, UNESCO and the global community.
“Greece categorically condemns Turkey’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia to a mosque,” Mitsotakis said, noting that the move, which comes 85 years after its transformation into a museum, “is an affront to its ecumenical character.”
The decision, Mitsotakis said, will not only influence Turkey’s relations with Greece but also with the EU, UNESCO and the world community.
It is “regretful,” he added that Turkey’s leadership, which worked for the United Nations] Alliance of Civilizations in 2005, “is now choosing to move in the opposite direction.”
Mitsotakis’ full statement in English:
*Statement by the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis*
Greece categorically condemns Turkey’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia to a mosque. This decision, taken 85 years after Hagia Sophia was declared a museum, is an affront to its ecumenical character. Furthermore, it is a decision that offends all those who recognize Hagia Sophia as an indispensable part of world cultural heritage. This decision clearly affects not only Turkey’s relations with Greece but also its relations with the European Union, UNESCO, and the world community as a whole. It is a truly regretful development that the Turkish leadership, after working for the Alliance of Civilizations in 2005, has now taken the decision to reverse course.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Well the Egyptians, Inca, Christians, Pagans etc. have turned pyramids, mustabas, healing centers etc into holy burial tombs, sacrificial sites museums etc. We’ve been doing stupid stuff for at least 6,500yrs no surprise to me.
Morality and religion are two entirely different things, for we judge the morality of a person by the way they act, while we judge their religion by reality and how faithful are their convictions to actual reality. For to be truly moral one must be harmless, namely, be a pacifist vegetarian with no more wealth that the poor. For to have a true religion, one must believe that the purpose of this life is to reach the ultimate conclusion of wealth. For wealth is the excess property we hoard above what is needed to have a comfortable life, the plunder… Read more »
Early Christian, they for over 400 years owned nothing as they gave all to the poor and argued about absolute nothing in honor of their pacifist morality.
Comes now Alex to commit blasphemy by using the name “God” to emphasize a point, to worship a fake capitalist religion called ownership, and to claim that Christianity needs artwork and fabulous building to proclaim the one true religion.
You fail to mention that countless numbers of Christians were tortured and killed for at least 300 years until Christianity was made the state religion. But then, you misrepresent almost everything in your shallow talking points. Those like you will never understand anything except your own feeble thoughts. Whatever comes out of your mouth will always defile you. Do you think the world at large will allow you to define what is moral and what is not? You are another product of inversion, a darkness seeking to take over, in which the good is turned bad, and the bad turned… Read more »
Personal attacks do not make an argument.
I am not aware that argumentation, as opposed to commentary, is obligatory for posting on the Duran. Since as far as appearances go, you are not the site’s admin, your own comment is hearby void.
Catholic “Christians” (or satans) tortured and killed the natives of Latin America, the Aztecs, Incas and other peoples, to steal their gold and riches. Later, in Europe, they burned so-called heretics and witches on stakes. Christianity has blood on its hands. It is no peaceful religion at all.
The people of the church are basically good, despite the evil deeds of its clerics. But let’s go back to the beginning. The Jews had Christ killed: one of their very own. In doing so, they ensured that there would be no peace going forward. The shadow of justice is long.
But let me add: Jesus exposed and challenged many among the Jewish sects who had become thoroughly corrupt at that time and kept their people in fear. The Gospel of John, which clearly delineates who these immoral leaders were, has sometimes been taken to be an anti-Jewish text without taking this properly into account. However, excellent Jewish scholars today, such as Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, show fine moral judgement and offer fresh and inspiring work that inspires both Christians and Jews. In his work, Dr. Eyzenberg actually makes a compelling argument for a “Christianity” that was and still is Jewish, and which… Read more »
We do not even know if Jesus really existed. He could be a fictitious character. This whole “Jews killing Jesus” – story could be fiction, to defamate the Jews. The beginning of Anti-Semitism?
People like you always take refuge in the pseudo-reality of certain expressions, like “we do not even know…” Who is we? How many others can you legitimately speak for? It is similar to those who like to say “everyone knows that…” Unfortunately, some of us DO know what others don’t wish to know. That is a reality which will never change, regardless of assumptions others make. It is also more than enough (to my original point) that many Jews accept Jesus.
Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg is a notable Jewish religious scholar, and president of the Israel Bible Center in Jerusalem, whose work is respected by both Christians and Jews, which is notable. He thoroughly understands the history of his religion and his people, and makes the case for Jesus not only as a historical personage but the rightful King of Israel quite substantial — which you apparently cannot.
Quite true. We cannot follow Jesus and worship mammon.
But the Vatican is sitting on huge heaps of mammon. How was all that money acquired? Dark pages of history! They will not tell us how they amassed a fortune, or will they?
IF LOOKS COULD KILL……..I have never witnessed such justifiable hatred in Alex Christoforou Eyes. HAGIA SOPHIA should have the same diplomatic status as that of any Greek Embassy around the world and The World Heritage Site of Hagia Sophia, should be declared Greek Territory by a United Nations Security Council resolution, In a just and completely sane world. Hopefully The Sultan’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s days are numbered for such an outrages act. An analogous act would be for The Great Mosque of Mecca to be turned into a Christian Cathedral by Imperial Powers and we could certainly expect a plethora… Read more »
Byzantium, the mighty Christian empire which stood for full 11 centuries – longer than any empire in history since the Egyptian Pharaohs – set the very foundations of much of our European culture. And yet, its memory is being deliberately suppressed in today’s “West”, and most people there are blissfully unaware of its great achievements or even existence. There is a lesson *for today* to be learned from the manner it all ended – at the hands of the western barbarians; the fall of Konstantinoupolis (Constantinople) to the Turks and conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque in 1453, being… Read more »
Byzantium, the mighty Christian empire which stood for 11 centuries – longer than any empire in history since the Egyptian Pharaohs – provided the very foundations of much of our European culture. And yet, its memory is being deliberately suppressed in today’s “West”, and most people there are blissfully unaware of its great achievements or even existence. There is a lesson *for today* to be learned from the manner it all ended – at the hands of the western barbarians; the fall of Konstantinoupolis (Constantinople) to the Turks and conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque in 1453, being merely… Read more »
I can’t understand the obsession with all these buildings. They were built with money squeezed out of the peasantry, the Peter’s Pence extorted to build the Vatican, and similar places like Notre Dame. They become an end in themselves. You end up with Catholic and Greek Orthodox monks fighting over who holds a key to a room in the Holy Sepulchre.
Jesus didn’t need fancy buildings or an elaborate religious hierarchy. He preached in the open air and any building he could scrounge. Religion should be a matter of private conscience with the state minding its own business.
The Christian Churches, Catholic as well as Orthodox, have amassed immense riches, mostly on the backs and at the expense of their followers.
When another round of Crusades rears its ugly head, those at the receiving end are likely not going to understand or appreciate what they did to provoke the response.
Religious zealotry and fanatism is no good, whichever religion that might be.
That western countries ,U.S. included do not take offense at what Turkey is doing to a Christian historical site is a disgrace.
Many mosques, built and used by Muslims in Spain, were either converted into Christian Churches or destroyed. These are the three largest ones: The Mosque of Cordoba, built in the 8th century, was converted into a church in 1236. The Mosque of Toledo, built in 999, was converted into a church in 1186. The Mosque in Jerez, built in the 11th century, was converted into a church in the 13th century. The following mosques in Spain were completely destroyed and Christian churches built on top of the sites: the Mosques of Zaragoza, Madrid, Granada, Guadix, Alfacar and many smaller ones,… Read more »