Turkey Considering Turning Agia Sophia into A Mosque

 (Photo credit: SpirosK photography)

The Agia Sophia Museum was the first Orthodox patriarchal basilica but today Turkey is thinking about turning it into a Mosque. Reports from Ankara claim that a parliamentary commission is actually considering an application by citizens to reopen this historic Church for Muslim worship.

According to the reports, THREE citizens living in the northwestern province of Kocaeli appealed to the commission with a request to change the status of Agia Sophia and wouldn't you know it... Ankara is actually considering it! The reports in the Turkish press say that surveys (true or false we don't know) that were conducted periodically showed that a whopping 97 percent of those interviewed want the Church to be transformed into a mosque.

The Anatolia news agency reported on Sunday that the request has actually been taken under consideration by the Turkish Parliament’s Petition Commission, adding that the commission would be asking for the opinions of the related institutions on the issue.

When Ankara speaks about religious freedom, human rights and portrays itself as a European country, then it must at least give the illusion that it is. Everyone in the world knows that Agia Sofia is the beacon of Christianity, and turning it into Mosque will insult the integrity of billions of Christians all over the world.

It is high time that the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Constantinople begin spreading the word and do what he was elected to do which is to safeguard the Christian faith in that city which is diminishing every day, instead of sitting on his throne and playing the victim. If the late Chrystodoulos was alive, he would have raised hell and heaven if this ever came to pass.

Just the Byzantine art in the Church alone -which would obviously be destroyed if this happened- should motivate artists from all over the world, and culture enthusiasts to scream out NO. Friends, this is not about Greece and Turkey, it is an obvious war of faiths and a blow to Christianity because Agia Sofia does not only belong to the Orthodox faith but to all Christians.

Editor's Note - My my how a country reacts to the request of only THREE citizens. THREE citizens from a country of almost 90 million made a request and suddenly Turkey is actually considering it. Who are they kidding? Do they play us for fools? And one last thing... Will the Greek Diaspora ever get off its high horse and actually do something? We are sick and tired of their idleness.