(ANALYSIS) Medieval imagery has been on display repeatedly at far-right rallies and riots. Conspiracy theorists may love to use the symbols, but they fundamentally misunderstand the Byzantine Empire.
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(OPINION) The Hagia Sophia, or Holy Wisdom, reverted back to a mosque after centuries of it being an interfaith museum. This begs the question, is it ethical under Islamic law to seize what once was a church in the 21st century?
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(OPINION) Islam is caught in an ideological civil war, irreconcilable visions of the faith on each side. Do Muslim centrists have a chance to overpower these views?
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(ANALYSIS) The Turkish government’s conversion of the Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque has drawn sharp criticism, celebration, and now pledges to rebuild the church in Syria. The decision is part of a long-term agenda of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Islamist parties to restore national pride in its Ottoman past, drawing both sharp criticism for implications for religious minorities and mixed praise in the region.
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(OPINION) Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan’s decision to convert the ancient Christian church Hagia Sophia into a mosque is indicative of his dislike of Christians. However, the building still remains a safe space for Christians worldwide.
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(OPINION) The Hagia Sophia was once a Christian Orthodox church in the Byzantine era. Now, Turkish leaders want to convert Hagia Sophia – a museum for decades – back into a mosque.
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(OPINION) With Turkey President Erdoğan’s AKP party having suffered losses in municipal elections, his response to these drawbacks has been to emphasize his Sunni-Islamic credentials and to link these to the restoration of the splendors of the Ottoman Empire. One aspect of this propaganda effort has been to threaten the status of Hagia Sophia.
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