(ANALYSIS) Many Muslims today believe it is inappropriate to depict Muhammad, but it was not always so in the past. Debates about this subject within the Muslim community are ongoing. Within the academic world, this material is taught in a neutral and analytical way to help students assess and understand historical evidence.
Read MorePublisher Gökhan Talas used his training as a graphic artist, knowledge he gained from Kurtulus churches in Ankara and training at the Filipus theological school to found Miras Publishing Ministries with his wife in 2011. Miras is the only Turkish-language Christian magazine in an increasingly hostile climate and marks its 10th anniversary this month.
Read MoreRead the prologue of “The Road From Raqqa: A Story Of Brotherhood, Borders And Belonging”, a non-fiction story about two brothers from Raqqa, Syria.
Read More(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.
Read More(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.
Read More
