17/07/2020
ΑΡΘΡΟ ΓΕΝ. ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΑ ΔΗΜΟΣΙΑΣ ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑΤΙΑΣ κ. Κ. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΓΙΑ ΣΟΦΙΑ.
Αναρτήθηκε στον ιστότοπο Euractiv.com
Hagia Sophia: The violation of a symbol
By Constantinos Alexandris | Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs
No logical or plausible excuse justifies the conversion of the Hagia Sofia into a
mosque, all it does is adds fuel to the fire of nationalism and religious
fundamentalism, writes Constantinos Alexandris
Constantinos Alexandris is the secretary-general for public diplomacy, religious and
consular affairs of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Flipping through an album of travel photos the other day, I recalled lighting a candle
at the Taj Mahal a few years after the first Christian Indian Prime Minister decided to
grant the temple to the local Church.
I admired once again the handmade rugs adorning the floor of the Notre Dame de
Paris mosque, which the French government had handed over to the Muslim
community in order to save it from decay, as the declining number of Christians
attending the service could not cover its maintenance costs.
And there was that photo with the stunning minarets of St. Peter’s Mosque at the
Vatican that the Muslim local governor of the former city-state decided to add to the
building to structurally reinforce it as it was in danger of collapsing!
Oh, and that one there, with the Buddhist monks who in recent years have settled at
the Buddhist monastery of Masjid Al-Haram, the former Grand Mosque in Mecca,
which following that terrible pandemic no longer accepted Muslim pilgrims…
And if all this sounds unrealistic or taken straight out from a science-fiction script,
then think again, because something along those lines happened a few days ago when
the Erdogan government decided to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque, claiming that as
such it will not only be preserved, but will also be better protected.
After all, as some Turkish officials have pointed out, this was precisely what their
Ottoman ancestors had also done, “saving” the magnificent Church from “withering
away” (according to the same officials).
When, you may ask, did this happen? Well, a mere 6 centuries ago – quite recently in
other words! As if the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution and
an unprecedented scientific and technological revolution have not taken place in
between.
But what am I saying? Aren’t they all fraudulent Judeo-Christian conspiracies from
which modern Muslim Turkey must “cleanse” itself? The questions are purely
rhetorical…
It is quite clear that no logical or plausible excuse could justify the violation of a
symbol – because this is exactly what the decision for the conversion of Hagia Sophia
amounts to. This is not just contempt for history or UNESCO or an international
treaty: it is a violation. Hagia Sophia is not just any church, it is a symbol.
It is an emblem of a long historical period, of an entire civilization, just like the Taj
Mahal, St. Peter’s, the Parthenon, the Masjid Al-Haram, the Rumi Mausoleum; and
turning it into a mosque is an attack on this civilization.
But more importantly, it is also an attack against what the modern world now
considers its achievements, such as respect for diversity.
What is the purpose of all this? That the Erdogan government confirms, after 6 long
centuries, the fall of Constantinople? Does it really feel it needs to? Or to demonstrate
perhaps the Islamic domination of the thousand-year-old Christian Eastern Roman
Empire? Both incentives lead to a dangerous slippery slope.
They add fuel to the fire of nationalism and religious fundamentalism. Is this what the
Turkish Government needs right now?
Does it need to play to the gallery of those who fantasize about new conquests and
throwing enemies into the sea? Or of those who envision the flag of Islam flying in
Rome, Cordoba, Vienna and elsewhere? Is this the Turkey it visualises, or the Islam it
aspires to lead?
In any case, to every man according to his deeds. Let us bear in mind, however, that
symbols, even if damaged, always find ways to retain their shine and magic. If a
Greek government in the future decided to turn the Parthenon into a Christian Church,
one can be sure that it would not be the Parthenon that would be ridiculed …
In a nutshell, it is obviously a sovereign decision by the Turkish leadership to decide
which direction it wants the country to take. But it is also a basic obligation of all
others to protect ourselves from policies and actions that threaten to take us back to
the distant past.
