Greek reactions to Hagia Sophia’s Islamization reach EU Parliament
The Greek government has reacted against the decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque for the 30 days of Ramadan, informs Greekreporter.
The Greek Foreign Ministry issued a statement: “We condemn as regressive the Turkish authorities’ announcement of the scheduling of a Koran reading in Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, on the occasion of Ramadan. Obsessions, verging on bigotry, with Muslim rituals in a monument of world cultural heritage are incomprehensible and reveal a lack of respect for and connection with reality. Moreover, such actions are not compatible with modern, democratic and secular societies.”
European People’s Parliament (EPP) MEP Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi posed a question to the European Commission concerning the conversion of Hagia Sophia, a symbol of Greek Christianity into a mosque through the live telecast of Koran readings from the basilica. She asked to be informed if such practices constitute a lack of respect for Christians around the world and called for initiatives to be taken to preserve the monument. She points out that this museum is a world cultural heritage site and that the EU must protect it from actions by the government of a candidate country that infringes the common cultural principles of the Union and causes religious discrimination.
