French teacher Samuel Paty, who was brutally murdered near Paris on Friday, had his private details exposed on social media last week, after a parent complained he’d shown “naked man” cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in class. The original complaint was reportedly lodged by the father of a 13-year-old girl who studied at the school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, where Paty taught history and geography. He said in a Facebook video that the teacher had, at some time earlier this month, shown the class a caricature of a “naked man,” stating it was the “Muslim prophet.” Before displaying the offensive imagery – widely […]
Mosque
25 posts
A special court under India’s premier investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has absolved all 32 people, including senior leaders from the ruling BJP, of any role in the demolition of the Babri Mosque. Located in Uttar Pradesh, the 16th century mosque was brought down by an irate mob of Hindu nationalists in 1992. The acquittal of senior leaders from India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the legal case over the demolition of the Babri Mosque will be a shot-in-the-arm for the country’s Hindu nationalists, say political experts. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a veteran journalist and biographer of Prime Minister […]
A group of high-profile Indian politicians have been acquitted on charges of inciting violence that led to the demolition of a famous Muslim shrine in Ayodhya 28 years ago, followed by deadly sectarian riots. The case revolved around the dramatic demolition of the 16th-century Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodhya in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state in 1992. Hindu activists destroyed the building, believing that it was built on the ruins of a Ram temple. The incident sparked communal riots, which left 3,000 dead. But the trial began nearly 18 years after the incident and then proceeded at a snail’s pace. A […]
A New Zealand court has sentenced mass shooter Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 Muslim worshipers at a mosque last year, to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the first such ruling ever handed down in the country. The 29-year-old Australian previously admitted to some 92 charges – 51 for murder, 40 for attempted murder and one linked to terrorism – following the 2019 shooting rampage at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. At Tarrant’s sentencing on Thursday, High Court Judge Cameron Mander said the severity of his crimes justified the harsh penalty. “Your crimes… are so wicked that even […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/19/1079983043_0:29:3289:1879_1200x675_80_0_0_3aa4bfb03dcd0ac84be36560bedd261c.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202007251079983098-greece-denies-condoning-turkish-flag-burning-after-hagia-sophia-conversion-into-mosque/ ATHENS (Sputnik) – Greece’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday it disapproved of desecration of national symbols after Turkey accused it of encouraging the burning of its flag at a rally against the conversion of Istanbul’s ancient Orthodox Christian temple into a mosque. “We categorically condemn any action that desecrates a national symbol of any country, in this case of Turkey,” the ministry said in a tweet. Angry Greek protesters set a Turkish flag on fire in the Aegean Sea port of Thessaloniki on Friday in response to the first Muslim prayer held in the landmark […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/18/1079975861_0:366:2016:1500_1200x675_80_0_0_c2732751a7d730f72f04592f58cefbeb.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202007251079979659-several-hundred-people-protest-in-athens-against-turning-hagia-sophia-into-mosque/ ATHENS (Sputnik) – Several hundred people have attended a demonstration in Athens to express protest against Turkey’s decision to transform Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque. According to organizers of the rally, more than 500 people took part in the demonstration on Friday, while police reported about only some 250 participants. During the rally, its participants read a statement of Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos II, who condemned the transformation of one of the most important symbols of the Orthodox Church into a mosque. On Friday, a Muslim prayer took place […]
People gather to perform Friday prayers at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia for the first time in 86 years. Esra Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Esra Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images People gather to perform Friday prayers at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia for the first time in 86 years. Esra Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended prayers at Istanbul’s historic Hagia Sophia on Friday, completing the famous building’s conversion from a secular space into a Muslim house of worship. It had been a museum for more than 86 years. The crowd was large, with thousands […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/10/1079899809_0:237:3017:1935_1200x675_80_0_0_8c05f504a78b915c63ca1023514a47d0.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202007241079970240-first-official-prayer-at-hagia-sophia-after-mosque-reconversion—video/ Live outside Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia as the first prayer takes place there after Turkey’s Council of State issued a resolution to turn the world heritage site back into a mosque. Five hundred people are permitted to stay in the mosque for the prayer, with thousands more estimated to join from outside the mosque. On July 10, Turkey’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, annulled the 1934 decree issued by the cabinet of Turkey’s secularist founder Kemal Ataturk converting Hagia Sophia into a museum. The move was not particularly well-received abroad. Austria, France, Greece, […]
(Guest post by Victoria Hudson) Hagia Sophia, which at the behest of Recep Tayyip Erdogan becomes a mosque again, will remain open to visitors outside Islamic prayer times, five times a day, when Christian symbols are to somehow be covered. Diyanet, the Directorate for Religious Affairs of Turkey, led by the mufti Ali Erbas, repeated it, without going into detail after the contested decision to convert Hagia Sophia from museum to mosque. “All human representations inside the Hagia Sophia mosque do not constitute an impediment to the conduct of Islamic rites. Frescoes and mosaics will be covered by a curtain and […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/13/1079931397_0:206:2698:1724_1200x675_80_0_0_db818667f0942f51a8706adcfd1aec53.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/society/202007191079931431-turkish-president-erdogan-visits-hagia-sophia-after-turning-it-into-mosque/ Earlier in July, Turkey’s top administrative court, the Council of State, annulled a 1934 decree that turned Hagia Sophia into a museum. Immediately afterwards, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree allowing to be used as a mosque. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited the Hagia Sophia, officially the Great Mosque of Ayasofya and formerly the Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, where he was acquainted with the preparatory work for the first service after being turned into a mosque. The president has shared photos on Twitter. Erdogan was accompanied by Turkish Minister […]
Turkey’s culture ministry has officially handed over the reins of the legendary Hagia Sophia to the country’s top religious authority, reassuring tourists they will still be able to get in and won’t have to pay. The country’s religious directorate and the Ministry of Culture on Thursday signed a cooperation protocol to turn the ancient Byzantine cathedral into a mosque. Also on rt.com Turkish president Erdogan signs decree turning Istanbul’s Hagia Sofia into a mosque after court ruling Turkish Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy tried to address the concerns that the transition will negatively affect tourists by tweeting “The Hagia Sophia Mosque […]
On 10 July, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, after a Turkish court ruled that the site’s secularisation was unlawful. Following an outcry over the site’s status change Turkish observers have weighed up the possible political consequences of Ankara’s decision both domestically and internationally. Consecrated as a Christian cathedral in 537, Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”) was turned into a Muslim house of worship after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. However, nearly 500 years later, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, transformed it into a museum as […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/0d/1079872775_0:77:3073:1805_1200x675_80_0_0_f7744b25fc3eb4d3f51654aeb2996e82.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202007131079872634-eu-foreign-ministers-condemn-turkeys-decision-to-convert-hagia-sophia-to-mosque/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – EU foreign ministers condemn Turkey’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum back into a mosque, as it may fuel mistrust between religious communities, European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said Monday. “An important issue was about Hagia Sophia. The council has condemned Turkey’s decision to convert such an emblematic monument as Hagia Sophia back to a mosque. This decision will inevitably fuel mistrust, promote renewed division between religious communities and undermine our efforts at dialogue and cooperation”, Borrell told a press conference. The EU foreign ministers have […]
By Kevin Barrett, Veterans Today Editor From a secular perspective, there is nothing particularly wrong with Turkey’s decision to return Hagia Sophia to its status as a mosque. After all, it WAS a mosque from 1453 to 1934, when the crypto-Jewish Donmeh Sabbatean tyrant Attaturk unilaterally secularized it as part of his genocide against Turkish Islam. (Attaturk’s atrocities were by far the worst cultural genocide in all of world history—he even went so far as abolishing the Turkish written script, which would be the equivalent of an American tyrant ordering the destruction of all English written in Roman script in favor […]
Pope Francis has added his voice to those objecting to the museum status of Istanbul’s famous Hagia Sophia having been revoked. Originally a Byzantine Christian church, the Turkish government has turned it back into a mosque. “My thoughts go to Istanbul. I’m thinking about Hagia Sophia. I am very distressed,” the pontiff said, in the Vatican’s first reaction to the decision taken by the Turkish authorities. The brief remark made during a Sunday prayer marking the International Day of the Sea saw the Pope add his voice to the growing chorus from other Christian churches worldwide that have expressed concern over […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/0b/1079858894_0:79:2941:1732_1200x675_80_0_0_72ddf935e0846f33c978c56695174621.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202007111079858923-erdogan-says-conversion-of-hagia-sophia-into-mosque-step-towards-making-turkey-great/ ANKARA (Sputnik) – The decision to convert Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque is a step towards making Turkey great and the opinions of other countries do not matter, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday. “We made a decision to change the status of the Hagia Sophia, based on the opinion of our people and not those who say things about us”, Erdogan stated during an appearance on Turkey’s NTV broadcaster. During his television appearance, Erdogan added that the country will continue to “take the right path, in order to build a […]
On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that he had signed a decree converting Istanbul’s historic Hagia Sophia into a mosque which will open for Muslim prayers on 24 July. UNESCO has expressed “deep regret” over Turkey’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia back into a mosque after a court annulled a 1934 presidential decree that made it a museum. “Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. Its status as a museum reflects the universal nature of its heritage, and makes it a powerful symbol for dialogue”, UNESCO Director-General […]
The US State Department is “disappointed” by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to reopen Istanbul’s historic Hagia Sophia as a mosque. Erdogan’s decision has been roundly criticized ahead of the move. The Islamic call to prayer will ring out from the sixth-century Hagia Sophia again on July 24, Erdogan announced on Friday, after he issued a decree turning the UNESCO World Heritage Site over to the country’s religious directorate. Though the building will be rededicated as a mosque, Erdogan has promised to allow all faiths to visit the iconic site. The US is “disappointed” in Erdogan’s decision, State Department Spokesman […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202007101079851882-us-disappointed-over-turkeys-decision-to-revert-unesco-site-hagia-sophia-back-to-mosque/ The US State Department voiced its displeasure on Friday with a decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to convert Istanbul’s historic Hagia Sophia back into a mosque after being made a museum in 1934. “We are disappointed by the decision by the Government of Turkey to change the status of the Hagia Sophia. This building is an important part of the ‘Historic Sites of Istanbul’ UNESCO World Heritage Site,” a State Department representative said on Friday. “We understand the Turkish Government remains committed to maintaining access to the Hagia Sophia for all visitors, […]
Armed police patrol outside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, one of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. Emrah Gurel/AP hide caption toggle caption Emrah Gurel/AP Armed police patrol outside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, one of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. Emrah Gurel/AP A Turkish court has paved the way for the government to convert the Hagia Sophia museum, one of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks, into a mosque. The Hagia Sofia, a major draw for tourists, has a long and complicated history. The architectural marvel was built as a church by the […]
If Turkey decides to convert Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, now a museum and originally a Byzantine Christian church, into an active mosque, this could sow discord between Christians and Muslims, the Russian Orthodox Church has warned. “A threat to Hagia Sophia is a threat to the entire Christian civilization,” Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said in his address, pointing to the huge religious significance the 6th century temple played in the history of Orthodoxy and Russia. Also on rt.com Erdogan: Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia might be active mosque again Hagia Sophia played a certain role in the baptism […]
An explosion occurred on Friday at the Sher Shah Suri Mosque in the Kart-e-Char area in Kabul, according to TOLOnews. Four people, including the mullah, were killed in an explosion in a mosque in the west of the Afghan capital of Kabul, Tolo News reported, citing the Afghan Ministry of Internal Affairs. “Explosives placed inside the Shir Shah-E-Suri Mosque exploded during Friday prayers,” said a Ministry of Interior statement, adding that the West Kabul mosque’s mullah was among those killed. Mine explosion in ShirSha Suree Masjid, Kabul.Few yrs ago explosions in Scho ols, Universities & Clinics, now in Masjids “Mosques” pic.twitter.com/LddsAaepxQ […]
A suicide bomber has struck a mosque at the entrance to the international zone in the Afghan capital Kabul during evening prayers, killing one person and injuring at least three others. Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian confirmed that the attacker blew himself up inside a washroom at the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque in the central district, next to the Green Zone – home to international offices, journalists and diplomats – at around 7:25pm local time on Tuesday. No group has claimed responsibility for the mosque attack. Kabul has recorded more than 30 blasts over the past two months, leaving several people […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107887/44/1078874493_0:0:3072:1728_1200x675_80_0_0_ebc34a612871e68defc4caa115df5ada.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202005291079450919-unauthorised-prayer-gathering-expected-outside-al-aqsa-mosque-in-jerusalem—video/ Last week, worshippers gathered outside Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, while the interiors of the mosque remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. An unauthorised prayer gathering is expected outside Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on 29 May amid calls for worshippers to come together and pray in protest over the delay in the reopening of the holy site. The mosque has been closed since March amid the spread of coronavirus for the first time in more than 50 years and was initially expected […]
Europe 13:52 GMT 07.05.2020Get short URL The trial in the case of Philip Manshaus, who is accused of murdering his step-sister and attacking a mosque, is underway in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, reports say. Philip Manshaus, 22, who went on a shooting spree at a Norwegian mosque last August has stated that it was “emergency justice” and he regretted not having caused more damage, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported citing prosecutors. The Norwegian shooter on the first day of his trial did not dispute the criminal acts themselves, but pleaded not guilty, citing the right to break the law due to force […]