July 1, 2020

The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy fully supports Secretary Pompeo’s plea to the government of Turkey to refrain from turning the magnificent Byzantine church, the Hagia Sophia, into a mosque.

Built in 537, the Hagia Sophia was the gem of Byzantine Empire. Its name means “Holy Wisdom” in Greek and it was dedicated to the wisdom of God, the second person of the Trinity, the Logos. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the conquerors turned it into a mosque, destroying all traces of Christianity within its walls. In 1935, it was opened as a museum by the Kemal Ataturk secular government and remains Turkey’s most visited tourist attraction to this day.

“A museum is open to all people of all faiths,” said AMCD co-chair, John Hajjar. “This amazing 1500 year old structure belongs to the entire world, not just the radical Islamists of Turkey who agitate to turn it back into a mosque as a symbol of Caliphate supremacy. Historically, it should be turned over to the Patriarch and returned to its rightful owners as a church.”

“The Hagia Sophia is a world treasure,” added AMCD co-chair, Tom Harb. “Everyone should be able to experience its grandeur first-hand. The fact that President Erdogan is allowing this, illustrates his sympathy with Salafi Islamism.”

AMCD hopes this spectacular building will be preserved as a museum so future generations may marvel at its beauty and learn from its history.