By Syed Ali Mujtaba
Turkey has come out with an official clarification to those protesting against its government’s decision to convert Hagia Sofia, the world famous monument into a mosque in Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia was built a Church under Byzantine rulers in 537 AD. It was converted into Great Mosque of Ayasofya in 1453 when Ottomans conquered Turkey. In 1931 Turkish nationalist leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk first President converted the marvel structure into a secular museum.
In a recent development Turkey’s current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has passed an order to revert the Hagia Sofia into Great Mosque of Ayasofya. The first prayers in this grand mosque will be held on Friday July 24 2020 after almost 85 years.
The decision of the Turkish government has turned heads worldwide more so in the Christian world that pointed fingers at President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan taking Turkey to the medieval age.
Critics called this move of the Turkish President as clash of civilization between Islam and Christianity. This controversy has echoes is India, with Hindu radicals are holding the tail coat of the Christian protestors. The Hindutva radicals joins the hurt feelings of the Christians in this clash Civilization as it fits into the political design of anti-Muslim, anti-Islam project that is currently underway as a “Lok Abhiyan” in India.
Some apologists refuse to see it as an internal matter of Turkey and have jumped into the Clash of Civilization debate and equate the development of conversion of Hagia Sofia museum into Ayasofya Mosque in Istanbul with the conversion Babari Mosque‘s into Ram temple in Ayodhya.
There are some who try to read the conversion of Hagia Sofia museam into a mosque by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as an attempt to replicate “Jai Sri Ram Model” of India to remain in power in Turkey.
Putting an end to the dominant narrative on Hagia Sofia, the Turkish Foreign Minister L Abu Bakr has issued a press note on the subject which is an eye opener to the world and also to the judicial and political elite of India, who colluded to deny Muslims their rightful ownership of their house of worship.
Turkish Foreign Minister L Abu Bakr has claimed that Sultan Muhammad II also known as Muhammad Al- Fateh, after opening the gates of Constantinople (Istanbul), offered the Pastor of Church Hagia Sofia to buy the building as an individual purchaser of the said property.
The Turkish Foreign Minister L Abu Bakr released the sale deed or purchase contract with the photos and copies of documents associated with it. The Turkish government manually reviewed 27 thousands documents and found the original title deed (Tabou) that exists in the name of buyer Abu Al- Fateh also known as Sultan Muhammad II.
The copy of the sale deed document that was executed at that time was released by the Turkish Minister. It stated that the buyer Abu Al- Fateh has bought this property through his own money. The sale deed says that Abu Al- Fateh has purchased this property through its own hard earned money and is pure of any evil or vice source of earnings. The sale deed mentions that this money is not taken from the State treasury or from common Muslim funding and his private source of income.
The Minister mentions that this sale deed was documented through a purchase and waiver contract, and payment was made through payment bonds. The document clearly proves that Hagia Sofia a private property with the ownership in the name of Abul Al- Fateh, the Minister said.
He claimed that there exists an endowment in the name of Sultan Muhammad II that is related to ‘Aya Sofia.’ The landlord of the property Hagia Sofia created an endowment and willed the building be made a mosque and the people of Islamic faith can use it as house of worship.
The Minister said these documents are in public domain now and anyone can go through these papers before attacking the Turkish government’s move to reconvert museum Hagia Sofia as Great Mosque of Ayasofya.
The Minister however was silent about the role of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in converting the Great Mosque of Ayasofya in to a museum. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and led the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923 and he initiated a rigorous reforms that transformed Turkey into a modern, progressive and secular nation-state.
The release of documents by the Turkish government has cleared the dust that had settled over Hagia Sofia. All those who joined the chorus of Clash of Civilization have to shut their mouths, including those in India.
The disclosures of the Turkish Minister has put mirror on those equating Hagia Sofia with with the Babari Mosque‘s conversion into Ram temple in Ayodhya. These two are separate matters and cannot be compared but have some food for thought for all.
Babari Masjid was built in 1528 by one Mir Baqi on a land duly purchased by him from his earned money, free from any vice or evil means of earnings. Baqi named the mosque as “Babri Masjid,” the ruler of the day.
The Supreme Court pronounced its judgment in Babari Masjid vs Ram Janambohmi case 2019. The court has admitted that Mir Baqi constructed the Babari mosque in 1528. He did not do by demolishing any Hindu temple.
The Supreme Court admits that prayers were held in the Babari mosque till 1948. The court also said that the installation of the idol in the Babari mosque in 1948 was unlawful. The court also called the demolition of the Babari Masjid on 6th December 1992 as illegal.
In spite of all these admissions, the Supreme Court ruled that the disputed property belongs to Hindu claimants because Muslim party has not sufficiently established its claim.
The Apex court of India while giving the disputed site to the Hindu party asked the government to constitute a board that can proceed with the construction of the Ram temple where Babari Masjid stood for nearly 500 years.
However, the court did not give the same instruction to the government to constitute a board for the Muslim party to construct a mosque. It simply asked the government to allocate 5 acres of land elsewhere where Muslims can construct a mosque.
This judgment favoring the majority community though defused the highly charged communal atmosphere of the country but left the Muslim minority in despair but even though many felt is a travesty of justice but accepted the judgment as fait accompli for being born in India.
So there is no comparison between Hagia Sofia and Babari Masjid. A mosque is a house of Allah if that is built with due procedure of the Islamic faith and Babari masjid will be remembered as mosque with black judgment on that has made it a Ram temple.
——
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
Very unfortunate that still many learned Muslims are not ready to accept the Truth, Facts go on defaming Hindus Majority community and Government of India on false, untrue propaganda.
The World Community is requested and challenged to recheck and reconfirm the Supreme Court Verdict which is based mainly on Archeological Survey of India Report . The evidences produced clearly demonstrates the existence of temple as symbols, scriptures etc. related to Hindu religion only beneath the disputed structure of what was called Babri Mosque. Nothing illegal and wrong in demolishing a antiIslamic structure.
Secondly it is beyond doubt that Babar was an invader of India , outsider, who looted and did many atrocities on Hindus, a well known fact.
Similarly Mosque is not the house of Allah as per false narrative created because Allah is present every where and worshipping an idol is forbidden in Islam.
Mosque is a place to prayer only just as we go some place to perform a social or political tasks.
whatsapp university Phd 4th fail Mo-sha-bha and gau-brained andh-bhakts and their Kindergarten hishtree and illogical nonsense.
#NonsenseSambitPatra
The language, intentions and style of expressions itself speak of Good intellectual reply back with culture of Quran teachings and preachings.
Appreciate ?
True Islam is too difficult to follow.
One to read the Saudi Arabia , Arab News column for the issue who has bluntly condemned the act.
Can you please explain if babar was a traitor who looted the national treasury then where this wealth was shifted.. If u call British atraitor u can define it with their links toward their nation.. But mughal never turned back in fact they were buried itself in india.. Sorry to stake ur claims a totally absurd one..
Comments should br word by word , sentence by sentence to be rational and scientific than shifting goal posts.
Traitor word is NOT used for Babar. Invader and cruel ones. Loot doesn’t mean shifting wealth. British were also invaders and then rulers of India, why, because only Hindus are the Secular and tolerant society , pure vegetarians, kind hearted , even worship animals and not eat them in name of dharma. So cruelty not exits. Other fact and proof Islamic countries failed to be secular. One can not freely practice other faiths. One should be Honest to accept facts.
Indian Muslims are converted Hindus only. Mughals ruled India before British.
The Root cause is this only and documented ones when Jinnah , Indian Muslims messiah , asked British to transfer the power to Mughals(Muslims) only because Mughals Ruled india and Hindus. But Jinnah wants Islamic India in toto and somehow the British not accepted. This is the True History distorted by Leftists and Radicals of our country.
The same mindset is reflected among Indian Muslims as evidenced in AMU, JMI , Obessi, and other intellectuals. (Jinnah wali azadi, azadi lekar rahange, , azadi, azadi and azadi slogans ) from whom Hindus only.
Thank you Mr.. For being that modest.. I never knew there lie protocols for commenting too… So please don’t comment on people’s character who have passed away long back as long as the age old harshest cruelty of sati and other injustice such as dowry child prostitution practiced in many states where abolished during that Era.. And if they where that cruel my dear you wouldn’t have even got a single existing tradition in today’s word as they ruled for 1000 yrs.. Just go back to history and find the plight of the nations invaded by Mongolians.. They till date struggle to find the traces of their ancient traditions.. You have tend to study a lot of history from rss vision please be authenticate… Even the archeological reports you mention are false the reports were findings and remains are never from the northern Indian regions, as clearly indicating to facts that they where planted from south dimensions of the nation.
Comments should be word by word , sentence by sentence to be rational and scientific than shifting goal posts.
Unfollowed.
Typical Radical Answer by not accepting Truth and Facts and comparing Apple with Oranges as most usual unscientific approach for debate.
Babar and other Mughal invaders, even terrorists like Baghdadi, Osama Bin Laden are heroes and Shantidoots want them to be glorified in the name of religion only , pity and unfortunate.
You won’t believe Indian Prime Minister, Home Minister, SC , Police, Indian Constitution , any Indian Government Institutions Reports.
Has any shantidoot lost citizenship due to CAA bills , NO, but vitiated the communal harmony and riots in entire country just to make majority feared of religion ?
Has any body asked any papers till now ? No. expertise in making False Propaganda and False Narratives.
Then one should not live at that place. Take Middle East Islamic Countries citizenships on basis of religion if you can, only you can work as servant or slave. You praise Zakir Naik, PM Imran Khan, Jinnah and Pakistan , who was made by Radical Indian Muslims only before British transferred the power to Indians,
Baghdadi, Osama Bin Laden equivalent to Ravan were highly educated and intellectual as well.
Social evils of all religions to be dealt firmly like Triple Talaq, halala, and sacrificing animals in open.
Very clearly sir you have stated that jinnah wanted a Islamic state and main culprit behind the partition reluctant to the fact that hindu mahasabha and Muslim league ran a coalition govt in sind Bengal and north west province.. At time the infamous resolution was passed that Muslims are the separate nations.. Moreover the azadi movement had halted all its activities since 1932 onwards till independence sensing something fishy going on, while the final nail to coffin was partition prioritize before independence thus making clear that flames was on both radicalized sides equally but where left shell shocked to see a sizable Muslim population rejecting the call of jinnah and supporting firmly the decision of maulana Azad and khan Abdul gaffar and thus refusing to leave our beloved nation
Very clearly sir you have stated that jinnah wanted a Islamic state and main culprit behind the partition reluctant to the fact that hindu mahasabha and Muslim league ran a coalition govt in sind Bengal and north west province.. At time the infamous resolution was passed that Muslims are the separate nations.. Moreover the azadi movement had halted all its activities since 1932 onwards till independence sensing something fishy going on, while the final nail to coffin was partition prioritize before independence thus making clear that flames was on both radicalized sides equally but where left shell shocked to see a sizable Muslim population rejecting the call of jinnah and supporting firmly the decision of maulana Azad and khan Abdul gaffar and thus refusing to leave our beloved nation
Strange that all my Muslims brother change the goal posts and remain silent on the issues highlighted in earlier posts !
And start a new thread of discussions to avoid/ignoring facts, answering it.
Agree with your call for all Islamic Countries to be secular and allow same Religious Freedom to Hindus and other religions including Power sharing, making Hindu minorities Board/ Commission, allowing new temples, churches and Yahudis etc.
Makkah also non-muslims to be allowed.
I have read so many articles concerning the blogger
lovers except this article is genuinely a pleasant piece of writing, keep it up.